STATIN Hosts Data Capacity-Building Workshop

The Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) recently kicked off its Capacity-Building Workshop focused on Data Ethics, Governance and Quality for Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The opening ceremony, which was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on Monday (December 2), saw speakers highlighting the critical role of high-quality data in shaping informed decisions and sustainable development within the region.

STATIN’s Chairman, Robert Stennett, noted the indispensable link between high-quality data and effective decision-making, stating that, “in an era where high-quality data drives high-quality decisions… the better the data, the better the decision”.

He emphasised the importance of robust governance and ethical practices in data generation, underscoring the workshop’s significance in addressing the challenges faced by Caribbean SIDS in navigating a rapidly evolving data landscape.

Meanwhile, Resident Coordinator for the United Nations (UN) Mission in Jamaica, Dennis Zulu, outlined the essential role of reliable data in informing policy decisions and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“As we enter the closing years of the 2030 agenda and the SDGs, reliable, timely and impartial data is vital in aiding robust analysis to inform policy decision-making in support of sustainable development,” he stated.

Mr. Zulu added, “Tough decisions are, indeed, ahead of us, and it is essential that all stakeholders in our sustainable development framework have quality, reliable and trustworthy data upon which we can make decisions.”

Director General (Acting) of STATIN, Leesha Delatie-Budair, expressed optimism for the workshop’s impact in enhancing data governance and quality assurance frameworks across participating countries.

She highlighted the opportunity for collaboration and knowledge-sharing to strengthen national statistical systems, emphasising the role of resilient and high-quality data systems in serving nations and their citizens.

“This workshop will provide an opportunity for participating countries to share their practices and challenges in implementing data governance and a national quality assurance framework, and to discuss topics of special interest, such as quality assurance, when using administrative data and other data sources,” Ms. Delatie-Budair stated.

“Let us remember that the insights and solutions we develop here will serve as a foundation for the resilient, adaptive and high-quality statistical systems we aim to build. Together we are strengthening the capacity of our national statistics systems to meet the challenges of the data ecosystem and to better serve our nations and our people,” she added.

The workshop, which will take place over four days, serves as a collaborative platform for Caribbean SIDS to exchange best practices, address challenges and explore innovative solutions in data governance and quality assurance.

The insights and solutions developed during the workshop will lay the foundation for building adaptive and robust statistical systems that meet the evolving demands of a changing data ecosystem.