Credit amount: US$ 20.5 million

Approval date: March 20, 2007

Start date: December 1, 2005

Closing date: December 31, 2010

This update: March 27, 2007

Implementing Agency: National Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Planning and National Development

Components

 Organizational development & governance

 Data development

 Human resource development

 Provision of physical structure & equipment

 Development of statistical infrastructure

 Project management

Objectives

To establish a sustainable national statistical system to provide reliable, timely and accurate data in accordance with international standards through:

(a) strengthening the capacity of the relevant statistical agencies through training and adoption of new information and communication technology;

(b) carrying out legal and institutional reforms that promote statistical data development;

(c) establishing linkages among statistical data producers;

(d) promoting statistical information sharing among data producers and users to strengthen the quality of decision making; and

(e) developing a data access and dissemination strategy in conformity with relevant legislation and international good practice.

Specific Outputs

• Improve the efficiency of statistical operations and agencies that will result in broader coverage and higher-quality data.
• Improve the provision of timely and up-to-date statistics that will assist the government to analyze and address significant governance and corruption challenges.
• Improve the efficiency of statistical operations and agencies that will result in broader coverage and higher-quality data.
• Improve the collection and dissemination of social and welfare (Gender, Children, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities) statistics.
• Provide the private sector with statistical information which promotes the efficient functioning of commerce and industry.
• Provide researchers, analysts and other data users with statistical information that can support their work and studies.