9 CHAPTER 2. MYANMAR’S LOCAL DATA ECOSYSTEM 2.1 HOW IS THE DATA ECOSYSTEM GOVERNED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL? The local data ecosystem sits within the broader, complex system of local governance in Myanmar. While the 2008 Constitution created a new level of government at the state/region level, lower administrative levels of Myanmar’s governance system (districts, townships, and wards / village tracts) remained largely unreformed. The township level—the focus of this report—is at the heart of public administration. Township-level departments are responsible for the bulk of public service delivery and revenue raising, and are at close proximity to communities. Townships in Myanmar vary greatly in population, geography, area, socioeconomic development, and how affected they are by conflict. Around 40 core departments are usually present in each township. Some departments, such as the General Administration Department (GAD), are present in all townships and have a similar function in each. Other departments vary in presence or importance depending on the township. For example, the Department of Fisheries plays an important role in many Ayeyarwady townships, where fishing is vital to the local economy. Some departments have a specific geographic focus within a township, such as Development Affairs Organizations (DAOs), which have an urban focus, and the Department of Rural Development (DRD), which has a rural focus. As shown in figure 2.1, departments work together through the system of township committees, with members of parliament, community committees, and community leaders acting as important links between communities and township officials.12 The Central Statistical Organization (CSO) is a leading agency for data governance in Myanmar. The CSO is responsible for Myanmar’s statistical policy and developing the National Statistical System,13 implementing the National Strategy for Development of Statistics (NSDS),14 and overseeing the Sustainable Development Goals indicators and the National Indicator Framework for the Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan.15 The CSO is a leading member of the Central Committee Data Accuracy and Quality of Statistics Committee, which plays a coordinating role in the development of the National Statistical System. The CSO’s aims and missions include: z producing comprehensive, accurate, and high-quality statistics; z enhancing cooperation and coordination between statistical departments and organizations; z promoting best-practice international standards in data collection; z using best-practice statistical techniques and software and building the capacity of other statistical organizations to use them; and z building trust between government and the public by providing accurate, high-quality statistics.16 The National Strategy for Development of Statistics17 identifies a number of challenges in the governance framework for statistical data. Of greatest relevance to Myanmar’s local data ecosystem, the NSDS notes the fragmentation of statistical activities “managed independently by ministries and agencies according their own needs,”18 and observes that there is “seldom professional compliance [with] the best practices of official statistics.”19 The NSDS also notes that there are no professional protocols governing the production of official statistics, no “standardized guidelines on the use of statistical concepts and definitions…, no accepted national classification systems to codify complex measures…, no established procedure for drawing samples in conducting surveys…, no explanation of metadata or quality-assurance measures.”20 The NSDS also points to the lack of a clear, coherent system linking local, provincial, and national data, and the lack of clarity in how subnational data are being coordinated and how accurate the current data production system is. These challenges may affect the quality and usability of data and erode trust in data that has been collected.