The absence of reliable and accurate data, data management systems, and skilled statisticians is a serious constraint to policy making, adequate analysis of development challenges, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of interventions. In SSA countries, across various sectors, there is a severe shortage of highly trained statisticians and of good quality data. This makes it difficult to provide analyses, plan and monitor interventions, inform fact-based policy, and track progress. It may not be recognized directly, but inadequate capacity of research and training within higher education is an important contributor to the constraints in this area.  The focus of ACEs in this cluster is big data, bioinformatics, data mining, reliability modeling, research design, evidence-based policy analysis.
The selected ACE in applied statistics, based in Rwanda will become an international multidisciplinary center that combines expertise in statistics, economics, business, computer science, and engineering to use big data and data analytics to support evidence-based decision-making, help solve complex real-world problems related to development, monitor and evaluate performance of public intervention programs, and stimulate innovation.
Selected ACE in Applied Statistics