The Government of Colombia's National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE, for its acronym in Spanish) is responsible for the planning, compilation, analysis, and dissemination of official statistics for the country.

DANE's mission is to contribute to the understanding and progress of Colombia through the production and dissemination of statistics.

DANE is also the lead coordinating agency on the National Information and Statistical System (NSS) for Colombia. The NSS has four instruments to coordinate national statistics: i) statistical planning; ii) statistical regulation; iii) quality assessment; and, iv) access to administrative records and information exchange. The National Statistical Plan defines the overall strategy for production and dissemination of official statistics and is getting aligned with other national and international plans, including the Innovation Plan 2015-2018, National Development Plan 2014-2018, Smart Data Strategy, Vision 2018, and Agenda 2030.

Priorities as an Inclusive Data Charter Champion

When DANE joined the IDC, we were already working to boost the production and mainstreaming of gender statistics, but recognized that simply disaggregating data was not enough to create the change needed in the wider national statistical system. By analysing the challenges and barriers, DANE identified a need to further increase the visibility of different population groups in data. DANE would facilitate coordination and collaboration by bringing together different national level actors, to ensure an inclusive, holistic approach that leaves no one behind.

The five IDC principles helped inspire and inform the establishment of a working group to strengthen the statistical systems’ ability to mainstream their differential and intersectional approach. The Differential and Intersectional Focus Group (GEDI) developing data disaggregation guidelines to facilitate implementation of the four dimensions (gender, life cycle, ethnicity, and disability) across all phases of the statistical production process.

DANE's IDC Action Plan

DANE's IDC 2019 Monitoring Report

DANE's IDC Impact Story 2020 (Leer en Español)

Priorities as a partner of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data

DANE is leading the process of analysis and definition for the SDG indicators in Colombia. An internal group has been established to lead the SDG process and coordinate with other agencies and countries through working groups. It has been noted that the SDGs require new and complementary approaches to statistics and a “whole of government” approach has been implemented. 

There is an information challenge on smart data in the national approach for the SDGs in Colombia.  Geospatial data and technologies are being applied through upgrading the National Geostatistical Framework and using satellite imagery to calculate land use and land cover statistics. An inventory of statistical information is being cross-referenced from a supply and demand perspective for SDG indicators to establish which entities of the NSS produce what, while creating strategies to strengthen existing information and fill data gaps. A diagnosis board on information availability using a traffic light visualization has been developed that shows Colombia has 56% of the data needed to meet SDG requirements, while 30% is partially available and no data for 14%.

For example, DANE developed a methodology to estimate the rate of urban land consumption and population growth rate (SDG Indicator 11.3.1), using information from remote sensing images. This new, innovative methodology is on the process of being fully documented to be replicated by other governments monitoring the SDGs.

In April 2016 Colombia kickstarted a data roadmaps for sustainable development process to address these key challenges and processes, as well as to include institutional arrangements and capabilities at both national and local levels, access to new sources of information, and the involvement of new actors to improve data and statistics to monitor and achieve the SDGs.