Twinning Light Project Fiche, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Project Title / EU Support to BiH Statistical Sector – Phase IVTwinning Light Number / BA08-IB-ST-01-TL
Funding Programme / IPA 2008
Beneficiaries / Primary: BiH Agency of Statistics (hereafter referred to as BHAS)
Secondary: FBiH Institute for Statistics (hereafter referred to as FIS), the Statistical Institute of the RS (hereafter referred to as RSIS)
Maximum Budget / € 250,000
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. BACKGROUND
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a potential candidate country for EU accession following the Thessaloniki European Council of June 2003. On 16 June 2008 the EU and BiH signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) which will enter into force once its ratification process has been completed.
The SAA requires that BiH develops a statistical system, capable of providing timely, reliable objective and accurate data needed to plan and monitor transition and reform.
According to the European Partnership the EU and BiH signed on 8 February 2008 among the main priorities concerning statistics is the further development of State level capacities in statistics, development of reliable economic statistics and build up institutional capacity to produce and publish basic statistical data harmonised with European standards and the production of regular and sound macroeconomic indicators.
As regards statistical infrastructure, cooperation between the State Agency for Statistics (BHAS) and the Entities Statistical Offices, FIS and RSIS, has improved considerably. However additional efforts are needed to fully comply with the agreement between the Entities in the statistical system and the BHAS on harmonized methodologies and standards in producing the statistical data of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially with respect to the data exchange.
The EU Bosnia and Herzegovina 2008 Progress Report of 5 November 2008 recognised a certain degree of progress in the area of statistics. In particular, BHAS has developed a new organisation chart which provides for a significant increase in staff and coverage of more sectors. Similar organisation charts have been developed for the Entity statistical institutes.
A common IT Strategy for BHAS, FIS and RSIS has been adopted. IT training priorities on short, medium and long-term have been defined accordingly.
A protocol between BHAS and the Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) regarding exchange of external trade data has been signed. BHAS has however started to publish monthly data on external trade, based on however partial data currently provided by the Indirect Taxation Authority.
In the area of demographic and social statistics, initial steps have been taken to prepare a population and housing census. The political decision confirming that the census will be conducted in 2011 has been taken on 14 November 2008. A Household Budget Survey (HBS) was also conducted in 2004 and 2007 on a sample of 7.600 households. The 2007 Labour Force Survey (LFS) was independently conducted for the first time by BHAS in cooperation with the two Entity statistical institutes. The preliminary data for the 2008 Labour Force Survey have been published on the BHAS website.
The publication of quarterly and semi-annual data on salaries, employment and unemployment began in August 2008. BHAS has initiated regular monthly publication of tourism statistics. The methodology still needs to be brought fully into line with EU recommendations. However, almost no transport and energy statistics are available at State level.
Progress has been made in the area of macro-economic statistics. A Master Plan for the development of national accounts has been prepared, although not yet fully approved by the RSIS.
For the first time, GDP figures from the expenditure side in current and constant prices for 2006 were published. Yet, quarterly national accounts statistics do not yet exist.
Substantial progress has been made to improve the quality of business statistics, primarily concerning industrial statistics, statistics on the construction industry and structural business statistics. A new structural survey on enterprises has been conducted. The conditions needed to start the official calculation and release of a Production Price Index at the State level are in place.
As regards agricultural statistics, several pilot surveys on agricultural prices have been conducted for the production of an Agricultural Price Index (API) and of the Economic Accounts for Agriculture (EEA).
Bosnia and Herzegovina's preparations in the field of statistics are advancing, but needs to be further improved.. Therefore, Capacity-building throughout the statistical sector in BiH is paramount and remains a priority.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Beneficiaries
Main counterpart, including contact person and contact details:
Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHAS)
Zelenih Beretki 26,
71000 Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: +387 (33) 220 626
Fax: +387 (33) 220 622
E-mail:
Contact person: Mr. Zdenko Milinovic, Director
Other counterparts, including contact persons and contact details:
FBiH Institute for Statistics (FIS)Zelenih Beretki 26,
71000 Sarajevo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: +387 (33) 206 452
Fax: +387 (33) 657 704
E-mail:
Contact person: Dervis Djurdjevic, Director / Institute of Statistics of RS (RSIS)
Veljka Mladjenovica bb,
51000 Banja Luka,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: +387 (51) 450 275
Fax: +387 (51) 450 279
E-mail:
Contact person: Radmila Cickovic, Director
Global and specific objectives
The global objective of the project is to provide further assistance for the production of timely, reliable and harmonised statistical data for the country as a whole. The aim is to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of reaching full compliance with the requirements of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement in particular in the fields of Structural Business Statistics, Industrial Production Index, Producers Price Index, IT Training, and Institutional Strengthening.
