THE TWINNING FICHE. The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan

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1 THE TWINNING FICHE The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan 1. Basic information 1.1. Programme: ENPI-Annual Action Programme 2011 for the Republic of Azerbaijan 1.2. Twinning number: AZ/14/ENP/ST/ Title: Support to the State Statistical Committee in Modernisation of the National Statistics System of the Republic of Azerbaijan in line with European standards 1.4. Sector: Statistics 1.5. Beneficiary country: Republic of Azerbaijan 2. Objectives 2.1 Overall Objective: To improve quality, availability and compliance of official statistics of Azerbaijan with European standards in key domains conducive to effective and efficient policy making 2.2 Project purpose: To improve the quality management of official statistics and its dissemination (GIS) and to harmonise official statistics with EU standards in the areas of income and living conditions, disability and invalidity, and tourism. 2.3 Contribution to National Development Plan/Cooperation agreement/association agreement/action plan According to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement 1 between the European Union (EU), its Member States and Azerbaijan (PCA), which entered into force in June 1999, cooperation in the area of statistics shall have as its aim the development of an efficient statistical system to provide reliable statistics needed to support and monitor the process of economic reform and to contribute to the development of private enterprise in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The various Parties shall cooperate in (1) the adaptation of the Azerbaijani statistical system to international methods, standards and classification; (2) the exchange of statistical information; and (3) the provision of the necessary statistical macro- and microeconomic information required for implementing and managing economic reforms. As a response to the new geopolitical situation following EU enlargement in May 2004, the EU adopted the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) as a new framework for relations with its neighbours. The objective of the ENP is to share the EU stability, prosperity and security with neighbouring countries, including Azerbaijan, in a way that is distinct from EU membership. The ENP is designed to prevent the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe by offering neighbouring countries closer political, security, economic and cultural ties, with the overall 1 1

2 goal of fostering the political and economic reform processes, promoting closer economic integration, facilitating legal and technical approximation and contributing to sustainable development. The central element of the ENP is the bilateral ENP Action Plan (ENP AP) between the EU and each ENP partner, which sets out policy targets and benchmarks for the beneficiary country. The EU-Azerbaijan ENP Action Plan 2 of 14 November 2006 defines a considerable number of priority areas for trade and market-related regulatory reforms, in particular trade facilitation including customs legislation and procedures, technical regulations, standards and conformity assessments, sanitary and photo-sanitary (SPS) issues, consumer protection, right of establishment and company law, financial services and markets, taxation, competition policy, enterprise and SME policy, intellectual and industrial property rights, public procurement and statistics. The ENP AP identifies Statistics as one of the key areas for approximation with European standards and calls for the modernisation of the National Statistical System of Azerbaijan. ENP AP sets out the following priorities to be pursued: Improve legislation in accordance with recommendations of Eurostat Elaborate a short- and medium term development strategy for harmonisation with European standards in the relevant statistical areas Take steps to restructure the statistical services to ensure an optimal balance between available resources and data quality needs Improve the conformity of national classification systems and statistical methodology with EU standards Accelerate work to fully apply ESA 95 (European System of Accounts) Modernise information and communication technologies in the national statistical system; Improve the quality and coverage of the business register The Country Strategy Paper for (CSP) 3 include support for Azerbaijan s reform agenda on the basis of the policy objectives defined in the PCA and the EU-Azerbaijan ENP Action Plan. This support is provided by EU under the new European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). EU will provide assistance for regulatory reforms in the form of approximation of legislation and alignment of procedures in a broad range of areas including statistics. It is expected that this assistance will enhance administrative capacity and ensure national ownership and effective enforcement of approximated rules and regulations. The ENPI also includes cooperation tools, such as Twinning, TAIEX and SIGMA, which play an essential role in the achievement of the Action Plan priorities. In particular, the Twinning instrument, which provides for direct cooperation between EU and Azerbaijani public bodies to support institution building activities, has proved to be particularly efficient in policy areas where the expertise required by the beneficiary country exists mainly in the public sector

3 3. Description of the project 3.1 Background and justification According to Article 3 of the Law "On Official Statistics", the system of official statistics is defined as a single, centralised countrywide system in Azerbaijan. The organisation of the system is the role of the SSC and the local statistical bodies subordinated to SSC. The SSC carries out its activity on the basis of a comprehensive and objective study of socioeconomic processes occurring in the country, provides information on the socioeconomic state of the country and is responsible for the implementation of the policy that aims at increasing the role of statistical information through respecting the rights of individuals and legal enterprises and protecting their privacy. Quality of official statistics The SSC of Azerbaijan aims to provide statistics in line with best EU and international practices. As the volume of data collected has expanded, it has been necessary to ensure that quality did not suffer as a consequence. Therefore, increasing attention has been paid to quality issues. The State Programme on Improvement of the Official Statistics in the Republic of Azerbaijan in was approved by the Presidential Decree on 21 December The programme aims to improve the statistical data in the country and to accelerate approximation of the national statistical system to international standards, with special focus on national accounts, macroeconomic indicators, socio-economic statistics and the development of an integrated information system of national statistics, including "e-statistics", statistical metadata systems and quality management systems. Increasing the quality of official statistical data is one of the main objectives of the abovementioned State Programme. There is agreement on a number of activities to be carried out by the state authorities for the integration and the harmonization of statistical data sources and for the organization of a uniform system of data collection that would provide timely statistical data of increasing quality. Realizing the increasing importance of the quality of statistical data, the Board of the SSC of Azerbaijan, at a meeting ( ), decided to strengthen efforts to create a Statistical Quality Management System (SQMS) according to the ISO standard. For the implementation of this task, the following preparations were made: Working group for development of the statistical processes has been established Coordination Council to deal with the SQMS has been established Management representative has been mandated for quality issues Policy and Goals of the Committee for quality have been defined and approved New division for implementation of SQMS has been established Statute of the Coordination Council on Quality was approved Statute of the Management representative has been approved Norms code of the State Statistics bodies has been prepared and approved by the Council New department for the Quality Management and Information Technologies has been established 4 3

