Developing a good, efficient and effective National Statistical System (NSS) is necessary and crucially important for the country to improve the quality of official statistics as according to statistical scientific approaches and methodologies with the appropriate production and dissemination processes. The formulation of the Strategies for the Development of the National Statistical System (SDNSS), 2010-2020 is intended to serve as a long-term development guideline and to address limitations and obstacles that have emerged during recent decades. Therefore, improving statistics and their quality requires a vision, strategy, harmony, clear responsibility and plan for implementation. In addition, the SDNSS also serves the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the progress of the government’s policies, the the Sixth to Eighth five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plans, and Millennium Development Goals in 2015; help the country graduate from least developed status in 2020; make available the necessary statistics to support regional and international integration (ASEAN and WTO); and serve as a foundation and framework for funding mobilization, support and assistance from every member in society, both domestically and internationally.

The Strategy for the Development of National Statistical System (SDNSS) aims to improve and strengthen the foundation for the development of statistical production both in term of quantity and quality, to ensure that the National Statistical System is comparable to international standards, and to increase credibility of the National Statistical System with best practices. Moreover, it is also to make comprehensively available economic, social and environment statistics for users with high quality, timeliness, transparency and credibility; to ensure that the production of official statistics is efficient by using modern information system and methods; and to involve all members in society to actively participate in statistical production with high commitment and responsibility.

Data collection is undertaken via two methods: obtaining data from administrative records and collecting data from surveys. These two methods are necessarily to be implemented concurrently and complement each other. To avoid duplication, various indicators are defined and responsibilities are allocated among statistical offices, ministries, ministry-equivalent organizations, sectors, and local agencies. However, those statistical indicators must be further studied, developed and improved continuously taking into account needs in each period and when it finds necessary. Four strategy objectives and 12 work programs/outputs and key priority activities in each work program are defined as to enhance the National Statistical System Development: improving policy, regulatory and institutional framework (six work programs); developing statistical infrastructure (two work programs); Data development and management (two work programs); and ensuring activities of statistical networks (two work programs) with the overall objectives to improve and develop the national statistical system and activities to become efficient, effective and sustainable. To ensure this set of strategies will be implemented effectively, policy makers, plan formulators, statistics producers and users and all members in the society are urged to enthusiastically support statistical activities to achieve the greatest possible success.

For more information about the Strategy please download the full document here: English Language | Lao Language