Data is critical to achieving the country's priorities, ensuring that decisions are evidence based and monitoring mechanisms are robust.
A first-of-its kind National Multi Sectoral Data Stock Taking Meeting workshop began on a high note yesterday morning in Port Moresby.
This is the first in a series of meetings that will be held.
The workshop catalyzed the discussions on data, establishing a network of data specialists covering all sectors in the country.
Assistant Secretary – Policy & Budget Development of the Department for National Planning & Monitoring, Christine Aisoli, in her welcome remarks, highlighted the main purpose and importance of the data stocktaking in PNG.
Aisoli said this data stocktaking workshop is in line with the UN theme of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
The purpose of the workshop is also to support national planning in the localisation exercise, which is challenging because of data and the outcome of this workshop will contribute to fast tracking the SDGs at this stage as there is still more to do in the years to come.
“That is also in line with the national priorities of the government.”
The objective of the two-day workshop is to initiate consultation in relation to the collection, analysis and the use of development data related to the SDGs.
The second objective is to discuss the possibility for collaboration, innovation and improve coordination for development data in PNG.
She adds that the government has a lot of reforms that she believes is very timely in terms of planning and development aspects.
“The data, the indicators, the statistics are important because of the challenges that we have faced and learnt from.
“We are now taking forward and we are here today to look at the data situation in the country because the SDGs are all indicator based.”
She further states that we will only know the progress of the country if we improve on our indicators and have them available at arm’s length.
The meeting was convened by the Department of National Planning and Monitoring, National Statistics Office, the United Nations, UPNG/ANU, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
Participants who attended the workshop were from different government agencies, academics, the private sector, diplomatic mission, development partners and global partners.