4 As result of some initiatives supported by the EU (Adapted Global Assessment of the National Statistical System of Azerbaijan , Twinning project , TAIEX, and bilateral cooperation), it was decided that future efforts are to be concentrated on improving the quality of statistical data. The aforementioned Adapted Global Assessment report emphasised the need for a systematic approach towards improving the quality of statistics in line with international standards and EU best practices. This includes: improving methodologies; studying and applying best EU practices for describing the statistical production process; improving the dissemination of statistical data; providing better access for users; and conducting training on internal audits according to international standards. The relevant EU standards are the ESS Handbook for Quality Reports (EHQR) and the related European Statistical System (ESS) Standard for Quality Reports Structure (ESQRS). A comprehensive SQMS will serve as an investment for the further strengthening of the position and credibility of SSC of Azerbaijan in the country. There is a clear need for elaborating a proactive and transparent dissemination policy oriented towards all groups of users and covering the main principles, rules and tools for data dissemination (e.g. a public database on the website, including improved metadata and useroriented services, and clear rules for transparent access before release). Geographic Information System (GIS) The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a modern tool to visualize and to give access to structured spatial statistical data. It is the best tool for the dissemination of regional statistical data and facilitates evidence-based central and local level management decisions. GIS is established in most EU Member States and is broadly used for regional data dissemination by EUROSTAT. In the SSC, GIS is not yet applied, but the SSC intends to mainly use it for dissemination of regional and other spatial data to users and other stakeholders. Because development of GIS based applications can be very resource-consuming, the focus in the Twinning exercise will be limited to the dissemination aspects. It is expected to provide statistical data of great importance, such as the geographical distribution of the social conditions of the population, particularly the social inclusion/exclusion of vulnerable groups. Statistics on income and living conditions Statistics on income, social inclusion and living conditions generally cover objective and subjective aspects of these themes in both monetary and non-monetary terms for both households and individuals. At present, only the Household Budget Survey of 9,280 households provides data on some modules of the European Union statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). These modules are not sufficient to cover the increased needs for data about the living conditions of the population, including the social exclusion of marginalized groups. Hitherto, the EU-SILC has not been carried out in Azerbaijan. There is a need for studying the methodology of this survey, followed by a pilot in order to introduce it in Azerbaijan. Statistics on disabled and invalids Only basic statistical data on persons receiving primary disability pension and social allowances due to disability is available. There is a need to study the best methodological practices in the EU member states and, where appropriate, to apply these in Azerbaijan to obtain more comprehensive and policy-relevant data on the disabled and invalid. 4

5 Article 31 (Statistics and data collection) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP), ratified in 2009 in Azerbaijan, regulates the process of collection and dissemination of data by the Department of Social Protection Policy of People with Disability (DSPPPD) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population (MLSPP). According to this Article: 1. States Parties 5 undertake to collect appropriate information, including statistical and research data, to enable them to formulate and implement policies to give effect to the present Convention. The process of collecting and maintaining this information shall: (a) Comply with legally established safeguards, including legislation on data protection, to ensure confidentiality and respect for the privacy of persons with disabilities (b) Comply with internationally accepted norms to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and ethical principles in the collection and use of statistics 2. The information collected in accordance with this article shall be disaggregated, as appropriate, and used to help assess the implementation of States Parties obligations under the present Convention and to identify and address the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in exercising their rights 3. States Parties shall assume responsibility for the dissemination of these statistics and ensure their accessibility to persons with disabilities and others In January 2011, information was collected on health, education, employment and social status of disabled persons, including children with impaired health who had registered with the relevant structures of the MLSPP. The confidentiality of this information is guaranteed. Currently, information is collected on about nearly 50 thousand registered persons with disabilities. There is a need for carrying out the survey on disabled persons. Azerbaijani state bodies such as MLSPP, SPF as well as different international organisations will be benefited from the results of the survey Tourism statistics Several activities are implemented in the field of tourism statistics in order to obtain relevant data. A sample statistical survey about citizens crossed the country border is being carried out to obtain information on arrivals and departures. The survey is realised in all border entry points of the country and is done in two stages during the tourist season (June) and during low-season (November). The annual volumes are calculated on the basis of indicators for these two periods. Information submitted by the State Border Service for 6-monthly and annual periodicity on arrivals to and departures from the country is used as the general population frame. Information on arrivals by sex, age, travel purposes, number of overnight stays, use of residence, use of transport means, amount of expenditures and its composition (transport, hotel, meals, culture, sport and recreation) etc. is received based on this survey s results. A statistical survey has been carried out in August 2013 by means of surveying 0.5% of households to obtain information on internal tourism. Information on arrivals by sex, age, travel purposes, number of overnight stays, use of residence, use of transport means, amount of 5 State party: A State party to a treaty is a country that has ratified or acceded to that particular treaty, and is therefore legally bound by the provisions in the instrument. 5

6 expenditures and its composition (transport, hotel, meals, culture, sport and recreation) etc. is received based on the survey results. All of this information on arrivals, departures and internal tourism refers to tourists without overnight stay. However, there is still a necessity for increasing the availability of the obtained (to be obtained) indicators, expansion of tourism statistics coverage and improvement and development of this area for the purpose to provide international comparability The creation of the tourism satellite accounts is one of the main tasks in the field of tourism statistics that is foreseen in the statistical system of the country. Implementation of this activity is included in the State program on development of the official statistics in that was confirmed by decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 21 December 2012, 2621 (item 1, paragraph 5 creation of the satellite accounts in the frame of 2008 SNA ). Implementation of the paragraph on improvement of statistical data collection and methodology on tourism according to international practice, on preparation of statistical yearbook on tourism activity in the country, on statistical information on number of arrivals and departures, purpose of travel, and expenditures of the item 2.7 (statistics and account) of the activity plan of the State program on development of tourism in that was confirmed by decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated , 838, has been highlighted. 3.2 Linked activities The SSC has benefited from the following donor support actions: European Commission Regional Programmes (GE/AR/AZ) Statistics-6, Statistics-8 and Statistics-10 in the areas of national accounts, labour statistics, price statistics, business statistics including the business register, classifications, demography, health and social statistics, data base technology and user-friendly statistical data dissemination. The Labour Force Survey was implemented with technical assistance from ILO in Swedish aid agency (Sida) sponsored a cooperation project with Statistics Sweden (SCB) on information technology, energy statistics, demographic statistics and timeuse statistics, which were implemented in stages up to the end of The World Bank supported living condition surveys, household budget surveys and labour force surveys. A two-year EU-funded Twinning Project, "Support to the State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SSC) to reach European standards in national accounts, non-observed economy, business statistics and producer price index", aimed to upgrade the official statistics in Azerbaijan by introducing new methodologies closely aligned to European standards. This project was successfully completed in February The four main components of this project were: Component 1 - National accounts reach a higher level of compatibility with ESA 95; Component 2 The non-observed economy is estimated in a more accurate and reliable way; the new estimates are appropriately integrated into the national accounts; 6

7 Component 3 Data coverage in business statistics is improved by introducing the best practices of EU Member States; Component 4 Producer Price Index Survey extended to gather data on input costs (intermediate consumption) for different branches of the economy. The above-mentioned project was selected as one of the success stories for 2011 Activity report on Twinning, TAIEX and Sigma in the ENP region. TAIEX assistance: the SSC is one of the active users of the EU TAIEX instrument. The following TAIEX activities were implemented in : 3 Expert Mission on Harmonized European Time Use Survey (5-9 March 2012, June 2013, January 2014) 3 Expert Missions on GIS in Statistics (24-28 January 2011, September 2011, 4-8 June 2012). These events were chosen as a possible model of good practice to be included in the TAIEX Activity Report 2011; Expert Mission on statistical SILC survey (14-18 November 2011) Workshop on Implementation of Quality Management System (11-13 October 2011) Expert Mission on Information System for Metadata (26-29 April 2011) Workshop on Development of the Statistical Metadata System in accordance with the EU requirements and development directions (2-3 February 2011) Moreover, two related Twinning projects were launched and implemented under ENP AAP 2009 and 2010: (1) AZ12/ENP-PCA/OT/22: Twinning project titled Strengthening the capacity of the Department of Tourism in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) implemented Feb 2013 Jun 2014 Completed in 2014 The statistics expert involved within the project carried out a needs assessment and analysed the relevant sector. The following reports developed on Activity 3.1 (Assistance to the Department of Tourism and possibly to the State Committee for Statistics for putting in place a basic set of valid tourism statistics of the project) on tourism statistic: Report Tourism Statistics in Azerbaijan: State of the Art. The report gives an overview of the available results in tourism statistics corresponding to the IRTS (2008) of the UNWTO and indicates strengths and weaknesses. Tourism statistics cover results that correspond to the IRTS (2008) of the UNWTO Report Tourism Statistics in Azerbaijan: Potentials and Ways for Improvement. The report makes detailed recommendations for improvements of the available tourism statistics and suggestions for completing the set of tourism statistics as recommended in the IRTS (2008) Report Tourism Statistics in Azerbaijan: TSA Roadmap for Implementation. The report describes the prerequisites for establishing TSA with respect to data sources and expert competencies and sketches a step by step approach for implementing a TSA in Azerbaijan The statistics expert developed a Household survey on domestic travelling to provide more frequent and more accurate data on domestic arrivals, overnights, services selection and etc.to MCT. 7

