Proposal Description

Statistical capacity development is increasingly recognised as essential for strengthening evidence-based policymaking, supporting the Sustainable Development Goals, and improving preparedness and response to global challenges such as infectious disease outbreaks. At the same time, the landscape of capacity development is rapidly evolving through digital learning platforms, open-source tools, international partnerships, mentoring networks and cross-sector collaboration. This invited paper session will explore how innovative approaches to capacity development can strengthen statistical systems while fostering equitable partnerships across continents and sectors.

The proposed session, ‘Innovation in Capacity Development – Working Across Continents and Sectors’, brings together speakers from a diverse set of organisations and initiatives, including the International Statistical Institute (ISI) Academy, the YASA (Young African Statisticians Association), Takwimu and the Analysis for Action project. Contributors from the Analysis for Action project will include representatives from the UK Office for National Statistics and partner organisations in Argentina, Malawi and Nepal, providing perspectives from both high-income and low- and middle-income country contexts.

The session will be made up of four 10-minute presentations from the participating projects, followed by 45 minutes for an in-depth panel discussion and the opportunity for questions from the audience.

The session will examine practical and strategic questions facing the global statistical community, including:

• What does effective statistical capacity development look like in different contexts?
• How can online, hybrid and in-person learning approaches complement one another?
• What role does mentoring, peer networks and communities of practice play in sustaining skills development?
• How can reproducible code, open tools and shared digital resources support institutional learning?
• How can partnerships between National Statistical Offices, academia, NGOs, international organisations and policy actors be designed equitably and sustainably?
• What lessons have organisations learned from initiatives that have worked well - and from those that have not?

Speakers will showcase examples of innovative practice, including the ISI Academy’s professional training and mentoring activities; YASA’s continent-wide training and leadership programmes for early-career statisticians; Takwimu’s work supporting data use and policy engagement across Africa; and Analysis for Action’s co-developed digital platform for sharing tools, code and learning resources for health emergency preparedness and response that will be publicly launched in September 2027.

A central theme of the session will be knowledge sharing and coordination across sectors and geographies, reflecting a key strategic priority of the ISI. The session will also highlight the importance of bridging institutional cultures and incentives - for example, between National Statistical Offices, which often require robust and risk-averse production systems, and academic or NGO partners, who may focus on methodological innovation and experimentation.

The session is expected to be highly relevant to participants working in official statistics, development, public health, academia and international cooperation. By bringing together perspectives from multiple regions and sectors, the session will provide practical insights into how the international statistical community can work collaboratively to build sustainable, inclusive and impactful capacity development ecosystems.