The specific objectives are:
A. To enhance the compliance in terms of harmonisation of the production of Producers Price Index and Industrial Production Index in particular through assistance in:
o the changeover to NACE Rev. 2; (PPI and IPI)
o the non-domestic component of the producer price index; (PPI)
o back casting topics; (PPI and IPI)
o an updated version of the software release produced (PPI and IPI)
B. To launch and manage a Structural Business Statistics survey for year 2009 in particular through:
o The enlargement of the field under observation, in comparison to the survey carried out in 2008 which concerned the industrial economic activities and the service activities regarding sections H (Hotels and restaurants) and I (Transport activities) of the NACE Rev.1.1 with the addition of new service activities;
o The improvement of analysis and statistical treatment of measurement errors and other issues concerning data-editing procedures
o To train relevant staff on methodological issues.
o To train relevant staff on sampling and estimation techniques.
o To Plan a unique database of SBS data at the whole State level.
- To provide training on specific IT topics related to the statistical production process to be also applied in preparation of the Population and Housing Census.
- To report on the present status of implementation of the UN fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the EU Code of Practice in the BiH Statistical system.
Requested services
A Producers Price Index (PPI) and Industrial Production Index (IPI)
A1 Technical assistance in the changeover to NACE Rev. 2; (PPI and IPI)
A2 Definition of the questionnaire for the setting up of a pilot survey on PPI non-domestic market,
A3 Technical support for the implementation of the pilot survey on the non-domestic component of the producer price index
A4 Presetting of specific software for managing the PPI surveys in an output price integrated system
A5 Provision of assistance in back casting time series indices; (PPI and IPI)
A6 Assistance in updating the software release produced; (PPI and IPI)
A7 Presentation of the provisional results on the non-domestic component of the producer price index.
B Structural Business Statistics (SBS)
B1 Development of a new sampling design;
B2 Analysis and statistical treatment of measurement errors. Identification and statistical treatment of outlier observations. Treatment of businesses’ demography and partial non responses;
B3 Training on sampling and estimation, and in the use of specific software able to produce estimates through the calibration strategy (software “R”);
B4 Training on methodological theoretical guidelines, and good practices that have evolved in the design and implementation of surveys;
B5 Planning of a unique database of SBS data at the whole State level.
C IT training
Ø Data Capturing definition:
C1 Web Data Capturing: introduction, technologies and tools LimeSurvey) ;
C2 BLAISE package for CAPI/CATI surveys;
Ø IT Architecture definition:
C3 Web applications: languages, architecture and tools;
Ø Database definition:
C4 Relational Data Base: conceptual and logical design;
Ø Programming Language choice:
C5 Advanced course on R programming;
Ø Data Dissemination: paper and Web:
C6 Web 2.0 in statistical production: blog, wiki, folksonomy, dissemination;
C7 Content Management Systems for web sites;
C8 Statistical dissemination systems.
Ø Visual Studio 2005, VB.NET:
C9 Basics of Object Oriented Programming in VB.NET ;
Windows forms; Web forms; Web servers; Installation .NET
Framework; Structures and Basics of .NET Framework;
Data Import and Export, Reporting;
Ø SQL Server 2005 package:
C10 (Security and SQL Server 2005; Stored Procedures; Triggers;
Back up copies; Data restoration; Requests - and data performance;
Data transfer, Replications
Ø Geographic Information System:
C11 MapInfo
D Institutional Strengthening
D1 Assess the current status of implementation of the UN fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the EU Code of Practice in the BiH Statistical system;
D2 Preparation of a technical report and proposal for harmonization.