8 (2) AZ/13/ENP/SO/25: Development of the Medical-Social Rehabilitation System for Persons with Disabilities based on best European Practices" launched in January 2014 Ongoing Two mandatory results of this project are related to the improvement of the reporting and monitoring of medical-social rehabilitation systems and the strengthening of the information systems for registering disabled peoples: It is expected that both Twinning projects will interact during implementation. Therefore, the active participation of both public administrations in the respective project Steering Committees should be arranged. SSC is involved in is the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NCAP) The SSC has proposed an Action Plan on how to prevent corruption in statistics. 3.3 Results The requirement of ENP is that the SSC approximates its statistics production to EU standards. In some cases SSC may adopt other international standards where appropriate, such as the GSBPM (Generic Statistical business Process Model). 1. The organisation and management of the quality of the statistical production and dissemination processes across the SSC are improved in line with EU quality standards The concept, indicators and elements of Quality will be understood and, as far as possible, operationalized in line with the EHQR, the ESQRS (specifically the spread sheet-based mathematical indicators of the 7 Eurostat quality criteria) and with the Eurostat s Euro- SDMX Metadata Structure (ESMS). The policy, planning and organization and management of statistical quality will be significantly improved. Staff skills for error detection and correction will be substantially improved. Key output indicators: A SQMS Plan revised and completed Quarterly monitoring reports produced on the implementation of the Plan A reduction in statistical errors spread across the statistical business process Guidelines and Manuals for SQMS produced Diagnostic tables and indicators produced on questionnaire replication European Standards for the quality reporting on a pilot survey in one statistical domain applied, and experiences from this pilot exercise used in other statistical domains 2. The GIS application is used as a dissemination tool of spatial statistical data in line with EU practices Stakeholders needs will be identified and used to define the functionalities and architecture of GIS as a tool for the analysis and dissemination of spatial statistics in Azerbaijan. In particular, users access to spatial statistical data will be significantly improved. Information might be collected on the number of users hits (that is the number of reference and retrieval of spatial statistics) at the end of the implementation period compared with baseline hits. Similarly, any information received on customers satisfaction (and dissatisfaction) should be used for further development. 8

9 Key output indicators: Report on users needs completed with recommendations Report on the definition of the functionalities and architecture of GIS in spatial statistics produced Implementation of GIS in statistical dissemination Online user interface on spatial statistics completed Guidelines and Glossaries on GIS in spatial statistics for SSC developed A promotional brochure on spatial statistics using GIS produced 3. A cross-sectional pilot of SILC is conducted and preparations for the main survey are completed with the aid of the EU DESAP and in line with the appropriate EU regulations A cross-sectional pilot survey of SILC according to the relevant Framework Regulations will be completed. The results will be described in a Quality Report, which will be used to plan the main survey. DESAP (Development of a Self-Assessment Programme) will be used to ensure, as far as possible, that the pilot is a sound basis for evaluating the methodology and processes for planning the full-scale SILC. DESAP is of the greatest assistance when it is used before a full survey is undertaken. Questions on disability will be included in the pilot questionnaire. The spinoff benefits will contribute greatly to strengthen the SSC survey infrastructure and to increased knowledge of various aspects of poverty in Azerbaijan. Key output indicators: Time table for pilot SILC survey completed All preparations for the SILC pilot completed according to EU SILC framework regulations A survey database including good data from the pilot in place At least 8 SSC officials trained in sampling theory and related software Guidelines for implementing relevant EU-SILC regulations developed The pilot evaluated according to the EU DESAP checklist A prototype quality report of the pilot, including the quality of the results, finalised A plan for the main SILC survey developed A number of multidimensional social and distributional indicators on poverty, material deprivation and social exclusion developed 4. Modernisation of disability and invalidity statistics The statistics on disabled persons and invalids compiled by the SSC will be more firmly based on a wider variety of data sources. Their analytic potential will be considerably increased by being set in the wider framework of ESSPROS (European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics). Introduction to the current EHSIS will be a big step forward in the transition from the obsolete medical model to the social model and may even lead to active participation in future rounds of this survey. Key output indicators: The number of additional data sources used for the compilation of disability and invalidity statistics in Azerbaijan is increased 9

10 10 3 trainers trained in ESSPROS 5. Improvement and extension of the tourism statistics The existing questionnaire on arrivals and departures will be revised and improved; Incountry tourism data will be obtained and indicators will be compiled. The existing questionnaire on accommodation establishments used for the business reports will be extended with questions on active and inactive periods of the establishment. The household surveys on domestic tourism will contain a module on tourism expenditures. The existing guest registration system implemented in the accommodation establishments will be improved. The tables of value indicators of tourism satellite accounts will be compiled. The overall quality and usability of the tourism statistics in Azerbaijan will be improved. Key output indicators: Tourism statistics methodology revised, updated and a pilot programme designed and approved by the head of the committee Employment indicators for the tourism sector produced Structure of expenditures for tourism analysed and improved Data on in-country tourism obtained New guest registration system implemented Registers of accommodation and other tourism businesses information system improved Input-output tables necessary for establishment of Tourism Satellite Accounts updated and developed A schedule for establishing tourism satellite accounts for the coming two years designed and approved by the head of the committee While drafting the work plan for this project, the twinning partners (SSC and the selected Member State(s)) will set up measurable indicators, and benchmarks on the basis of those given above and in the logical framework (Annex 1) and the commonly agreed activities and outputs. They will also identify assumptions and risks. 3.4 Activities The partner on alternative or complementary activities and outputs to those identified in this section in order to meet the specific mandatory results of this project. Component 0: Kick-off meeting, Closure meeting, Steering Committee meetings 1. Kick-off event 2. Quarterly meetings of the Steering Committee 3. Organize and conduct Final conference Component 1: Implementation of a Statistical Quality Management System (SQMS) The basic concept of quality is not the perfection of statistical results but statistics fit for purpose. Perfection is unattainable if only because of the trade-off that is necessary between competing quality criteria such as accuracy and timeliness. The technical elements of quality generally follow the principles listed in the European Statistics Code of Practice such as Relevance, Accuracy and Reliability, Timeliness and Punctuality, Coherence and Comparability, Accessibility and Clarity. This Component is not only about these technical aspects of statistical processes and products but also about management, policy and

