Statistics body reaches out to stakeholders

Government institutions and other organisations seeking technical statistical assistance should approach the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), the acting head of the institute has urged. Dr Diane Karusisi made the call yesterday, while speaking at a workshop to discuss capacity building. During presentations, various ministries and other government institutions highlighted challenges,including insufficient statistical experts, inadequate equipment to compile data, among others. “Statistical data should be accessible to users. We have better equipment and enough experts at NISR. They should take advantage by using the staff we have. Therefore, they can always come to us” she disclosed to The New Times. She noted that NISR presently has expatriates who can train and guide institutional statisticians to improve on their data compilation if needed. Dominic Habimana, the Director of Statistical Method Research and Publications at NISR, who was the workshop organizer, observed that the objective of the meeting was to establish common mechanisms in improving statistical data in the country. “We need to come up with proper mechanisms, a coordination framework, and a road map to strengthen the optimisation of data production. We also need to know their planning and even the problems affecting them so that we can provide assistance,” he reiterated. He pointed out that there had been a weakness in coordination between institutes and NISR, adding that this creates a gap that leads to poor flow of statistical information. “We still have the problem of insufficient staff in the statistics department and there is a problem of flow of information from decentralised entities to the Ministry of Agriculture” Raphael Rurangwa, a statistician from the ministry revealed. Next week, NISR will conduct a dissemination workshop involving local leaders in the Northern Province that will attract Governors, Mayors, and Executive Secretaries to sensitise them on statistics. The meeting will also discuss situational assessment report that was prepared by NISR. Ends