EFTA partners up with Statistics Norway to enhance statistical cooperation on geographical information systems

Digital tools can help us create, share and display statistics based on geographical information. A geographical information system (GIS) is a data analysis tool that enables users to identify problems, monitor change, respond to events and improve our understanding of new societal trends.

Hundreds of thousands of organisations in all professional fields rely on GIS to create maps, perform analyses, share information and solve complex problems.

From 20 to 23 November, EFTA and Statistics Norway delivered an introductory online course on applying GIS in statistical production. The course aimed to equip participants with fundamental skills in leveraging geocoded statistical registers and map databases for statistical analysis, particularly emphasising vector data and vector tools like QGIS and GeoPandas.

The participants engaged in lectures, hands-on exercises and assignments aimed at applying GIS techniques to statistical production.

The course targeted selected National Statistical Institutes of the European Neighbourhood Policy South to strengthen statistical capabilities and cooperation in these EFTA partner countries. EFTA and Statistics Norway welcomed 30 participants from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine and Tunisia to the online course. The instructors delivered the training in English with simultaneous Arabic interpretation.

The course is a part of EFTA’s technical cooperation programme in the field of statistics for 2023. It focused on bridging the gap between statistics and geographical information to reinforce data-driven decision-making processes in EFTA partner countries.