11 organisational framework. It emphasises the collaborative nature of Quality Management. Achieving Quality Standards requires everyone, from management to junior staff, to work together. Both technical and non-technical dimensions, such as organisation, motivation, culture, will form integral parts of an SQMS. Accordingly, as outlined in section 1.2 above, the SSC has already established a Policy, a Plan and an organisational framework for the development and implementation of quality standards. Errors at every stage of the statistical production process will need to be identified and either averted or controlled. Thus, training of the staff of the SSC on quality management and the creation of a culture of vigilance must be undertaken. The quality of the statistical product will depend on the quality of the production process. The European Statistical System (ESS) Handbook on Quality Reports (EHQR) and the ESS Standard for Quality Reports Structure (ESQRS) Guidelines (based on the EHQR) need to be customised for regular use by the SSC of Azerbaijan Activity 1.1: Improve SQMS planning and execution Streamline the annually rolling SQMS Plan This is done primarily in terms of targets, schedules and activities to serve as an effective monitoring tool and hence strengthen the oversight system for ensuring the implementation of that Plan on a consistent basis across the entire statistical production process and between departments of the SSC. Develop customised Guidelines and Manuals for the consistent application of statistical quality management across the whole statistical production process and between departments of the SSC. This activity should be based on the ESS Handbook on Quality Reports (EHQR) and on the European Statistical System (ESS) Standard for Quality Reports Structure (ESQRS), (which is based on the EHQR). The Activity should include the preparation of a related Glossary of terms on Statistical Quality Management and associated metadata Activity 1.2: Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement Organise study visits to EU Member States on Statistical Quality Management Prepare and deliver training to relevant SSC staff and other producers of official statistics on detection and minimisation of errors at each stage of the statistical production process. The training will be based on the Guidelines and Manuals developed under Activity 1.1. Explanatory Note on Activity: Statistical Quality Management is a large, multidisciplinary, complex and varied process. There are many varied disciplines to be seen in member states. The process involves the design and execution of quality assurance standards, themselves not always easy to operationalize. The quality of metadata and metadata on quality are central to quality management. Producing quality reports according to Eurostat guidelines is a very technical and demanding exercise. Direct observation and an iterative process of questioning of senior managers in action is the optimal way of achieving the mandatory results. The issues concerned can only be covered by study visits. After these activities are completed, a substantial report should be produced, from which a methodology and an action plan should be developed. Activity 1.3: Introduce EU and international standards Adapt the GSBPM to the SSC quality management needs, covering the statistical business process and statistical products 11

12 Apply the European Quality Standards to the full statistical production process of one thematic area; and apply the lessons of this exercise in adapting the standards to the specific needs and circumstances of Azerbaijan. Component 2: Development of GIS application as a dissemination tool After the identification of user s needs, the functionalities and architecture, including analytic scope, of GIS would need to be defined. The aim is to develop GIS based application for the analysis and dissemination of spatial statistics. Given that GIS technologies can consume substantial resources, the focus in the Twinning Project will be on the dissemination aspect, meaning the creation of a user-friendly interface including visualisation. The SSC had expressed strong interest in the methodology of Eurostat s GEOSTAT (Geographical Statistics) not only for the population census but also for poverty mapping and for other censuses such as the agricultural and economic censuses. Initially, the use of the GIS application will be restricted to data on administrative regions and the 66 rayon. The goal in the current context is 100% coverage of the country. Cooperation between the SSC and the State Committee of Land and Cartography (SCLC) will be strengthened. With this Component, as with others, there will be a need for Glossaries, Guidelines and Handbooks as well as for training and organisation of a conference with participation of users of spatial statistics. Activity 2.1: Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement Study visit to an ESS country to receive hands-on knowledge of the use, including Eurostat s NUTS nomenclature, and practical limitations of GIS in the production of spatial statistics Train staff of the SSC, the SCLC and other relevant agencies in GIS concepts, functionalities and analytic use of spatial statistics. Activity 2.2: Organise user-needs assessment of spatial statistics Organise workshops and/or surveys to consult users Identify shareholders' needs. Activity 2.3: Develop a GIS based application for dissemination of spatial statistics Define the functionalities and architecture of the GIS in spatial statistics based on userneeds. Introduce a user-friendly interface, including a metadata wizard, for spatial statistics online, with adequate safeguards for confidentiality. Produce Guidelines and Glossaries for statisticians producing spatial statistics using GIS, in order to streamline production. Produce a spatial statistics brochure to promote dissemination and use, particularly to the academic and commercial users. Organise a conference with participation of spatial statistics users Component 3: Implementation of a cross-sectional SILC pilot following appropriate EU- SILC regulations The main focus of this Component is preparations for undertaking a cross-sectional pilot survey, using Eurostat s DESAP (Development of a Self-Assessment Programme) for evaluating the pilot, and, on the basis of this, design the full SILC survey. The pilot will be conducted during the twinning but is not part of the twinning project. In order for valid conclusions to be drawn from the pilot, the various technical steps, (sample design, questionnaire development, field- 12

13 staff training, data collection procedures, data entry, etc) will need thorough planning and execution. A major step has already been accomplished, which was to include the complex SILC questions on income in the Household Budget Survey. The benefits to the SSC of this Component will extend beyond the survey itself. There will be greater understanding of survey methodology and of preparing Quality Reports according to Eurostat s standards. Analysis of the data will increase knowledge of multidimensional poverty, material deprivation and social exclusion, and, when the longitudinal dimension is eventually added, the dynamics of these phenomena in Azerbaijan. Activity 3.1: Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement Organise a visit from an experienced Member State NSI to the SSC of Azerbaijan for training in the application of the cross-sectional methodology contained in the EU-SILC Framework Regulations. Study visit to an experienced Member State NSI for training in the application of the SILC cross-sectional methodology and the use of its data for poverty analysis Activity 3.2: Preparing the pilot survey Develop a timetable for the pilot survey. The pilot and the main survey will be conducted during the first year of the twinning. Develop Guidelines for implementing relevant EU-SILC regulations. Convert the SILC variables into a pre-coded questionnaire, with supporting Guidelines, taking into account the specific needs and circumstances in Azerbaijan. Apply the EU DESAP checklist to inspect the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the arrangements for the pilot. DESAP provides a detailed checklist for survey operations. Before starting the fieldwork, the expert, preferably with skills and experience in survey methodology, should use DESAP to ensure that no vital step in the survey process is omitted or poorly planned, risking poor execution. Activity 3.3: Conducting the pilot Ensure efficient data collection, data entry and editing of the pilot, and the creation of a micro database that meets Eurostat s requirements with the help of an expert. Software with their own user manuals already exist for these data input and data preparation activities. The expert, preferably with IT expertise, will conduct inspections to see that the software is correctly interpreted and correctly applied for the complex SILC. The IT expert needs to work closely with statisticians to ensure the best results. The database should be structured in a way that facilitates easy extraction of information requested by EU. A prototype quality report of the pilot, including the quality of the results should be prepared. Activity 3.4: Analysing the pilot data Assess the quality of the results of the pilot, particularly the income components and associated issues of stochastic imputation with the help of an expert. One important method of checking the credibility of sample survey data is through analysis by subject-matter experts. Produce a prototype quality report, as required by the SILC Regulations. This quality report will be used in the planning of the main survey. 13

