Why statistics consulting?

 High quality statistics contribute to:

• Economic growth - by offering information that is indispensable for efficient resource allocation and decisions in business life, for governments to monitor and manage the economy.
• Poverty reduction - by offering information about distribution and changes in living conditions and poverty patterns, a precondition for a pro-poor policy.
• Good governance - by offering information for public resource allocation and fact-based policy management
• Democracy building - by providing a factual basis for an open public debate, in media and in national decision making bodies.
• International comparability - by providing international agencies, such as the UN system with national, standardized information for international comparisons.

A tool to reach goals

Statistics tell us how successful policies designed to alleviate poverty are: whether maternal mortality decrease through investment in health care; whether more children attend school when there is an increase in trained teachers; whether fewer people starve by the implementation of focused agricultural projects, to mention some examples. Statistics reveal whether our goals are achievable and whether our strategies are on track. Statistics can tell us when we need to modify development programs and reallocate resources.

Statistics is a tool for good governance and democracy building, offering information as a base for public resource allocation, for democratic discussions in the public, in media and national decision making bodies.

Reliable, relevant, and available

Trustworthy statistics need to be compiled correctly, following standard practices and methodology. Statistics must also meet the needs of the users and answer the questions posed by policymakers. Developing countries face a number of problems in providing statistics that meet these criteria. They often find themselves caught in a vicious cycle where under-investment in national statistical systems constrains activities. This results in data of poor quality with unsatisfied users unwilling to use statistics extensively in policy processes.

This lack of demand for the data leads to fewer resources made available for statistical production and quality control. For more than 10 years, Statistics Norway has cooperated with sister organizations in developing and transition countries, contributing to the development of their statistical systems and capacity building