Abstract

Ethical principle in the statistical profession requires taking responsibilities for both users and producers of statistical information within the system where it operates.

This paper intends to examine ethical principles and its challenges within the statistical system of the United Republic of Tanzania. It is well documented that professional integrity and accountability require taking responsibility for one’s work.
The United Republic of Tanzania, like many other developing countries, demands for data/ statistical information to respond to national development, regional and international agenda has become increasingly. As such it is crucial to maintain public trust, and this requires National Bureau of Statistics to be proactively adopt and communicate ethical values and practices to avoid loss of trust in them. The under Statistics Act, CAP 351 the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics, states that the official statistics generated by the National Bureau of Statistics and the other producers in the ministries, departments, public institutions and private sectors members of the National Statistical System NSS must be presented clearly and comprehensively and disseminated appropriately, thereby enabling equitable access by all users at the same time.

Tanzania National Statistical System continues to develop due to the existence of political will and actions geared to high demand for data that intends to measure and inform decision making towards the targets set under national development plans, regional and international agenda. Currently, Tanzania is implementing a second plan on National Strategy for Development of Statistics with three major components namely; (i) Harmonization, Quality, Dissemination, (ii) Use Availability of Data and New Data Sources and (iii) Infrastructure and Institutional Development. With this transformation there is a need to examine ethical practices in the data production process including dissemination and communication of official statistics, challenges being faced, as well as available opportunities.

The main objective of this paper is to propose ways to promote ethical principles for both official and non-official statisticians within Tanzania National Statistical System.
Specifically, this study aims to identify challenges pertaining ethical principles for official statisticians such as integrity, trust, confidentiality and the ways of communicating ethical values within statistics offices, along with their effectiveness; discuss unique challenges emanated from the user satisfaction survey that was conducted in June 2024.
These recommendations would address the perceived needs of Tanzania’s national and sub-national statistics offices, ministries, departments, public institutions and private sectors on the role of various stakeholders in the statistical system.

This paper will use secondary data from user satisfaction surveys and other published information pertaining ethical principles in Tanzania.