14 Plan the main survey, particularly in relation to adjustments to the questionnaire, the sample size and the possible planning of the longitudinal component with the help of an expert. Component 4: Modernisation of the disability and invalidity statistics The disability and invalidity statistics in Azerbaijan need to be modernised. A study of EU best practice will map a wider variety of administrative and survey data sources, in isolation and in conjunction, to the sources currently in use in the SSC for the compilation of statistics on disabled and invalids in Azerbaijan. Given that disability statistics are included within the wider context of social protection statistics, a study of the merits and drawbacks of Eurostat s ESSPROS (Eurostat s European System of Social Protection Statistics) will be undertaken. This subject is also central to the priorities of the MLSPP, thus emphasising the need for SSC to collaborate closely with the Ministry through joint training sessions. Above all, the conception of Disability through the medical model should be updated to the social model and this will be investigated through practical studies of the current European Health and Social Integration Survey (EHSIS). Activity 4.1: Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement 14 Prepare and deliver training on the ESSPROS methodology Study visit to an EU Member State to learn about Eurostat s current household survey, called the European Health and Social Integration Survey (EHSIS), the development of the corresponding questionnaire, other methodological issues and the underlying social model with special focus on disability and invalidity statistics. Activity 4.2: Methodological development Conduct an expert study on the use of administrative data sources in EU countries, and how these countries supplement administrative data with surveys and other data sources to provide key statistics on disability and invalidity Component 5: Improvement and extension of tourism statistics There is a need for improvement of methods available in tourism statistics and for provision of indicators comparability. Studying of EU experience that meets up-to-date requirements will enable the detailed study of tourism impact on the country economy, measurement of employment in the field of tourism and implementation of activities related with establishment of tourism satellite accounts. This subject is also central to the priorities of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, thus emphasising the need for the SSC to collaborate closely with the Ministry through joint training sessions. The establishment of tourism satellite accounts should be based on the UNWTO/OECD/ EUROSTAT methodology for compilation of tourism satellite accounts adopted in March The contribution of experts specialised in national accounts and in balance of payments, is needed to develop an adequate compilation system for the TSA tables. Activity 5.1: Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement Study visit to an EU Member State to obtain practical knowledge on establishing tourism satellite accounts.

15 Organise a visit from experienced Member State NSI(s) to the SSC of Azerbaijan for training in the application of the modern methodology on the tourism statistics, in particular on establishment of satellite account. Activity 5.2: Establishing tourism satellite accounts Assess current system for collection, analysis, interpretation and communication of tourism statistics, including possible sources of information Provide guidance for further development and improvement of collection, analysis, interpretation and communication of tourism statistics Include adequate questions in questionnaire for obtaining monetary tourism indicators Add module to the household surveys on domestic tourism that allows sound estimation of tourism expenditures Obtain monetary and non-monetary indicators on internal tourism Establish input-output tables on satellite account Design a pilot programme on Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) that includes all necessary preparatory steps to be taken during the coming two years based on internationally recognised Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) methodology. Activities associated with each Component and its associated results are also defined in outline within the Logical Framework Matrix in Annex 1. It should be noted that the various activities, benchmarks, schedules and means of verification may be subject to revision during the preparation of the contract between the Twinning Institutions. 3.5 Means/Input from the MS Partner Administration The MS partner administration is expected to provide the Project Leader (MS PL), Resident Twinning Advisor (RTA) and a team of short term experts to support them. The MS PL is the key link between the partners, acting at an overall operational and strategic level. The RTA resides in the Beneficiary Country (BC) and cooperates day-to-day with the BC partners and the MS short-term experts (STEs). STEs will work in Azerbaijan on the basis of specific Terms of Reference (ToR) which will be designed by the RTA for each mission and approved by Beneficiary. It has proved to be an advantage for project implementation in previous Twinning projects when the MS has designated a senior STE to be responsible for each mandatory result/component of the project (i.e. a component leader) and to liaise with the respective component leader to be nominated by the Beneficiary Administration (BA). The BA will nominate counterparts to these key persons (see section 6.3). The required MS experts must either be civil/public servants of the relevant MS administration or be permanent staff of authorised mandated bodies. All experts must comply with the requirements set in the Twinning Manual. 15

16 The nature of work for technical assistance abroad requests strong initiative, good analytic, inter-personal and language skills. All experts shall possess these qualities. To arrange logistics for the RTA and fix local arrangements such as hotel booking, administrative support etc. for the short-term experts the RTA will be supported by a permanent RTA Assistant. One assistant will be selected during the Twinning contract preparation period. A full-time interpreter/translator will also be recruited in Azerbaijan and funded by the project. (S)he will perform most of the required interpretation/translation services. Whenever required and needed on a clear justified request, e.g. for simultaneous interpretation during seminars and workshops, additional interpretation may be procured and funded by the project. The full-time interpreter/translator will provide day-to-day interpretation/translation to the RTA and project experts during meetings Profile and tasks of the Project Leader (PL) The Project Leader (PL) will be based in the MS and will be responsible for the overall management of the project and the coordination of activities performed and ensures the overall quality of the services provide on it. He or she will have the overall responsibility for the implementation of all twinning activities. The PL will supervise and coordinate the overall thrust of the project. (S)he will direct the project and will ensure that all the required strategic support and operational input from management and staff of the MS side are available. Together with the Beneficiary PL, he will organise the Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings. Profile: Qualification and skills 16 A university degree in statistics, economics or another relevant discipline Good analytical and organisational skills Well-developed interpersonal skills Good command of written and spoken English Working knowledge of Azerbaijani, Turkish or Russian would be an asset General professional experience A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the field of statistics Experience in management of statistical projects Experience of working in the public sector in the area of statistics or similar Specific professional experience Knowledge of the EU legislation in Statistics Tasks: Liaising with BC Administration at the political level Overall coordination, guidance and monitoring Ensuring the direction of the project work Ensuring the achievement on time of the mandatory project results

17 Ensuring the availability on time of MS-Short Term Experts and other MS resources Executing other administrative tasks Profile and tasks of the Resident Twinning Advisor (RTA) The Resident Twinning Advisor (RTA) seconded from the EU MS should have at least five years work experience as a staff member in a MS national statistics office. A network of functional contacts with related EU and Member State institutions will be also an asset. The RTA will be in charge of the day-to-day implementation of the Twinning project in Azerbaijan. (S)he should coordinate the implementation of activities according to a predetermined work plan and liaise with the RTA counterpart in Azerbaijan.. (S)he will live in Azerbaijan and work full-time for the project for the entire implementation period of 24 consecutive months. The RTA is expected to be actively involved in the implementation of all activities. (S)he should coordinate the project and have a certain level of understanding of all components. Profile: Qualification and skills A University degree in statistics, economics or another relevant discipline Good command of written and spoken English Good analytical and organisational skills Working knowledge of Azerbaijani, Turkish or Russian would be an asset General Professional Experience At least 5 years experience in the field of official statistics Experience in managing teams of experts and project management Specific Professional experience: Experience in carrying out strategic and organizational analyses Good knowledge of the institutional environment relating to the implementation and enforcement of relevant EU legislation Good knowledge of the EU acquis in statistics Experience in working in a different cultural environment is an asset Experience in previous, current accession and neighbourhood countries or with similar projects would be an asset Tasks: Day-to-day coordination and implementation of project activities in Azerbaijan Preparation of Terms of Reference (ToR) for STEs missions Managing recruitment and input of short-term experts Arranging study tours to EU countries for SSC staff Ensuring the coherence and the continuity of the inputs and the on-going progress Continuously assessing the Twinning-project at all stages and to compare actual progress with the specified benchmarks and time-frame Guaranteeing smooth implementation of the different activities; 17

