Tinaye Agere
Ivan Zhakata
Zimbabwe’s National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) has reaffirmed its commitment to building a modern, efficient and inclusive data system through a robust partnership with the United Nations aimed at enhancing data development and innovation in support of national and global development goals.
The collaboration is anchored in the Data for Development and Innovation Technical Working Group (DFDI TWG), a multi-stakeholder platform relaunched in March 2024.
The group has already delivered tangible results, including a joint work plan for the national statistical system and structured SDG tracking mechanisms.
Speaking during the first quarter meeting of the working group held in Harare yesterday, Zimstat director-general Ms Tafadzwa Bandama said the initiative plays a critical role in advancing Zimbabwe’s development priorities.
“The technical working group is essential in facilitating and coordinating data production to close information gaps for monitoring both the Sustainable Development Goals and the National Development Strategy (NDS),” she said.
“Our partnership with the UN ensures a harmonised approach to data collection, improved efficiency and better resource allocation across the data ecosystem.”
Ms Bandama said the Government was transitioning from NDS1 to NDS2, and effective tracking of development progress required reliable, quality data.
She said Zimstat was in the process of amending the Census and Statistics Act and called for stakeholder input to create a more enabling environment for data governance and innovation.
UNFPA country representative Ms Miriam Tabifor, representing the UN system, praised the collaboration as a model for effective data-driven development.
“This working group is not just a technical forum, it is a documented coordination mechanism within the Zimbabwe-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022–2026,” she said.
“It shows our commitment to supporting the government with quality data to plan for health, education, infrastructure and beyond. Without data, we cannot plan anything.”
Ms Tabifor said the Data for Development and Innovation working group had been prominently featured during the UN country team’s 2024 annual retreat.
She said it was set to be assessed during the upcoming evaluation of the cooperation framework.
“We are honoured to work alongside Zimstat. When the time comes for evaluation, this group will speak for itself — on how it has helped Zimbabwe leverage data for real progress,” Ms Tabifor said.
The meeting also addressed topical issues such as gender and youth data gaps, implications of foreign policy shifts and the transition to NSDS 3, the upcoming phase of Zimbabwe’s national statistical development strategy.
With growing demand for real-time, disaggregated and innovative data solutions, the Zimstat-UN partnership stands as a beacon for how nations can harness data to transform lives and deliver on ambitious development commitments.
Online Reporter