Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region
119
these statistics. 116 Both institutions have joint responsibilities on the dissemination of
agricultural statistics. The figure below summarizes this business procedure.
Figure 11: Production Workflow for Agricultural Statistics in Iran
The Center for Information and Communication Technology (CICT) of the MJA is responsible
for conducting research and publishing the statistics pertaining to the agricultural sector.
Furthermore, the Office for Agricultural Statistics (OAS) at SCI also researches and publishes
some of the required statistics. Although this may appear to be a duplication of efforts, there is
no overlapping of activities between these two statistical agencies, since the authorities and
responsibilities of these agencies have been determined by the Programme for National
Statistics.117
Integration and Coordination of Agricultural Statistics: SCI coordinates all statistical
activities as explained in Figure 11 above, and determines the methodology and definitions.
Then the MJA collects data from the field with the help of the sub-provincial offices, after which
it aggregates and publishes the results on a provincial basis.
The CICT is one the subdivisions of Deputy Planning and Economy of the MJA, which takes
overall responsibility for information management in the agricultural sector. In order to fulfil
this purpose, part of the CICT’s agenda is to: create, collect, organize and process the statistics
and information; conduct analysis and interpretation of satellite data; establish the required
statistical information and computer systems; present computer services and data processing;
and create an information network.
The Bureau of Statistics consists of 4 units: Deputy of Statistics; Deputy of Information
Technology; Remote Sensing Group; and Statistical Information Department. As the most
116 MJA, 2014.
117 Ibid
NHCS decides on
priorities for
collection of
agricultural statistics
and coordination of
the relevant bodies
for production
SCI searches the
international
metodologies and
determines how to
use for collection.
CICT of MJA arranges
necessary resources
for conducting
surveys in accordance
with the methodology
designed by SCI.
Both institutions
disseminate the
statistical results.