Statistics on Cultural Industries - International Trade Centre

The joint operation between the national and international project teams is particularly importantas the project is expected to create the basis for the development of capacity specific to the culturalindustries. In a capacity building project of this kind, counterpart staff are expected to be involvedin the entire process of data development and should be competent in terms of the management,co-ordination and operation of the intended regular (e.g. annual) data compilation, processing, andpublication activities. The project aims to utilize existing structures and human resources withinthe relevant departments and institutions as far as possible to support this capacity building.Chart 1 describes the relationship between the various agencies in the implementation of thenational data projects. The precise implementation arrangements will take cognizance of theneed to direct capacity building at the NSO responsible for regular surveys of manufacturingestablishments for the following reasons: (i) to avoid duplication of establishment surveys, (ii)because line ministries do not have capacity for field enumeration for establishment surveys/censuses, (iii) NSO is familiar with international statistical standards and thus, international datacomparability, and (iv) such capacity building would be the easiest to achieve at NSO as it wouldonly entail the creation of a sub-programme to the existing programme for industrial statisticsoperation.8.3 Technical Co-operationThe Framework for <strong>Statistics</strong> on Cultural Industries is the outcome of research undertaken bythe UN Interagency Technical Working Group on Cultural Industries <strong>Statistics</strong>, an informal workinggroup convened by UNESCO comprising, besides UNESCO, members from various internationalorganizations including UIS, UNIDO, WIPO, and UNDP. Experts in the field are co-opted by theworking group for individual meetings.<strong>Statistics</strong> on Cultural IndustriesFramework for the Elaboration of National Data Capacity Building ProjectsThe formulation of the project proposal has in particular benefited from WIPO’s considerableexperience and expertise in the area of intellectual property protection, and from UNIDO’sexperience with small and medium-sized enterprise development. In addition, the group has beenable to draw on the experience of the statistical offices of UIS and UNIDO, as well as the advice ofthe Centre for Cultural Policy Research at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).In the context of the Jodhpur Initiatives programme, the close technical co-operation of theconcerned international technical agencies will be an important objective to ensure that the datagenerated by the national projects will indeed be generally applicable and in line with internationalstatistical standards.The involvement of the UNESCO-convened UN Interagency Technical Working Group on CulturalIndustries <strong>Statistics</strong> will ensure that the overall strategy to improve transparency and governanceremains as a guiding principle for the implementation of national projects. The continuedmethodological work of the technical working group will include the review of the progress madeby national cultural industries data projects and ensure that the experience will be shared withother national projects. Their involvement will further ensure that these experiences are broughtforward as input to the discussion of international statistical standards and indicators for the areaof cultural industries.While the national data projects will test the methodology outlined in the Framework forNational Capacity Building Projects for <strong>Statistics</strong> on Cultural Industries, the overall responsibility forthe development of a methodology must rest with the International Advisory Board which will52