Expected results
The expected results are the following:
A. Producers Price Index and Industrial Production Index
- Pilot survey on PPI non-domestic market set-up and implemented;
- Provision to the BHAS, FIS and RSIS of the methodologies and software for managing the PPI surveys in an output price integrated system;
- Provision to the BHAS, FIS and RSIS of a macro-technique for back casting time series indices; (PPI and IPI)
- Provision of ad hoc software.
B. Structural Business Statistics (SBS)
- New sampling design including also enterprises operating in the service sector;
- Provision of training on data editing and set up of ad hoc software;
- Provision of training on estimation techniques;
- Provision of training on methodological guidelines
- First rationalisation of the database existing in each BiH Statistical Institution with the aim of planning of a unique database of SBS data at the whole State level.
C. IT training
- Provision of training to relevant IT staff related to the statistical production process and the preparation of the Population and Housing Census activities.
D. Institutional Strengthening
- Report on the current status of implementation of the UN fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the EU Code of Practice in the BiH Statistical system and advice on pending issues to ensure full compliance.
Study visits to the MS Partner may be activated upon need.
3. EXPERTS PROFILE
The project will be carried out through a IPA Twinning light arrangement, and as such the experts should meet the formal conditions set out in the Common Twinning Manual (revision 2007).
1 Project Leader
Short Term Experts in the field of:
§ Structural Business Statistics
§ Industrial Production Index Producers Price Index
§ Institutional Strengthening
§ IT training
Profiles of Key experts:
The profile of the Project Leader should be as follows:
· A university degree in statistics, economics or another relevant discipline;
· A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience in official statistics;
· A minimum of three years professional experience of project and/or team management;
· Knowledge of the EU internal market Acquis on statistics, and demonstrable experience of providing technical assistance and training to Governments in transitional economies;
· Demonstrated analytical skills;
· Well developed interpersonal skills as well as skills in mediation, and experience of working with the various levels of Governments;
· Fluency in both written and spoken English. Knowledge of one of the local languages would be an extra.
The profile of the Short-Term Experts should be as follows:
The pool of short-term experts will cover a wide range of complementary experience, but they are expected to share the following characteristics:
· A university degree in statistics, economics, finance or another relevant discipline;
· A minimum of five years professional experience;
· A minimum of three years experience in official statistics, in areas that are relevant for the Programme component to be covered;
· Preferably, experience in providing technical assistance to governments agencies in transition economies. In any case, knowledge of alternative international statistical practices in the area to be covered.
· Demonstrated analytical skills and drafting skills;
· Well developed interpersonal skills;
· Fluency in both written and spoken English.
Additionally, a relevant IT background is needed for the experts responsible for the IT trainings and IT aspects of the IPI, PPI and SBS.
Activities related to the translation of relevant project documents and working manuals, interpretation during training activities, facilitation of common meetings of local experts and the fostering of coordination actions among the Directors of the three Statistical Institutes are particularly required for the successful implementation of the project and for the delivery of results.
Expertise should be made available to serve these relevant requirements of the project.
The working language of the project will be English.
4. LOCATION AND DURATION
The project will have 6 months duration. It is expected to commence in second quarter of 2009.
The project will be carried out in Sarajevo and in other locations in BiH as appropriate. In addition it is expected to undertake some support via study visits and traineeship.
The beneficiaries will provide working space, office equipment, internet connection and telephone line (both for the experts and for the local assistant) in its offices in Sarajevo and in Banja Luka, but the telephone bills will be paid by the MS Partner.
The indicative number of work days is distributed as follows:
A. Producers Price Index (PPI) and Industrial Production Index / 60 working daysB. Structural Business Statistics (SBS) / 55 working days
C. IT training / 70 working days
D. Institutional Strengthening / 15 working days
Sum / 200 working days
5. REPORTING
The project progress will be supervised by a Steering Committee. Members from other BiH institutions which are involved in implementation and a representative of the EC Delegation will be invited to the SC meetings. It is expected that the Steering Committee will meet at least 3 times during the project.