The main objective of the regional programmes is to provide assistance to countries to implement their NSDSs (or to design one if the country has not yet done so). At country level, the objectives are to:

• Finalise the NSDS for countries having started the design process and review its quality when completed;
• Facilitate the integration of NSDS and statistical development issues into national development policies and calendars (in particular PRSPs);
• Facilitate donors’ involvement and funding through adapted advocacy;
• Facilitate implementation arrangements;
• When necessary, assisting countries not having started the process to design their NSDSs

Activities for country support include:

Advocacy at country level: While PARIS21 will assist the country to produce advocacy materials to be used in the short term (booklet, video, leaflet, etc.), the overall objective is to support the country to design and implement their own advocacy strategy in the framework of their NSDS. PARIS21 is designing with partners a “Statistics Advocacy Resources Tool kit – START” that will be disseminated and presented to country statistical office managers.

Facilitation of donor support, co‐ordination and collaboration: PARIS21 will facilitate relations with donors’ headquarters and will assist countries to strengthen donors’ involvement in supporting NSDS implementation at the country level. This could include: a letter from the DAC chair to ministers and donors’ headquarters; advocacy meeting with donors; facilitating and/or funding meeting with donors including round table for statistics; helping countries to present NSDS and statistical development issues in Consultative Groups or Round Table meetings; following up with key donors; etc.

Reporting: While PARIS21 (with partners) will report on global NSDS status, and on donor support (PRESS), the overall objective is to support countries to design and implement their own reporting strategy in the framework of NSDS. PARIS21 is designing (in collaboration with AFRISTAT and other partners) a “Country Reporting Tool Kit” which will include samples of a report format that will be disseminated and presented to country statistical office managers.

Other activities: PARIS21 will also support countries in preparing specific requests in terms of funding (TFSCB, SFR facility, other sources) at the NSDS design or implementation stages and will pursue the organisation of further peer reviews, following experiences in Anglophone Africa. Peer reviews will be tested in Francophone Africa over 2009–2010 and could also be part of the work programme in Latin America.

The regional breakdown is PARIS21's own and is not based solely on affiliation with regional institutions, but is also a function of linguistic and geographical considerations.