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First Interim Report of France for the Testing of the CSD Indicators of
Sustainable Development

At the beginning of 1997, Corine Lepage, French Minister of the Environment, decided that France should take part in the voluntary national testing of the CSD indicators of sustainable development.

As recommended, a coordinating organization and a national Focal Point have been chosen for the testing process.

Coordinating organization:

Ministry of the Environment

Focal Point:

Mr. Thierry LAVOUX (or Cécile RECHATIN)
Institut Francais de l'Environnement (IFEN French Institute for the Environment).
61, Boulevard Alexander Martin
45058 - ORLEANS CEDEX 1
Tel: (33-2) 3879-7878
Fax: (33-2) 3879-7870
E-mail: thierry.lavoux@ifen.fr
E-mail: cecile.rechatin@ifen.fr

In parallel, the Ministry of the Environment has proposed to his Tunisian counterpart a twinning arrangement for the testing. This proposal has been acknowledged by Tunisia and the elaboration of a common structure should start in the coming weeks.

In January and February 1997, IFEN and the Ministry of the Environment have discussed the elaboration of a national coordinating mechanism. In February, a meeting has been organized with INSEE (National Statistical Institute) so as to present the project and discuss the structure and work programme. During these meetings, an agreement has been reached on the structure of the national coordinating mechanism and on the work programme for 1997.

In order to simplify the testing process, it has been proposed to set up two working groups.

The first one will be referred to as the ® technical group. His members are statistical experts who represent the different institutions in which stays, in France, the responsibility for indicators, data collection, compilation and analysis (INSEE, INED, statistical departments of the different ministries involved,...)

These experts are supposed to act as contact points in their own field of expertise (either economic, social, ...). They will gather information on the current status of indicator production in France, elaborate a review of the data being collected and compare the methodology sheets with the calculation methods traditionally used in France. They are also supposed to evaluate the usefulness and relevance of the methodology sheets. What's more, they will be asked to identify the main gaps of the French statistical system and to propose new data to be collected. To help them through the process, a standardized questionnaire will be elaborated by IFEN and the Ministry of the Environment, based on the guidelines provided by the DPCSD.

A meeting of the technical group will be organized after analysis and compilation of the experts answers to this questionnaire.

The second group will be referred to as the ® political group . The core of this group will be constituted by members of the interministerial group who traditionally attend the meetings on sustainable development organized by the Foreign Office.

The main task of the political group will be to evaluate the relevance and usefulness of the list of indicators for the decision-makers, to identify the priorities and the information gaps, to propose new means of communication for the indicators,...

A questionnaire will be elaborated as well, gathering the main aspects of the question and based on the guidelines of the DPCSD. IFEN is considering using the opportunity of this questionnaire to ask a few more general questions about indicators of sustainable development (needs, suggestions) in the context of a national project on ISD, that has just began, and is to be led in parallel.

The questionnaire will not only be sent to the members of the interministerial group, but also to representatives of the technical group and to a wide range of experts, scientists, NGOs,...

The testing process will be presented to the members of the political group at the beginning of April. In June, a second meeting will be organized to present and discuss the first result of the technical survey and launch the political survey. Finally, in October-November, the political group (probably enlarged to representatives of the technical group) will be asked to validate the first annual report.

STRUCTURE AND WORK AGENDA

February (IFEN)

First interim report: Establishment of the national coordinating mechanism

February-March (IFEN, Ministry of February (INSEE, IFEN) the Environment Setting up of the technical Pre-selection of the French working group list of indicators March Elaboration of the technical March (IFEN) questionnaire Second interim report Presentation of the testing process to the technical group April Presentation of the testing process to the political group May-June May-June (IFEN) Presentation to the political group Answers to the technical of the first results of the questionnaire technical survey Compilation in a report June Elaboration of the political questionnaire September (IFEN) Answers to the political questionnaire Compilation in a report October-November (IFEN) First annual report, based on the different reports elaborated during the year, and on the format provided by DPCSD November Validation of the first annual report by the political group

Additional Reports