Rwanda: Curating data in the National Statistical System (March 2015)

Improving quality and dissemination of statistics is one of the strategic objectives of the Second National Strategy for Development of Statistics (2014-2018) of National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR). In accordance to the principles set out in the NSDS, the NISR is committed to ensuring that survey microdata are made available to the public on an impartial basis through National Data Archive (NADA). The Accelerated Data Program (ADP) has been providing technical support to NISR to establish NADA and to build capacity in documenting and dissemination survey microdata.
Based on the expertise developed at the NISR and taking advantages of tools and guidelines freely available on IHSN website, the NISR organized a Microdata Management Training (MMT) Workshop in Rubavu from 23 to 27 March 2015. This was a fully country-owned initiative without external support. The NISR invited 3 other key data producing agencies in National Statistical System (NSS) (Ministry of Education, Rwanda Biomedical Centre, and Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources) with the objectives to:

- Expand the good practices of microdata documentation and dissemination across NSS
- Updating NISR NADA catalogue (http://microdata.statistics.gov.rw/index.php/catalog) with new studies from NISR and the NSS

A total of 10 participants from different divisions of the NISR and from partner agencies including: Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre. One Senior Lecturer of Statistics from Institut d’Enseignement Superieur de Ruhengeri (INES Ruhengeri) were trained on the use of the latest versions of Nesstar Publisher (v4.0.9) and metadata generation. During the workshop six surveys were documented and two are still in progress. The workshop was funded by NISR national budget and facilitated by its own staff, Mr. Ruben MUHAYITETO, the Data Portals Management Officer of NISR. The ADP provided necessary technical support remotely during the workshop and has been reviewing the quality of DDIs produced from the workshop. The studies will soon be available on NISR NADA upon completion of the quality controls. This independent model of data curation and extension of best practices by the National Statistics Office into the National Statistical System is ultimately the goal of the ADP. This represents a graduation in the process of controlling the data flow in the country and asserting ownership of the process. This is an example we hope will be replicated over the course of the next few years as the ADP evolves and responds to institutionalizing the data curation process.