Representatives from different government agencies were able to attend a capacity-building workshop on the importance of the collection and management of National Data in a training session hosted by the Family Department during the week of the 11th and 12th of April.
The two-day workshop facilitated by the Research and Policy Planning Division of the Department, (RPPD) in collaboration with the Tsuha Foundation took place at the Seychelles National Museum.
The Director General for the Research and Policy Planning Division, (RPPD), Mrs. Larue, said that The Tsuha Foundation financed the workshop through Ms. Venessa Mehlhorn’s project entitled ‘Tracking the Sustainable Development Goals: Improving the National Data Collection System through the Tracking of Sustainable Development Goals in Seychelles.”
Ms. Mehlhorn is one of the eight Fellows, selected to follow the programme funded by the Tsuha Global Fellowship Program, which seeks to support common commitments in progressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The fellowship is being led by the University of Western Australia and Curtin University, both based in Perth, Western Australia.
“We would like to extend our appreciation to Ms. Mehlhorn and her mentor, Professor Petra Tschakert, as well as the Tsuha Foundation for the support and commitment to facilitating the workshop”, said Mrs. Larue.
Mrs. Larue added that the division facilitated the same workshop at the beginning of the year to equip the staff within the three divisions of the Department, Quality of Life Division, the Disabled and the Elderly Disabled Division, the RPPD, as well as the Programme Unit.
“And as we work in collaboration with other entities for reliable reporting, it was necessary to extend the training to our partners,” pressed Mrs. Larue.
During the two-day programme, Dr. Gerard Adonis, consultant, and researcher presented a discussion on the relevance of National Data Collection and the reporting of accurate data. He emphasized that data collection and use of data is a culture, which needs to be more appreciated and further developed in Seychelles.
The participants were also able to place their challenges and were equipped with a comprehensive template and mapping process during the training, therefore leaving the workshop with an insight into how all stakeholders can use one template to collate information that can be accessible to all.
Dr. Adonis further explained “Sometimes straightforward information is either not available or difficult to get access to. This is both for the public and for international reporting. This therefore permits gaps in many of the reports submitted to international organizations, a situation that has been there for a while now.”
“Our country needs to recognize that collating relevant data places evidence to corroborate claims for change where it is necessary. Data tells you unerringly what is there, what needs to be amended and a database of accurate data allows you to capture quality evidence for insights, policy, and decision-making,” he added.
Emminielle Elizabeth, a statistician at the National Bureau of Statistics who attended the training said that she found the workshop as beneficial as it emphasized the importance of National Data collection and the challenges in collecting data.
“I especially appreciated the template, a good tool for collaboration,” said Ms. Elizabeth.
Ms. Elizabeth also said that she is hopeful of a better-looking future for data collection, “with information, education pressed, the stakeholders and the general public will become sensitized on the importance of information and the relevance of data collection.”
Maria Evenson, an economist at the National Planning Department said that this was a much-needed workshop.
“It was very good to have the different stakeholders involved in the workshop as we were able to get the different perspectives on how the data is used and the constraints that the different Ministries, Departments, and Agencies face,” said Ms. Evenson.
Contributed by
Research and Policy Planning Division
Family Department