Sixth SPECA Project Working Group Meeting Geneva, 16 June 2011

1. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Statistical Division The Capacity Building Programme on New Challenges in Economic Statistics for Central Asia and Eastern Europe Sixth SPECA Project Working Group Meeting Geneva, 16 June 2011

2. UNECE organizes with support of the World Bank a training programme for Central Asia and Eastern Europe Offers workshops focusing on economic statistics: Short-term statistics Seasonal adjustment Price statistics National accounts Training includes: Practical exercises and discussions between countries Review of international recommendations and standards www.unece.org/stats/documents/sts_workshops/Welcome.html New Challenges in Economic Statistics Programme 2011-2012 2

3. Workshop I –STS and Seasonal Adjustment 14-17 March 2011 in Astana, Kazakhstan Joint organizer: The Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Statistics Topics: Why are short-term statistics important? Use of multiple data sources Methodology of compilation of STS Dissemination Seasonal adjustment in practice Exercises on seasonal adjustment The workshop was attended by 38 national experts from 12 different countries. 3

4. Overall evaluation of the Workshop 2% 0% very good 1% good fairly good unsatisfactory 33% blank 64% Participants’ overall evaluation of the first Workshop The participants considered the training very useful, including the guidelines and materials now available in Russian. They were looking forward to the Workshop in February 2012 to support practical implementation work.

5. New guidelines available after the first Workshop Working instructions (Eng/Rus) Beginner's instructions for Demetra+ ESS guidelines on seasonal adjustment translated An Analysis of Industrial Production of the EECCA countries with DEMETRA+Dissemination Training material STS production methodology Introduction to seasonal adjustment Why and how seasonally adjust Dissemination of seasonally adjusted data www.unece.org/stats/documents/2011.03.bus.html 5

6. Workshop II – Challenges in Consumer Price Indices 10-13 October 2011 in Istanbul, Turkey Joint organizer: Turkish Statistical Institute, EFTA Topics: Calculation of elementary and higher-level indices Owner occupied housing in the CPI The coverage of goods and services Seasonal products and missing prices Adjustment for quality changes The workshop will be based on the Consumer Price Indices Manualand country practices, and will focus on the implementation of recommended methods and include practical exercises. 6

7. Workshop III –Implementation of the 2008 SNA 29 November – 2 December 2011 in Kiev, Ukraine Joint organizers: States Statistics Committee of Ukraine, United Nations Statistical Division and EFTA Topics: The main issues of the 2008 SNA and specific challenges of the region How to implement the 2008 NSA Developing of related primary statistics Developing implementation plans The workshop will focus on the challenges for transition economies in implementation of the 2008 SNA in practise. 7

8. Workshop IV – Training in Seasonal Adjustment February 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey Joint organizer: Turkish Statistical Institute Topics covered: Follow-up of Workshop 1 Exchange of experiences in seasonal adjustment Alternative methods and tools Assessment of quality of adjustment Examples of problematic times series This workshop will be a continuation of the first workshop, going into more methodological and practical detail. Experts who participated in Workshop I should also participate in this workshop. 8

9. Your priorities for future activities in economic statistics? Funding of participation to meetings in 2012? • Joint UNECE/ILO meeting on Consumer Price Indices, Geneva • Group of Experts on National Accounts, Geneva • Other meeting? AND/OR Additional training workshops? Topics? • The 2008 System of National Accounts (continued) • Other topic? 9