Planning, Research and Statistics for Public Decisions
This domain tests the analytical backbone of public administration: how plans are made, how evidence is gathered, and how statistics are used to monitor performance. Planning is a cycle, not a one-off document: situation analysis, objective setting, strategy design, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and feedback. Research supplies evidence; statistics summarise and compare data. In the public service, these tools support policy formulation, project appraisal, budgeting, and reporting to oversight bodies. The National Bureau of Statistics is the main official statistical authority, and ministries, departments, and agencies are expected to maintain reliable administrative data.
Core rules and concepts
- A plan needs a baseline, measurable objectives, activities, responsible units, timelines, costs, and assumptions.
- Monitoring tracks inputs, activities, and outputs; evaluation assesses outcomes and impact.
- Data quality depends on accuracy, completeness, timeliness, consistency, and validity.
- Sampling must be appropriate to the question; a biased sample produces misleading conclusions.
- Descriptive statistics include mean, median, mode, percentages, ratios, and rates; choose the measure that fits the data.
- Disaggregate data where inequality or differential impact may be hidden.
Worked example
A ministry records monthly complaints as 20, 25, 15, 30, and 10. Mean = (20+25+15+30+10)/5 = 100/5 = 20. Ordered values: 10, 15, 20, 25, 30; median = 20. There is no mode. If the ministry reports only the mean, it hides that complaints fell sharply in the last month and peaked at 30. Reasoning: the mean alone is not enough; trend and range matter for management action. A plan to reduce complaints should use the monthly pattern, not a single average.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing mean and median.
- Drawing conclusions from a non-representative sample.
- Reporting data without a denominator.
- Ignoring disaggregation by location, sex, or age.
- Treating a plan as a wish list without costs or timelines.