18 Liaison with the BC Project Leader and RTA Counterpart on regular basis Liaison with the EU Delegation and the Programme Administration Office (PAO) of Azerbaijan Preparing interim, quarterly and final reports Reporting to the MS-Project Leader Profile and tasks of the short term experts (STEs) All required EU institutional and technical expertise will be covered by the short-term experts. The short-term experts should have good experience in the relevant subject matter. STEs should be civil servants or staff members of the selected MS institution(s). They should have worked in the required fields for not less than 3 years and have appropriate qualifications and necessary skills to implement the above mentioned activities. Terms of Reference for the short-term experts will be developed by the RTA. The exact number of STEs per activity should be agreed upon during contract negotiations. There should be a pool of short-term experts to ensure smooth implementation of the project. STEs should be identified by the Project Leader/RTA and will be agreed with the Beneficiary Administration in the course of design and implementation of the project. List of the short-term experts by Components Expert needed Statistical Quality Management Experts GIS Experts 18 Household Survey Experts Social Protection Experts Tourism Statistics Experts Indicative profile of short-term experts: Qualification and skills Expertise Experience in quality management IT skills; experience in geography and cartography in addition to experience in statistical production/dissemination Experience in design and execution of household surveys and in poverty analysis Experience in ESSPROS, and the use of both administrative sources and surveys, Experience in establishing Tourism satellite accounts A University degree in statistics, economics or another relevant discipline Good command of written and spoken English Working knowledge of Azerbaijani, Turkish or Russian would be an asset General Professional Experience At least 5 years proven experience in a relevant field of statistics Project and training experience would be an asset Working experience in foreign countries would be an asset Specific professional experience Up-to-date knowledge and current experience in the respective field of project activity

19 Ability to provide on-the-job transfer of practical know-how Experience as trainers of government officials In addition to their missions in Azerbaijan, the STEs are expected to contribute actively in developing programmes for the study visits proposed in the project. 3.6.Reporting and monitoring The MS Project Leader must draw up Interim Quarterly Reports and a Final Report and (s)he will be responsible for submitting them to the relevant authority. For templates and requirements to reporting and monitoring, see the Twinning Manual Project Steering Committee (PSC) The PSC will be convened at least every three months. The PSC will be chaired jointly by the MS PL and the BC PL. The PSC composition will be defined in the Working Plan according to requirements set in the Common Twinning Manual. Representatives from the PAO of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the EU Delegation, the RTA counterpart and BC PL as well as the RTA, MS PL and BC component leaders will participate in the PSC meetings. Observers from other institutions who may be involved from time to time in cross-cutting issues e.g. representatives from other administrations or short term experts, may also be invited if necessary. The PSC will follow the achievement of project results and timely implementation of project activities in order to identify and rectify any problems that may arise in the course of the implementation of the project. The secretarial support of the PSC will be provided by the RTA and RTA Assistant, who will prepare the agenda of meetings, documents to be discussed as well as minutes of meetings. The working language of the Project implementation will be English. Translation and interpretation will be provided where necessary and where permitted in the provisions of the Twinning Manual Institutional framework The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SSC) The SSC, established in accordance with the Law "On Official Statistics", is an independent, central economic body regulating the statistical and registration activities and operating within the system of the central executive bodies. The SSC is composed of: the Central Statistical Office (174 employees, excluding the support staff), the Main Computing Centre (173 employees, excluding the support staff), regional statistical offices (970 employees, excluding the support staff), the Research, Design and Technology Centre of Statistical Information (26 employees) and a Training Centre. Based on the Statute, the SSC is highly centralised at two levels: central and regional. There are 83 district (city) statistical offices (including Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic - NAR). In addition to the other district offices, the distribution of these statistics offices includes: 7 corresponding to the NAR, 11 in Baku city and 10 in the occupied territories of Nagorno- Karabakh. Each office employs on average 7-12 people. The main functions of the SSC, as determined by the Statute concerning the management of the quality of statistical data and IT dissemination, are the following: gather substantial and reliable statistical data from all legal entities

20 obtain the necessary information (without payment) from natural persons (entrepreneurs) for statistical observations on their social-demographic condition and entrepreneurship activity make corrections to reports in the case of distortion of data; set out compulsory tasks to be implemented by legal entities and natural persons for the reflection of these corrections in primary statistical and accounting records and in other documents; require necessary information and references from them relating to this issue determine the coverage, type, periodicity and subject-matter of each element of information on existing resources, and on the economic, demographic, social and ecological situation in the programme of annual statistical activities analyse social processes; assess the living level of the population in terms of household expenditures; conduct exercises on socio-demographic phenomena; and carry out surveys analyse statistical data using advanced methodologies and modern information society technologies provide corresponding government bodies with the required information render data-analysis and other paid services to legal entities and natural persons administer the necessary measures designed to prevent access to, and dissemination and use of, confidential statistical data in violation of the law The main departments that will benefit from EU assistance are the following: Quality Management and IT Data Dissemination Population Living Standards and Household Budget Surveys Service Statistics Other Departments of the SSC will, to varying degrees, contribute to and benefit from the project. Opportunities for inter-departmental cooperation should be seized in the implementation of the Twinning Activities. This would include also the deeper involvement of subnational agencies where relevant, for example on GIS. Cross- Ministry representation could be considered in the selection of the personnel to attend local training sessions. Annex 3 gives the structure of the SSC. The Quality Management and IT Department (QMIT) The need to establish a quality management system with the aim of improving the quality of statistical products and the efficiency of the entire statistical production process was pointed out in the Adapted Global Assessment Report carried out in June-December The SSC is committed to ensuring a high standard of quality of statistics and Quality Management. The Quality Management and IT Department was created in December 2011 for more systematic and comprehensive quality management and control. The main functions of the department are (1) to ensure quality management of the statistical data (development of general rules and standards, organization of all statistical processes within the framework of the SQMS and control of its implementation); (2) to develop standards and organize a statistical metadata system; (3) to obtain conformity certificates for the quality of the statistical data and processes; and (4) to ensure the harnessing of modern IT technology and the establishment of information security. The staff number of the department is 6. 20

