The adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015 and subsequently the indicator framework for monitoring progress in 2016 places an unprecedented demand for data. For this reason, Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in collaboration with the Global Partnerships for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD) held a Data Roadmap Forum in April 2017 that established priorities for the data ecosystem in Ghana in achieving Agenda 2030 and Africa Union Agenda 2063.
Also the Statistical Service Law, 2019 (Act 1003), mandates GSS to provide leadership and direction to the National Statistical System (NSS), GSS has prioritized strengthening administrative data systems in Ghana. To achieve this, GSS partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development (MLGDRD) And the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) to support selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to compile administrative data.
The purpose of the training was to improve the availability and use of routine administrative data to inform public policy and financial management that responds to the needs and aspirations of citizens and communities at the sub-national and national levels. Also, the need to enhance the capacity of District Statisticians and Planning Officers on data compilation, including Citizens Generated data, to increase evidence-based decision-making in all MMDAs.
The expected outcome was to equip the institutions to provide data which will serve as inputs to the 2022 Annual Progress Reports of the MMDAs as well as their Annual Work Programmes for 2023 and beyond. The District Statistician is expected to compile relevant district-level data to inform the annual work programme and annual progress report. Also, participating MMDAs better align their annual budget to the SDG targets as required by the directive of MoF in 2019.
The training started exactly 10:00am on the 27th March, 2023. The participants available as at that time were twelve. Opening prayer was said by Mr. Bless Fiagbedzi, the manager of NEDCO. All participants including the facilitators did self-introduction, which was led by the District Statistician. The welcome address was also done by the District Coordinating Director, Alhaji Musah Bawa of the Pru East District Assembly. He enumerated the importance of such exercise to the development of the assembly. He also admonished trainees to take the exercise serious. He again assured the facilitators of the support of the Assembly in ensuring that the district provide the best data.
After the opening address and self-introduction came the actual business for the 2 day training which spelt out the course outline as Demonstration on administrative data collection template, SDGs budget alignment and reporting, Group work and discussions and introduction to metadata for consistent and comparable data.