Japan: ADP Introduces the Data Module at a regional NSDS workshop (December 2014)

PARIS21, in collaboration with UN Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (UNSIAP), conducted a regional training course on the National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) on December 9-12, 2014 at UNSIAP in Chiba, Japan. This training course was designed to introduce high level country representatives in the new NSDS Guidelines. In collaboration with the Accelerated Data Program (ADP) a new addition known as the “Data Module” was introduced into the NSDS process. Pilot work is being undertaken to develop a “Data Module” that would assist countries developing their NSDS to compute and plan their survey program. This feature aims to help the national statistics agencies identify national practices in survey planning and costing and to promote a systematic approach to estimating for survey operations. Output from the Data Module includes a national indicator log frame with identified data collection activities; a GANTT chart and several standardized financial reports. Participants to the course were senior officers from national statistics agencies of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. All participants were very appreciative of the Data Module and willingly provided comments and recommendations that are being taken into consideration. Further collaboration between the Policy Group at PARIS21 and the ADP will be undertaken in 2015. The module and its approaches were weill received. This is an ongoing effort pursuant to the 2013 Evaluation trying to link activities of the ADP to the NSDS.