21 The Department will be responsible for the creation of a Quality Management Framework and system. Data Dissemination Department (DDD) The main functions of the DDD, responsible for the dissemination of the official statistical data, are the following: Provide users across the country with the statistical information they require while protecting confidentiality Prepare, publish and disseminate periodic statistical bulletins Update user databases for dissemination and publication The staff number of the department is 10. The DDD will be responsible for the implementation of the GIS. In that respect, this department has already benefited from the TAIEX Programme, (see Section 1.4 on Related Projects). Population Living Standards and Household Budget Survey Department (PLSHBSD) The main responsibility of the department is to carry out household surveys, a task that involves the development of sample designs and survey methodologies, the preparation of questionnaires, specifications for programmers including data entry and edits, the organization of the fieldwork, data analysis and dissemination. The department is also responsible for data analysis and dissemination of survey results. The number of staff of the department is 5. The department will be responsible for the elaboration and execution of the relevant methodology of the EU-SILC surveys. Service Statistics Department (SSD) The main functions of the department are as follows: (1) preparation and dissemination of the final reports, statistical bulletins and other statistical publications based on information collected on disability statistics, and (2) compilation of the data in line with international concepts, definitions, classifications and methods. The legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan on State Statistics provides procedures and measures to ensure the application of the confidentiality principle. As a producer of official statistics and as coordinator of the national statistical system of Azerbaijan, the SSC plays a pivotal role. This coordinating role is reflected in the Programme of Statistical Work as well as in the State Programme on Improvement of Official Statistics for and On the whole, the SSC and its regional offices have sufficient capacity and means to cover the Programme of Statistical Work and also the measures planned in the State Programme for improving Official Statistics in The department consists of 15 staff members, of which 3 are responsible for the statistics on Disabled persons and Invalids and of which 3 are responsible for the tourism statistics. The department will be responsible for the development and execution of the relevant methodology for (1) disability and invalidity statistics and (2) tourism statistics. 5. Budget The maximum budget allocated to this Twinning project is 1,200,000 21

22 The Azerbaijani beneficiary administration will provide the RTA and other MS experts with office space in its main building in Baku, equipment and other provisions as stated in the Common Twinning Manual. 6. Implementing arrangements 6.1. Implementing Agency responsible for tendering, contracting and accounting The Implementing Agency responsible for tendering, contracting and accounting is the European Commission represented by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan. The people in charge of this project at the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan are: Mr Jeroen WILLEMS Head of Cooperation Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan Landmark III, 11th Floor, 90A, Nizami str., AZ 1010 Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan Tel (ext. 853) Fax Website: Ms Ulviya ABDULLAYEVA Programme Manager Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan Landmark III, 11th Floor, 90A, Nizami str., AZ1010 Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan Tel (ext. 845) Fax Website: Main counterpart in the PAO The person in charge of this project at the Programme Administration Office in Azerbaijan (PAO) is: Mr Ruslan RUSTAMLI, Director of PAO Head of the Department on Cooperation with International organisations Ministry of Economy and Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan 6th floor, Government House, 84Uzeyir Hajibeyli str. Baku, AZ 1000 Republic of Azerbaijan 22

23 Tel.: ( ) (ext. 2115) Fax: ( ) Website: Main counterparts in the Beneficiary country The Beneficiary Country (BC) has nominated its main counterparts to the MS PL and RTA: Project Leader - Mr Alkhan Mansurov Head of Department on Coordination of Statistical Works, State Statistical Committee Inshaatchilar Avenue, AZ-1136 Baku Tel. ( ) , ( ) alkhan@azstat.org RTA counterpart Mr Farhad Aliyev, Deputy Head of Coordination of Statistical Works Department, State Statistical Committee Inshaatchilar Avenue, AZ-1136 Baku Tel. ( ) , ( ) farhada@azstat.org During the contracting phase of the project, the beneficiary administration will nominate leaders for each of the five components and set up working groups for each component during the inception period. These working groups should meet at least once monthly in order to identify bottlenecks and set revised milestones on the trajectory towards the achievement of the mandatory results. Minutes should be produced. 6.3 Contracts Only one Twinning contract is foreseen for this project. A new Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Union entered into force on 1st January This implies several changes to the Twinning contract templates. The Twinning contract that shall be signed as a result of the present procedure shall follow the templates of the updated Twinning Manual and Annexes. 7. Implementation schedule (indicative) 7.1. Launching of the call for proposals: November Start of project activities: September Work plan duration: 24 months 6 Financial Regulation: Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/ Rules of Application: Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1268/2012 of 29 October 2012 on the rules of application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union. 23

24 8. Sustainability The Twinning project will have to seek sustainable solutions and approaches based on the adoption of best practices and thus prepare the grounds for Azerbaijani enhanced compliance with the selected EU Acquis and specifically best European practices in the field of statistics. All activities are designed to be automatically implemented or supported by the related roadmaps and instructions. This allows the Beneficiary Administration to be in a position to continue implementation of associated activities even after the completion of the twinning project activities. Sustainability issues will be further elaborated in the course of the preparation of the project contract as a joint responsibility of the MS partner and the Beneficiary Administration. Besides, in the final report, twinning partners will include specific recommendations and strategies for consolidating and safeguarding the achievement of mandatory results in the beneficiary administration. To ensure sustainability, Beneficiary Administrations should be provided with the training materials (all handovers) in both languages, English and Azerbaijani. That means that a budget for the translation of Guidelines, Handbooks, Glossaries, Methodology Manuals, etc. developed within the project should be foreseen. 9. Cross-cutting issues 9.1. Equal opportunity The proposed project will comply with EU equal opportunity policies. Equal treatment of men and women in project implementation at all levels will be one of the most important principles in the project management and implementation. The beneficiaries are already equal opportunity employers. In particular, great attention will be given to the equality principle in the training of personnel and the recruitment of STEs. Of course, appropriate professional qualifications and experience will be the main decisive factors in personnel recruitment and evaluation but, subject to that, both women and men will have identical prospects Environment The principle of implementation of this Twinning project is based on a paperless work environment. This means, in particular, minimizing paper use during project implementation by the maximum feasible use of s and, if available, project web-site and/or project electronic data base for cooperation between partners. Documents are automatically saved in electronic format. 24

25 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviation AP BC CSP DDD DESAP DSPPPD EHQR ENP ENPI ESQRS ESS EU EUD EU-SILC GIS MLSPP MS NCAP OP PAO PCA PL PLSHBSD PSC QMIT RTA RTA SC SIGMA SNA SPS SQMS SSC SSD SSPF STE TAIEX ToR TSA UNCRPD WB Explanation Action Plan Beneficiary Contract Country Strategy Paper Data Dissemination Department Development of a Self-Assessment Programme Department of Social Protection Policy of People with Disability European Handbook for Quality Reports European Neighbourhood Policy European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument European Standard for Quality Reports Structure European Statistical System European Union European Union Delegation European Union statistics on Income and Living Conditions Geographic Information System Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population Member States National Anti-Corruption Action Plan Optional Protocol Programme Administration Office Partnership and Cooperation Agreement Project Leader Population Living Standards and Household Budget Survey Department Project Steering Committee Quality Management and IT Department Resident Twinning Advisor Resident Twinning Adviser Steering Committee Support for Improvement in Governance and Management System of National Accounts (NA refers to National Accounts) Sanitary and Photo-Sanitary Statistical Quality Management System State Statistical Committee of Azerbaijan Service Statistics Department State Social Protection Fund Short-Term Experts Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Terms of Reference Tourism Statistics in Azerbaijan United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities World Bank 25

