Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics Calls for Collaboration to Ensure Reliable Data Collection

This press release underscores the critical importance of partnering or collaborating with the Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics to ensure data collection and dissemination meet the high standards required for reliable and trustworthy decision-making.

The Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics (VBoS) emphasizes the importance of all government agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and development partners to collaborate with the Bureau when collecting and disseminating data, particularly if the data is intended to impact national policy and decision-making. The Statistics Act of 2022 intends to ensure that official statistics provide value in decision-making, among other key objectives.  The core functions of the Bureau under the Act include undertaking the collection, production, analysis and dissemination of official statistics.  The VBoS is the only government agency with the legal mandate and authority to produce official statistics.

Adherence to Principles of Official Statistics

The Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics strives to uphold the United Nations' ten Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (FPOS):

1. Relevance, Impartiality, and Equal Access: Statistical agencies must produce and disseminate statistics that serve the needs of government, economy, and the public in an objective, professional, and transparent manner.
2. Professional Standards and Ethics: To retain trust in official statistics, agencies must adhere to scientific principles and professional ethics.
3. Accountability and Transparency: Statistical agencies must be accountable and transparent in their decision-making processes.
4. Prevention of Misuse: Agencies should prevent misuse of statistics and provide guidelines for proper interpretation.
5. Sources of Official Statistics: Agencies must select sources of data carefully and ensure the quality and coverage of statistics.
6. Confidentiality: The privacy of data providers must be protected, and the information must be used only for statistical purposes.
7. Legislation: Statistical laws, regulations, and measures are vital to ensuring the integrity and credibility of statistics.
8. National Coordination: Coordination among statistical agencies within countries is essential to achieving consistency and efficiency.
9. Use of International Standards: The adoption of international statistical standards promotes the comparability of statistics.
10. International Cooperation: Cooperation with international organizations is crucial for the development of an integrated system of official statistics.

Risks of Unofficial Statistics

Independent data collection efforts that do not involve VBoS often fail to meet these high standards, resulting in unreliable and potentially misleading information. Such unofficial statistics may lack the necessary rigor in methodology, quality assurance, and adherence to guidelines of best practice, leading to flawed data that can misinform policy and program decisions.

Ensuring Trustworthy Data

The Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics is dedicated to producing reliable and accurate data that decision-makers can trust. Our team of skilled professionals and technical partners in the region work diligently to maintain these standards, ensuring that the data we produce is viable and trustworthy.

A Call for Collaboration

We urge all government agencies, NGOs, CSOs, and development partners to collaborate with the VBoS when planning data collection initiatives that reach beyond informing their own programs and projects. By working together, we can ensure that data collected is not only accurate but also relevant and impactful for our society. This collaboration is essential if the research is intended to impact public policy and support sustainable development priorities in Vanuatu.

A Warning to Decision Makers

Decision-makers must be cautious of data not collected in partnership with the VBoS. Catchy headlines that provoke reactions using unofficial statistics may not provide the accuracy and validity needed for sound decision-making. Trust only data that has been guided and endorsed by the Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics to ensure it meets the high standards required for trusted and informed decisions.  This can be achieved through direct partnership and collaboration in a number of ways to be determined by VBoS authorities.

This press release is provoked by a recent article published in the Daily Post on Saturday 28th July in which a headline made the claim that “80% of children in Vanuatu experience violence from their caregivers at home”.  The data was collected by an NGO, Save the Children Vanuatu, that commissioned the study without consultation with the VBoS.  There was no scrutiny of approach, sample strategy, methodology, or questionnaire, no involvement in properly training enumerators, monitoring fieldwork, or assistance with data processing or analysis.

While there is no law requiring collaboration with the VBoS, the article made it clear that the intention was not to use the data solely for guiding the NGOs programs and projects in Vanuatu, but rather to have a political and social impact in the country.

“Save the Children Vanuatu aims to drive meaningful changes in policy and practice.  This includes assisting the Government of Vanuatu in passing the Child Protection Bill and developing a national action plan for prevention and response, including setting up a government mechanism for child protection.”

Unfortunately the results of this study, conducted with good intentions, are not recommended by VBoS for basing any decisions due to the failure of the NGO to consider the importance of meeting the country’s standards for data quality.

The VBoS recommends decision-makers to refer to the 2023 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) that included a section on violence and exploitation and was conducted in partnership with UNICEF.  Unlike the Save the Children study, the MICS can be trusted to have met the highest standard of quality and accuracy.  A report of main findings was published on the VBoS website in July and a full analysis report and infographics of the MICS was published on the VBoS website at the start of August.  The MICS findings are considered by VBoS to be official statistics that can be trusted.

Contact Information

For more information or to inquire about collaboration processes, please contact: 
Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics
Phone: 33040
Email: stats@vanuatu.gov.vu

About the Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics

The Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics is the official agency responsible for collecting, compiling, and disseminating reliable and accurate statistical information for the government and the public. Our mission is to support informed decision-making and promote the well-being of the people of Vanuatu through high-quality statistics.