Improving Agricultural Statistics in the COMCEC Region
42
Table 27: Agricultural Statistics Staff
Source: SSAQ Results.
Physical resources allocated to agricultural statistics are summarized in Table 28 and
presented in more detail in Annex 4, Table A.4.12. Over 80 percent of the respondents on
average reported that they have a web page for agricultural statistics. This ratio is up to
91 percent in the Arab group. Furthermore, nearly 100 percent of the respondents reported
having a database of agricultural statistics. Half in the African group and 44 percent in the
Asian group said that the databases are accessible online. Based on the observations
conducted in this study during the country visits, the web survey conducted on the URLs
provided in the SSAQ, and other available sources, it can be concluded that there is a gross
overestimation of the availability of the web pages for agricultural statistics, databases and
online access to these database. It was therefore decided that the web survey results would be
used instead of the SSAQ responses during the construction of the IASD.
Table 28: Availability Ratios of Information Technology
Existence of
a
Website
Existence of
a Database
On-line/ Internal/None
Number of PC’s
at Headquarters
Number of
PC’s at
Regions
African Group 0.77 0.50/0.50/0.00 31 39
Arab Group 0.91 0.00/1.00/0.00 32 38
Asian Group 0.78 0.44/0.44/0.12 27 117
COMCEC 0.79 0.31/0.66 /0.03 31 59
Note: The three percentage values given in the third column show the ratios of countries reporting online
databases, databases for internal use, or not having any database at all.
Source: SSAQ Results.
On average, in all groups, 90 PC’s are available, a third of which are at headquarters and two
thirds in the regional offices. With the exception of a significantly higher number of PC’s in the
regional offices of the Asian group, all other PC availabilities are similar across the COMCEC
Regional groupings. As is the case for financial and human resources, it is difficult to determine
the uses of the PC’s in the various units or institutions; i.e. whether they are for agricultural
statistics, other statistics or administrative use.
Professional Staff
at Headquarters
Professional Staff
in the Field
Support Staff at
Headquarters
Support-Staff in
the Field
African Group Average 23 116 35 310
Minimum 9 (Niger) 15(Togo) 4 (Ugan/Mozam) 0 (Niger)
Maximum 104(Cameroon) 374(Niger) 205(Cameroon) 1847(Nigeria)
Arab Group Average 20 176 78 123
Minimum 2(Sudan/Kuwait) 13(Palestine) 4(Sudan) 10(Jordan)
Maximum 85(Egypt) 774(Egypt) 300(Egypt) 187(Egypt)
Asian Group Average 20 92 15 400
Minimum 2(Afghanistan) 0(Afghanistan) 4(Afghanistan) 0(Afghanistan)
Maximum 38(Turkey) 269(Turkey) 40(Iran) 1500(Turkey)
COMCEC Average 21 128 47 297