26 ANNEXES 1. Logical Framework Matrix 2. List of Relevant Laws and regulations 3. Structure of the SSC 26

27 ANNEX 1: Logical Framework Matrix* Support to the State Statistical Committee in Modernisation of the National Statistics System of the Republic of Azerbaijan in line with European standards Programme name and number ENPI AAP 2011 {number} State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan Contracting period expires: Disbursement period expires: Total budget: 1.2 million EUR Overall Objective Objectively Verifiable Indicators Sources of Verification Assumptions To improve quality, availability and compliance of official statistics of Azerbaijan with European standards in key domains conducive to effective and efficient policy making The SSC is brought closer in line with EU standards in specified statistical areas European Commission regular reports State Statistical Committee Reports Reports of the Republic of Azerbaijan on ENP AP implementation Project Purpose To improve the quality management of official statistics and its dissemination (GIS) and to harmonise official statistics with EU standards in the areas of income and living conditions, disability and invalidity, and tourism Improved organisation and management of the quality of the statistical production and dissemination processes across the SSC in line with EU quality standards Geographic information System (GIS) enhanced as a tool for improved analysis and dissemination of statistical data in a manner that meets users needs Relevant methodology of the SILC EC Azerbaijan regular reports EC Reports of external evaluation Monitoring reports Quarterly progress reports Final report Reports of the Republic of Azerbaijan on ENP AP implementation The Government of Azerbaijan maintains its commitments regarding adoption of statistical methods and systems in line with European standards 27

28 Results survey based on EU regulations is elaborated; questionnaires and relevant instructions developed and tested ready for a pilot survey, on the basis of which a plan for the main survey will be prepared The statistical concepts of disability are modernised and the coverage of disability and invalidity statistics extended Coverage of the tourism statistics extended and overall quality and usability of the tourism statistics improved 1. The organisation and management of the quality of the statistical production and dissemination processes across the SSC are improved in line with EU quality standards A SQMS Plan revised and completed. Quarterly monitoring reports produced on the implementation of the Plan A total reduction in statistical errors spread across the statistical business process Guidelines and Manuals for SQMS produced Diagnostic tables and indicators produced on questionnaire replication Apply European Standards for the quality reporting on a pilot survey in one statistical domain, and use the experiences from this exercise in other statistical domains Improved SQMS Plan Quarterly monitoring reports on implementation of Plan Quarterly monitoring reports Guidelines and Manuals for SQMS Recommendations from the pilot study External partners will be able to attend the meetings Collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders Possible institutional changes do not affect the existing roles and responsibilities of related institutions and departments Required data are available 28

29 2. The GIS application is used as a dissemination tool of spatial statistical data in line with EU practices 3. A cross-sectional pilot of SILC is conducted and preparations for the main survey are completed with the aid of the EU DESAP and in line with the appropriate EU regulations Report on users needs completed with recommendations Report on the definition of the functionalities and architecture of GIS in spatial statistics produced Implementation of GIS in statistical dissemination Online user interface on spatial statistics completed Guidelines and Glossaries on GIS in spatial statistics for SSC developed A promotional brochure on spatial statistics using GIS produced Time table for pilot SILC survey completed All preparations for the SILC pilot completed according to EU SILC framework regulations A survey database including good data from the pilot in place At least 8 SSC officials trained in sampling theory and related software Guidelines for implementing relevant EU-SILC regulations developed The pilot evaluated according to the EU DESAP checklist A prototype quality report of the pilot, including the quality of the results, finalised A plan for the main SILC survey developed A number of multidimensional social and distributional indicators on Report on users needs Report on the definition on functionalities and architecture of GIS Guidelines and Glossaries on GIS Promotional brochure on spatial statistics Time table for pilot SILC survey Plan for SILC survey The pilot quarterly progress report The prototype quality report on the pilot Project quarterly report External partners will be able to attend the meetings Collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders Possible institutional changes do not affect the existing roles and responsibilities of related institutions and departments Required data are available External partners will be able to attend the meetings Collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders Possible institutional changes do not affect the existing roles and responsibilities of related institutions and departments Required data are available 29

30 poverty, material deprivation and social exclusion developed 4. Modernisation of disability and invalidity statistics 5. Improvement and extension of the tourism statistics The number of additional data sources used for the compilation of disability and invalidity statistics in Azerbaijan is increased 3 trainers trained in ESSPROS Tourism statistics methodology revised, updated and a pilot programme designed and approved by the head of the committee Employment indicators for the tourism sector produced Structure of expenditures for tourism analysed and improved Data on in-country tourism obtained New guest registration system implemented Registers of accommodation and other tourism businesses information system improved Input-output tables necessary for establishment of Tourism Satellite Accounts updated and developed A schedule for establishing tourism satellite accounts for the coming two years designed and approved by the head of the committee Training programme in ESSPROS Study visit report Project Quarterly report Reports of the SSC Quarterly progress reports Final report External partners will be able to attend the meetings Collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders Possible institutional changes do not affect the existing roles and responsibilities of related institutions and departments Required data are available External partners will be able to attend the meetings Collaboration and cooperation among the stakeholders Possible institutional changes do not affect the existing roles and responsibilities of related institutions and departments Required data are available 30

31 Activities Means Costs Component Kick-off meeting Visibility actions 0.2 Quarterly meetings of the Steering Committee 0.3 Thematic visibility event at least once a year 0.4 Final conference Component Improve SQMS planning and execution 1.2 Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement 1.3 Introduce EU and international standards Implementation of a Statistical Quality Management System (SQMS) RTA; STEs RTA; STEs RTA; STEs Component 2. Development of GIS application as a dissemination tool 2.1 Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement 2.2 Organise user-needs assessment of spatial statistics 2.3 Develop a GIS based application for dissemination of spatial statistics RTA; STEs RTA, STEs RTA, STEs Component 3: Implementation of a cross-sectional SILC pilot following appropriate EU-SILC regulations 3.1 Knowledge transfer and skills RTA, STEs 31

32 enhancement 3.2 Preparing the pilot survey RTA, STEs 3.3 Conducting the pilot RTA, STEs 3.4 Analysing the pilot data RTA, STEs Component 4: Modernisation of the disability and invalidity statistics 4.1 Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement RTA, STEs 4.2 Methodological development RTA, STEs Component 5: Improvement and extension of tourism statistics 5.1 Knowledge transfer and skills enhancement 5.2 Establishing tourism satellite accounts RTA, STEs * - This Logical Framework Matrix is tentative. The Twinning partners shall revise the content of the Logical Framework Matrix, mainly measurable indicators/benchmarks basis of commonly agreed activities and outputs during the drafting of the work plan for this project 32

33 ANNEX 2: Legal Framework Law "On Official Statistics", adopted in 1994 (last updates from 2011) Statute of the State Statistical Committee, approved in 2005 Statute of the department and regional offices of the State Statistical Committee Regulation of the State Statistical Committee, adopted by the Board of the SSC in 2007 Policy of the State Statistical Committee for the Dissemination of Official Statistical Information State Programme on Development of the Official Statistics in the Republic of Azerbaijan in , approved in 2009 Law "On Freedom of Information", approved in 1998 Law "On prevention of disabilities and impaired health of children and rehabilitation and social protection of the disabled and children with impaired health", approved in 1992 Law "On Ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", n 686-IIIQ and the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Ratification of Optional Protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities", adopted in 2008 Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers "on Approval of Rule on Submission of Data in e-form to the State Statistical Agencies for Conducting State (Regional) Surveys, approved in 2010 State Program for Poverty reduction and sustainable development in the Republic of Azerbaijan in Global Assessment of the National Statistical System of Azerbaijan, 2010 Policy of the State Statistical Committee on Dissemination of Official Statistics For more information see 33

34 ANNEX 3: Structure of the SSC 34