Promoting Business Statistics with Gender Indicators

Partnership
Initiative

Background

The Oficina Nacional de Estadística de República Dominicana (National Statistics Office of the Dominican Republic - ONE) and the Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay (National Institute of Statistics of Uruguay - INE) have been working closely together since 2008 as part of a 'collaboration and exchange programme', which has allowed them to work together in specialised areas such as data collection systems, data processing technology, information systems for economic, social and demographic statistics, among many others, with a focus on capacity building for both institutions.

Within the context of this collaboration, both entities established a Triangular Cooperation Partnership that successfully implemented an Initiative, co-financed by the ADELANTE Window 2022: Strengthening statistics on business. The objective of this Initiative was to 'share the knowledge of the Partnership entities to develop statistical information tools in the business sector, with an emphasis on MSMEs, focused on the design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies for the productive sectors', which helped meet a particular challenge at that time faced by the National Statistics Office of the Dominican Republic - ONE, the Beneficiary entity.

The Fundación para el Análisis Estratégico y Desarrollo de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa (Foundation for the Analysis and Strategic Development of SMEs - FAEDPYME) in Spain also participated in this partnership as a specialised academic partner, channelling the overall knowledge and expertise of Spain and Europe on this subject.

Following the success of this Triangular Cooperation Initiative in the framework of the ADELANTE Window 2022, the three entities aimed to continue collaborating and broaden the scope of their impact, extending the knowledge and expertise acquired to more key actors in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At that time, within the framework of the Central American Integration System, ONE had been collaborating with the Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Guatemala (National Institute of Statistics of Guatemala - INE). As a result of this collaboration, it became clear that INE had a strategic challenge (the creation of a 'Directory of gender-sensitive enterprises', with the ultimate aim of promoting business statistics with a gender-based perspective). To this end, the experience of ONE itself was highly relevant, as well as the recent partnership with INE Uruguay and FAEDPYME, and a significant potential for learning was identified for each of the actors involved.

In this regard, the Triangular Cooperation Partnership formed in 2022 was consolidated and has grown to reach more Beneficiary entities in Latin America.

Entities and roles

Beneficiary entities

Instituto Nacional de Estadística - INE

Guatemala

Instituto Nacional de Estadística - INE

Uruguay

First provider entities

Oficina Nacional de Estadística - ONE

Dominican Republic

Second provider entities

Fundación para el Análisis y el Desarrollo Estratégico de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa - FAEDPYME

Spain

Development challenges

Through this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, the knowledge and expertise of the Partnership member entities in the subject of gender-sensitive business statistics will be used to strengthen and consolidate national capacities in this area, while creating a benchmark methodology for other actors in the region.

The goal is to seek inclusive and sustainable development within the framework of SDG 8 and SDG 9, contributing to these by 'promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and significantly increasing the contribution of industry to employment and gross domestic product, in accordance with national circumstances, and doubling that contribution in the least developed countries', and 'achieving higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including by focusing on high value-added and labour-intensive sectors'. This includes a direct contribution to SDG 10 in 'empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all people, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic or other status'.

Quality business statistics enable the formulation of public policies that promote these objectives, adding the strategic element of a gender-based approach to foster empowerment and social inclusion and reduce inequalities.

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative seeks to harness the knowledge of the Partnership entities to create a methodology for measuring business statistics with a gender-sensitive perspective, with a view to strengthening public policies to contribute to the reduction of inequalities.

Triangular approach

There is strong consensus that the quality of data collection and analysis of business statistics is key to formulating public policies that advance objectives related to economic growth, industry, innovation, decent work and overcoming inequalities. The strategic addition of a gender-based approach also has highly positive effects in terms of promoting social inclusion and reducing gender inequalities.

Gender-sensitive measurement in statistical production is a complex exercise, and requires strong collaborative processes as well as innovative and robust methodologies.

