The roadmap of the NSDS

1. The roadmap of the NSDS NSDS Seminar World Bank Ministry of Statistics and Analysis Minsk, 15 – 16 March 2007

2. The milestones on the road and the prerequisites of the ISIS • Statistical metadata base • National statistical register • Statistical frames • Methodology of design of statistical questionnaires • Electronic intelligent questionnaires • Register of statistical questionnaires and input data • Optimization of statistical data collection • Use of administrative records for statistical purposes • Statistical databases system (non aggregated, low level aggregates, time series, regional) • Dissemination of statistical information

3. Development of methodology on the critical path of the roadmap • Demography • National accounts • Price statistics • Household surveys • Labor statistics • Foreign trade • Industry, construction and investments • Agriculture • Trade and services • Social statistics • Government sector

4. Key actions on the roadmap • Deep modernization of the ICT architecture of Minstat (hardware and generalized software as proposed in the expertises) • New methodology of design of statistical questionnaires • Upgrading the central statistical business register and integrated system of statistical frames • Central metadata base • Implementation of electronic questionnaires and electronic data collection • Implementation of integrated system of statistical data bases • Upgrading the computer literacy of statistical staff (by training and training on the job) • Systems assisting the programming and coordination of surveys and databases of the system of official statistics (both central and branch statistics).

5. Resources • Organizational frameworks • Statistical staff • ICT • Technical infrastructure • Financial resources

6. Concluding remarks • The Republic of Belarus has clear middle term vision (for 2007 – 2010) of transition of official statistics, its methodological integration and interoperability with global system of statistics coordinated within the EU. The Minstat has legal and professional capacities of coordination of the official statistics in existing decentralized model. • The impact of the program of Electronic Belarus on official statistics should be taken into account in taking concrete decisions of development of the information infrastructure of official statistics. • The Minstat is the coordinator of one of the strategic information systems of the country, that plays fundamental role in the development of information standards and integrity of social and economic information. • It is suggested to use the findings of the SWOT analysis presented above for optimization of the use of existing capacities, for defining efficient ways of their strengthening and defining piorities.

7. Concluding remarks • The actions related to the upgrading of the ICT and building the ISIS are lying on the start of the critical path of the roadmap of the NSDS. • Common education and training program of statisticians (in centralized and decentralized statistics) and of other statistical stakeholders is an important long term priority of the NSDS. • For effective realization of transition of official statistics, strengthening the capacity of the R & D (especially the RIS) should be given high priority. • International cooperation of official statisticians with international organizations and with the statistical offices which have the expertise and experience in transition of statistics. • Taking into account the time of realization of the population census 2009, it is suggested to postpone the introduction of deeper organizational changes in the centralized statistics for the period after finishing the census and elaboration of the results.

8. NSDS as dynamic strategy • Systematic updating of the VISION • SWOT analysis should be continuous • Monitoring the information infrastrucutre of the country – adoption of the NSS • Updating the roadmap – evaluating and changing the priorities • Optimization of resources • Statisticians as the most valuable resource of the NSS