PREFAC旺 You can't monitor development progress without good data.The point may seem obvious,but it bears repeating.What we know about development-successes and failures-depends on the availability and quality of data.Data are the evidence for evidence-based decisionmaking.When we talk about managing for development results,we are talking about using data to plan,implement,guide,and evaluate development programs.We won't know when we have achieved the Millennium Development Goals unless we have the data to measure progress. Strong statistical systems,based on institutional autonomy,professional integrity,and commitment to high standards, provide the basis for producing credible statistics for informed decisionmaking.That is why we are working with our partners to improve international databases,which provide the data for World Development Indicators,and to strengthen national statistical systems,the ultimate source of the data. Three years ago in Marrakech,Morocco,the Second Roundtable on Managing for Development Results endorsed a new strategy for improving development statistics,the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics(MAPS).Since then,countries and donor agencies have united behind those joint goals. Much has been accomplished.With support from the Partnership for Statistics in Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21),regional bodies,international agencies,and bilateral donors,88 countries have adopted National Statistical Development Strategies to guide the maturation of their statistical systems.Many are also subscribers to the General Data Dissemination System.Based on these plans,countries and donors have begun to increase their investments in statistics. MAPS also called for actions to improve the quality and availability of data needed in the near term to measure progress on national development plans and the Millennium Development Goals.An Accelerated Data Program,piloted in six African countries,is demonstrating that even existing data sets can yield valuable information. Work on the next round of population and housing censuses has begun.The United Nations Statistics Division has initiated an intergovernmental process to increase support for censuses in developing countries. Along with censuses,surveys are a major source of development statistics.In 2005 the International Household Survey Network was formed to coordinate activities and provide tools for documenting and archiving surveys,thus ensuring that investments in surveys will continue to pay dividends into the future. All of these are important steps in building national and international statistical systems that respond to the demand for evidence to guide development.But more remains to be done,and the need is urgent. The challenges to us-national and international statisticians,donors,data users,and everyone concerned with measuring results-are threefold: How to accelerate investment in statistics. How to produce statistics that meet the needs of users. And how to harmonize donor efforts in support of developing countries as they build their statistical systems. Building statistical systems is a long-term process.So is our commitment.As we plan for the future,we are learning from our experience and realizing the results of past investments. 2007 World Development Indicators2007 World Development Indicators  Preface You can’t monitor development progress without good data. The point may seem obvious, but it bears repeating. What we know about development—successes and failures—depends on the availability and quality of data. Data are the evidence for evidence-based decisionmaking. When we talk about managing for development results, we are talking about using data to plan, implement, guide, and evaluate development programs. We won’t know when we have achieved the Millennium Development Goals unless we have the data to measure progress. Strong statistical systems, based on institutional autonomy, professional integrity, and commitment to high standards, provide the basis for producing credible statistics for informed decisionmaking. That is why we are working with our partners to improve international databases, which provide the data for World Development Indicators, and to strengthen national statistical systems, the ultimate source of the data. Three years ago in Marrakech, Morocco, the Second Roundtable on Managing for Development Results endorsed a new strategy for improving development statistics, the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics (MAPS). Since then, countries and donor agencies have united behind those joint goals. Much has been accomplished. With support from the Partnership for Statistics in Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21), regional bodies, international agencies, and bilateral donors, 88 countries have adopted National Statistical Development Strategies to guide the maturation of their statistical systems. Many are also subscribers to the General Data Dissemination System. Based on these plans, countries and donors have begun to increase their investments in statistics. MAPS also called for actions to improve the quality and availability of data needed in the near term to measure progress on national development plans and the Millennium Development Goals. An Accelerated Data Program, piloted in six African countries, is demonstrating that even existing data sets can yield valuable information. Work on the next round of population and housing censuses has begun. The United Nations Statistics Division has initiated an intergovernmental process to increase support for censuses in developing countries. Along with censuses, surveys are a major source of development statistics. In 2005 the International Household Survey Network was formed to coordinate activities and provide tools for documenting and archiving surveys, thus ensuring that investments in surveys will continue to pay dividends into the future. All of these are important steps in building national and international statistical systems that respond to the demand for evidence to guide development. But more remains to be done, and the need is urgent. The challenges to us—national and international statisticians, donors, data users, and everyone concerned with measuring results—are threefold: • How to accelerate investment in statistics. • How to produce statistics that meet the needs of users. • And how to harmonize donor efforts in support of developing countries as they build their statistical systems. Building statistical systems is a long-term process. So is our commitment. As we plan for the future, we are learning from our experience and realizing the results of past investments. WDI07 frontmatter.indd 5 3/25/07 12:17:50 PM