eCISTAR – Electronic Caribbean Institute for Statistical Training and Research– is an idea whose time has come. The concept of eCISTAR as a mechanism for the sustainable statistical capacity-building has been around for a long time. Its genesis originated in the early 1980’s as CISTAR – efforts by the Standing Committee of Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) to establish a physical Caribbean Institute for Statistical Training and Research (CISTAR), in response to the needs for training of statisticians in the Region. Since then, the idea has maintained its importance and relevance, finding its way into the Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS). Notwithstanding the strategic importance and the well-documented deficits in statistical capacity in the Caribbean, it has proven difficult to implement the original CISTAR idea until now.

With the rapid evolution of digital technologies, over the past decade, and especially through the recent pandemic, the opportunities and feasibility for online training through digital platforms has become not only technically and economically feasible, but also fashionable.

The digital learning content published on eCISTAR emphasizes: discoverability, flexibility and broad-based relevance.

The eCISTAR digital platform consists of three primary components: a digital Knowledge Base (KB), an eLearning Portal and an online statistical research facility.

The digital Knowledge Base provides access to a variety of knowledge resources/products, inclusive of audio/visual materials, presentations, technical guidelines and manuals, regional and international classifications, and statistical best practices.

The eLearning Portal provides an online catalog of digitised statistical training content some of which are resident on the eCISTAR site, or accessed through a variety of partner eLearning sites.

The Online statistical research facility will promote and facilitate research/innovations in modern methodological analytical advances in Statistics including the new approaches of data science that can make use of non-traditional and newly-emerging data sources and will seek to encourage a Regional Community of statistical learners and stakeholders.

This Introductory video provides more information on the platform components:

The digital learning content published on eCISTAR emphasizes: discoverability, flexibility and broad-based relevance.

Discoverability

Both the Knowledge Base and the eLearning Portal are designed to help the user find exactly the kind of learning material that they are interested in. eCISTAR courses are categorized in multiple ways: into 6 statistical domains, and 10 competency categories. There is also a simple google-like free text search to find courses by topic or content. Similarly, the Knowledge-base provides a graphical dashboard-like tool to enable users to easily navigate to the kinds of knowledge content they are looking for.

Flexibility

Knowledge / Learning content on eCISTAR are virtual offerings that can range from a 30-minute video course to fully modular courses that can be completed over several sittings. They provide self-paced learning resources and opportunities to deliver critical knowledge and skills on-demand. In all cases the user has the flexibility to engage with the materials at their own pace, and time, from any type of device (mobile, tablet, desktop).

Relevance

eCISTAR courses are designed to address a wide range of Caribbean statistical capacity-building needs, including, Professional statisticians in the National Statistical Offices; Practitioners in the National Statistical System of Caribbean countries including central banks, planning agencies and line ministries; High schools, University students and aspiring statisticians and data scientists.
Courses cover the spectrum of competences from survey design, data collection and harmonization through to statistical analysis, data visualization, communications and media. This variety makes eCISTAR relevant to the diverse learning needs of a wide constituency of Caribbean stakeholders.

Ultimately, the goal of eCISTAR is to facilitate and sustain statistical capacity-building in order to provide decision-makers of CARICOM with core, high quality statistics and information that can support and inform evidence-based policy formulation, planning and decision making.