The ONE already has extensive experience in this regard, which it has shared on several occasions and has made available to all Partnership member entities. FAEDPYME also stands out as a key player, working since 2020 on the use of existing data to develop business indicators with a focus on gender and youth, in addition to raising awareness of the environmental impact. In the case of INE - Guatemala and INE - Uruguay, there is a strong interest in harnessing the experience in Europe and the Dominican Republic, and both institutes are also in a position to share their experience thus far.

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative will harness the knowledge and expertise of the Partnership member entities from Europe and the Dominican Republic in the field of gender-sensitive business statistics. The aim is to first strengthen and consolidate the capacities of Uruguay and Guatemala in this area (with the specific challenge of Guatemala acquiring capacities for the creation of its 'Directory of gender-sensitive enterprises'), and subsequently to develop a benchmark methodology for other actors in the region.

This methodology for the gender-sensitive measurement of statistical output will be based on the consideration of currently available business directories and economic surveys. It will include an assessment of the partner countries and a toolbox with selected and presented methodological practices to facilitate greater replicability and use by other statistical institutes in Latin America. It will also seek to create a forum or platform for the exchange of experiences in the use of applied business statistics methodologies and techniques, linking the use of statistics to data requesters from the public sector, business, civil society and academia in all relevant countries.

Sectoral approach - Contribution to the 2030 Agenda

Primary SDG

Goal 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries

Secondary SDG

Goal 8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors

ADELANTE SDG

Goal 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Goal 17.6 Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism

Territorial approach

Intervention methodology

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative is based on three premises: a) build on the existing information, making use of the data sources already available to produce reports that guarantee their use in terms of a gender-based approach; b) focus on capacity building, giving priority to training the staff of statistics offices, while also including other key actors; and c) open the space to all actors, strengthening partnerships with the business, social and academic sectors for statistical use and the use of data for decision making.

Within the framework of this approach, a series of activities will be carried out, centred around six study visits, which reflect the approach of the knowledge management cycle of Triangular Cooperation. A first round of three visits will be made for participants to familiarise themselves with the current situation, the journey (knowledge and experience) and the challenges of each of the entities ('building on past experiences') in order to jointly develop a roadmap to achieve the Initiative's objectives. Following this exercise, a second round of three visits will take place, aimed at specifying the roadmap in each of the countries, with a special focus on training the teams of the Partnership member entities, especially the Beneficiary entities, and on broadening discussions to include all actors ('pursuing capacity building' and 'opening up the space for all actors').

In parallel, two specialised studies will be carried out. The first, coordinated by FAEDPYME, will be an analytical report aimed at making the best use of available data sources in terms of the gender-based approach. The second, coordinated by ONE, will focus on the approach and development of the aforementioned methodology for the measurement of gender-sensitive business statistics. It will be based on an assessment of the partner countries and will include a toolbox with methodological practices selected and presented to facilitate greater replicability and optimal use by other statistical institutes in Latin America. There will also be a course for ONE and INE officials on the measurement and use of business statistics and indicators, delivered by FAEDPYME.

The Initiative will end with an international seminar in the Dominican Republic as a closing activity to publicly present the progress made, the knowledge generated, and the resulting methodology in particular, making it available to all actors in the region. This seminar will be the first step towards an international, multi-stakeholder platform for the exchange of experiences in the use of applied business statistics methodologies and techniques by all actors in all interested countries.

Direct beneficiaries (individuals)

According to Rule 9 of the Guidelines for Applicants: all persons participating in the activities of the Initiative.

Approximately 120 direct beneficiaries are participating in this Initiative, the majority of whom are authorities and technical staff of the Partnership member entities.

In addition, the involvement of various actors from the participating countries is also expected, including national public entities associated with the National Statistical System of each of the Partnership countries, private business entities (with priority given to the chambers of commerce and production of the three countries, among many others) and university, academic or research centres.

Budget

EU contribution: 151,250.00 €

Co-financing - Triangular Cooperation Partnership: 83,020.00 €

Total budget: 234,270.00 €

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