Phetsamone Sone Deputy Head, Lao Statistics Bureau Ministry Of Planning and Investment

1. WORKSHOP ON NEW APPROACHES TO STATISICAL CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, 11-12 December 2017. HOSTED BY PARIS21 AND UNDP PhetsamoneSone Deputy Head, Lao Statistics Bureau Ministry Of Planning and Investment

2. Outline of presentation– Country perspectives Questions: • What makes capacity development programmes successful? • How can partnerships support the development of national statistics? • How do you prioritise between national statistical needs and international requirements?

3. Introduction – context of the National Statistics System in Lao PDR • The Lao Statistics System is a decentralized system: • Vertical : LSB, provincial and district statistics center • Horizontal : Statistics division /units of Line Ministries • Key National Lead Producers : • Lao Statistics Bureau ( LSB): National Accounts, Price, Poverty , Population and ( and extends to environment statistics) – Real sector • Ministry of Finance (MOF) : Government Financial Statistics – Financial Sector • Bank of Lao PDR ( BOL) : Balance of Payment , Monetary Survey – External and Monetary • Other Line Ministries – Economic and Social Statistics include ICT statistics. • Others key stakeholders • The System still reliant on administrative sources for much of our statistical production, despite censuses and national sample surveys conducted on annual, five and ten years interval.

4. Ministry/ agency Statistics Centre Ministry of Planning and Investment Government Province Statistical Centre District Statistical Centre Village Statistics unit All Ministry Province Statistics Division Statistics Division of Province establishment Statistics unit Central District Statistics Unit LSS Coordination Roles and Collaboration between NSS Vertical organizational network Horizontal organizational network Lao Statistics Bureau Central levels Provincial levels District levels Village levels Report System 4 Adviser official

5. What makes capacity development programmes successful? – National Perespctives

6. What makes capacity development programmes successful? – National Perespctives

7. What makes capacity development programmes successful? – National Perespctives

8. How can partnerships support the development of national statistics? • Key Development Partners and International organization ( Bilateral and Multilateral) support statistics capacity building and strengthening the NSS in Laos: • Regional projects : ADB, IMF, EU-ASEAN COMPASS • National: WB LAOSTAT ( Mix mode PPP “Twining approach GOPA , Istat.and Teach ) , UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, SDC, PARIS 21, FAO, WFP, WHO … • Bilateral : Korea Statistics Office (KSO) and STATEC Luxembourg, People’s Republic of China(Population census 2015) • Sida (1992-2010). • ADB National capacity building project ( 2011-2013). • Time : 1-5 years ( 3 years ) • Nature – modality support: Technical Assistant and Support to data collection and operating cost of statistical production and dissemination as well as infrastructure

9. Lesson learned Upside: • Project Design • Clear PDO • Alignment of the Project with the SDNSS • The Project is well focused and prioritized with clear result indicators • Project Management and implementation structure • Strong GOL/LSB ownership • PSC to provide strategic guidance and oversight on project performance • NICT (PIU) to manage daily work activities • M & E and quarterly project progress review meeting • Twining (CSTA) provides good and timely TA support ( key and none –key experts ) with specialized expertise - high quality of professional and transfer knowledge to the teamwork. • Mobilize and Coordinates by CSTA - GOPA releases LSB of Administrative burden of recruiting and managing individual consultants. • Task Team leader (TTL and experts) provides close and timely support on project implementation and problems solving

10. Lesson learned Downside: • Lengthy project preparation (more than 14 months) caused LAOSTAT implementation time to reduce from 5 to 4 years • Slow start due to weak implementing capacity of LSB/SMAs and difficulty in procuring FM and procurement consultants • It took long time and was difficult to build ownership at sub-implementing unit level (departmental) from LSB and SMAs to increase their commitment • Inexperienced NICT has difficulty in speeding up project activities during the first two years • Twining: Issues of mission timing and availability of LSB staffs to work with CSTA consultants; language barrier also.

11. How can partnerships support the development of national statistics? • Support and involve in the preparation and support the NSDS process and its alignments include the external assessment. • Support the enforcement and implementation ( Funding support proportionally cover the cost of Technical assistance and operating costs where possible / applicable ) . • Fund raising Strategies and helping countries for better donor coordination and interagency collaborations. • Assist countries prepare advocacy strategies and its enforcement, co-funding ( where possible ) organize Reputation / Visibility events , data literacy. • Support for longer term 5-10 years as to build and strengthen the data ecosystem. • Support and build the management capacity at various level as to enhance and increase National Ownership, build trust in the project and program implementation and management. • Assist countries in learning and adopting / adapting the different tools in tracking the progress of the implementation of projects or programs

12. How do you prioritise between national statistical needs and international requirements? • How National and International agenda Development Needs are integrated – Five Years Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) • Central Planning Economy until 1986. • NEM since 1986 (National Socio Economic Planning, Sectoral planning, Specific Projects and National Programs) • 6th , 7th five year Plan integrated MDGs and current 8th NSEDP 2016-2020 is integrated the SGDs and will continue / gradually in the process of 9th and 10th NSEDP • Statistical need prioritized : • Based on M&E framework of NSEDP • NSEDP, Sectoral , provincial development targets that required to monitor. • International / regional integration : UNSD, UNESCAP, ASEAN, IMF, ADB …. • MDGs, LSDc, SDGs 2030 • Others demands from users …

13. How do you prioritisebetween national statistical needs and international requirements? SD NSS 2006-2010, 2010 -2020 and currently updated 2016-2025. A live framework official indicators and outputs is defined and determined based on above mentioned needs. Data sources ( traditional ) + new data sources + technology defined. In addition to SD NSS 2016-2025 , LSB with the support of CTSA produced: • Institutional Capacity Building Program 2016-2020 • HR strategy 2016-2020 • ICT strategy / Master Plan 2016-2020 • Dissemination strategy 2016-2020 • Lao Quality Assurance Frame Work The framework prepared and taken into account of international demand and methodology standard… as develop and strengthen the LSB and NSS in a successful way.

14. 4 Pillars for developing Lao’s NSS Pillar 1: Developing the LSB leadership role in the coordination of the National Statistics System Pillar 2: Strengthening organisation development Pillar 3: Modernisingthe statistical infrastructure Pillar 4: Improving the service to user’s (and increasing trust in official statistics) .

15. Thank you for your kin!d attention