Last week, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine took an important step in meeting the needs of communities by initiating a systematic dialogue on the development of local statistics. Why is local data currently fragmented, what is the State Statistics Service proposing, and what should a ‘community passport’ look like? Arsen Makarchuk, Head of the State Statistics Service, addressed these issues in the op-ed for Interfax-Ukraine.

The Decentralisation Portal presents the key takeaways from this article, as the issue of quality data is one of the most pressing for communities during the war and in preparation for recovery.

Why are community statistics so important?

Arsen Makarchuk says that today, community statistics are just as important as national indicators of inflation or wages.

• Results of decentralisation: Local governments have been granted powers, resources, and responsibilities. ‘But any form of governance begins with measurement. Without systematic data, development cannot be planned or demonstrated,’ emphasises the Head of the State Statistics Service.
• European integration: Ukraine is required to implement EU standards in its regional policy. This refers to the ability to objectively assess territories and justify the allocation of resources to international partners.
• Post-war restoration: Planning reconstruction is impossible without understanding the actual situation ‘on the ground’. In this context, local statistics become the foundation, rather than a supporting element.

What is the problem with data in communities now?

Arsen Makarchuk admits frankly: the State Statistics Service itself bears part of the responsibility. Due to optimisation measures in recent years, district offices were closed, which reduced the presence on the ground and led to a loss of regular contact with communities.

As a result, data is now collected in a fragmented manner.

‘The sources vary, the methodologies differ, and so does the frequency. The data is often inconsistent: the same indicator can have several values depending on who calculated it. As a result, communities have individual figures but cannot see the full picture,’ states the Head of the State Statistics Service.

The new initiative is designed to fill exactly this gap.

How ‘community statistics’ will be collected

The State Statistics Service has already held its first founding dialogue, bringing together representatives from the Parliament, the Government, regional administrations, communities, experts, and international partners. The main conclusion is that local statistics should not be a temporary solution, but a comprehensive and sustainable system.

As a first step, a list of ‘essential’ data for communities has been identified:

• Demographics (with a focus on children and young people);
• Social sphere;
• Economic structure;
• Infrastructure;
• Environmental situation.

To launch a fully-fledged statistics system, a legislative framework, digital infrastructure (integration of registers), and uniform European standards are required.

Action plan: From pilot projects to the ‘community passport’

Arsen Makarchuk outlined the specific steps that the State Statistics Service plans to implement in the near future:

1. Forming a ‘core’ set of indicators. Development of a basic, nationwide list of indicators for the ‘community passport’ (demographic, economic, social, financial).
2. Regional unique characteristics. The database will be supplemented with specific indicators relevant to particular regions. ‘To put it simply: we need to know both how much coffee is drunk in Lviv and the volume of sprat caught in Odesa. Such data highlights the unique potential of each region,’ explains the Head of the State Statistics Service.
3. Audit and piloting. Three to five communities will be selected for pilot projects. The work with data sources and methodology will be tested in real-world conditions. ‘If necessary, we are ready to dig out old archives and account books to form the most complete picture of each community,’ assures Arsen Makarchuk.
4. Creating the ‘passport’. Based on the pilot data, the first passports will be created and checked for compliance with EU standards.
5. Evaluating the scale-up. Based on the results of the pilot, a working model will be developed, ready for launching in all 1,400+ communities across Ukraine.

‘The development of local statistics is fully in line with the new strategy of the State Statistics Service – the transition from the inertial production of data to the creation of specific products for the user. The ‘community passport’ is intended to be precisely such a product – clear, practical and indispensable for making informed decisions,’ concluded Arsen Makarchuk, Head of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine.