Public sector management / Economic affairs management - Public administration

The TA supports the implementation of the Ten Year Pacific Statistics Strategy (TYPSS) 2010-2020 which provides a framework and governance structure for improving national capacity through regional coordination and integration of statistical activities in the Pacific. The TYPSS was endorsed by the Heads of Planning and Statistics (HOPS) from Pacific Developing Member Country (DMC) governments. A Pacific Statistics Steering Committee (PSSC), which consists of representatives from Pacific DMCs , was created to monitor and oversee the implementation of the TYPSS. The PSSC guides the delivery of TA elements of evidence-based information included in this TA such as household surveys and economic indicators. The aim is to build essential statistical databases that support improved analysis, policy development, and management of government services, particularly in basic social services.

The TA will work with other regional and national programs to maximize the benefits of the project. These include: Secretariat of the Pacific Community's (SPC) work stream on core gender indicators, ADB's RETA on gender responsive policy planning and implementation, the Pacific Economic Management RETA, and all ongoing national policy advisory TAs.

The TA provides support in building all Pacific governments to compile and analyze economic and social information to improve management and policy development. It will strengthen the ability to address the national development priorities through better policy formulation underpinned by up-to-date and relevant data. The proposed TA is included in the priorities established in the ADB's Approach to Assisting the Pacific (2010-2014) to help strengthen the core functions of government.

This TA follows on from an ongoing program of support to strengthening the availability and reliability of statistics at both national and regional levels. Through the last Pacific regional strategy (2005-2009), ADB has conducted RETAs 6157, 6258, and 6414. It is expected that this program will cover the period of the new Pacific Approach. It is widely accepted across the region and by development partners that this type of support requires both a long term program of capacity building and to be conducted on a regional level. It is expected that the TA will continue this support through mechanisms that focus on creating greater demand for evidence-based discussions and this work will continue for some years.

Updated and new social and economic indicators have been collected and generated through the four household surveys funded by the TA. The four surveys are: (i) Tonga Demographic Health Survey (DHS) 2012, (ii) Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2013/2014, (iii) Nauru HIES 2012/2013, and (iv) Vanuatu DHS 2013. All four surveys have now been completed and reports summarizing results as well as data bases have been shared with ADB. Updated poverty indicators are being produced using results of household income and expenditure survey, which is currently being undertaken by ADB for FSM.

The PRISM website, developed and maintained by SPC in cooperation with Pacific National Statistical Organizations (NSOs), has been supported under the TA and is improving the time dissemination of statistical indicators on the Pacific countries.

In addition, TA resources have supported ADB's collaboration with NSOs and planning or finance ministries in Pacific DMCs, as well as development partners active in the Pacific region, in their efforts to implement the TYPSS through the PSSC the strategy created to oversee efforts to improve the consistency, efficiency, and timeliness of statistical indicators available for Pacific DMCs. These efforts support the outcome of enabling NSOs provide more accurate and comprehensive social and economic indicators.

Four statistical surveys are completed with 100% data entry by 2014

NSOs improve the integrity of national accounts and balance of payments accounts

NSO organizational and technical capacities are improved

TYPSS PSSC functions efficiently

Output 1

Data collection of the four household surveys supported under the TA has been completed. Outputs submitted to ADB include analytical reports, methodological report, sectoral fact sheets, and anonymized micro data. Final reports and fact sheets are available at PARD's statistics portal while micro data can be requested from the Project Officer.

Output 2

Latest social and economic indicators of the four PDMCs (Tonga, Nauru, FSM and Vanuatu) supported under the TA are now available and can be used to update the national accounts and balance of payments accounts to be compliant with SNA 93 standards and BPM6 standards, respectively.

Output 3

Supported NSOs have been assisted in producing additional outputs from the surveys they collect, e.g. poverty analysis and sectoral fact sheets. The analyses and additional publications prodcued using TA funds are available at PARD's statistics portal.

Output 4

The design of TYPSS Phase II (2014-15 to 2016-17) was endorsed by the PSSC on 21 October 2014. Part of the enhancement of the TYPSS in the new design is the creation of an independent Coordination Unit that will assist the PSSC and report directly to the PSSC to assist it in its role to oversee the efficient, effective, transparent, equitable and accountable implementation of the second phase of the TYPSS.

Through the TA, ADB has contributed significantly in the improvement of TYPSS and has played an important role in representing multilateral development partners in the selection committee for the TYPSS Coordinator. Pursuant to this goal, ADB staff have joined more than eight PSSC meetings and two meetings of the Heads of Planning and Statistics (commonly referred to as HOPS meeting). In cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Government of Australia, an independent secretariat for the PSSC staffed by a full time coordinator has been created (with DFAT support) and a mid-terms review of the TYPSS implementation has been completed with significant inputs from ADB.

Having delivered on project outputs and reached the revised end date of August 31, 2015, the TA is now in the process of closing TA accounts and preparing a final report and TA completion report.

A team of consultants from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) was hired to manage the conduct of the four statistical surveys and the preparation of detailed reports, metadata, and anonymized micro data for the surveys.

A national coordinator was hired to assist in monitoring the performance of the TA and to assist in anonymizing household survey data.