Asean community Statistical System (acss) Committee, Third Session

ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) Committee, Third Session

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, 10-12 September 2012

Agenda item 6

1. 
   Community Mission-Based Dissemination Model
   

The Working Group on Data Sharing Analysis, Dissemination and Communication (WGDSA) is assigned with the major task of developing policies on data sharing, confidentiality and dissemination to facilitate wider access and use of ASEAN statistics. The ACSS Committee Second Session (Siem Reap, 27-28 September 2012) has agreed on the proposal to organise a pilot project on the Community Mission-based Statistical Dissemination. The pilot project consists of two (2) trainings; the second one involving the media. Four countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Viet Nam, the four countries voluntarily agreed to join the pilot project and endorsed by the ACSS Committee Second Session. The GIZ provided funding support to implement the pilot project

The overall objective of the pilot project is to test a proposed model of dissemination of statistics, and provide AMSs’ statistical authorities in charge of dissemination the capacity to better communicate the ASEAN statistics as well as to develop policies on dissemination. The specific objectives are (1) to raise awareness and promote broader usage ASEAN statistics; to gather inputs in the formulation of policies on data sharing, confidentiality, and dissemination; and (2) to instigate initial discussions on an ACSS Communication Plan

The expected deliverables of this pilot project are, as follows:

• 
  three sets of snapshot publication and press release; each set consists of 4 press releases and snapshot publications prepared by the four pilot countries, and one prepared by the ASEAN Secretariat;
  
• 
  trainings;
  
• 
  draft policies and guidelines on data sharing, confidentiality, and dissemination;
  
• 
  an ASEAN Community mission-based statistical dissemination and communication model;
  
• 
  initial steps in the development of an ACSS Communication Plan
  

The first activity under the pilot project was a three-day training session on 20-22 May 2013 in BPS-Statistics, Jakarta, Indonesia. Three participants from each pilot country and the ASEANstats attended the training. The 1^st Training aimed to improve participants’ knowledge and skills in communication. Content of the first snapshot publication and press release was discussed and agreed in this training. ASEANstats and the four pilot countries were assigned to choose the most interesting topics from the 2012 2012 ASEAN Community Progress Monitoring System (ACPMS) report and further prepared draft press release and snapshot publication to be finalised in the 2^nd Training.

The 2^nd Training was held on 29-31 July 2013 in Putrajaya, Malaysia hosted by Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The first day of the training was attended by five (5) media specialists from Indonesia (2 persons), Malaysia, Philippines, and Viet Nam, one person each. The second and third days of the training was attended by media specialists and participants of the first training, to ensure continuity of the training.

In preparation of the first press release and snapshot publication, web meetings were conducted involving the experts, ASEANstats, and each pilot country, using the SABA web-meeting. All countries, except Viet Nam (used Skype), were able to use SABA to carry out the consultation with the experts and discuss draft of the first press release and snapshot publication.

The trainings and SABA web meeting were conducted with two experts, Mr. Daniel Byk (hired by GIZ) and Mr. Richard Burgess (ABS media expert) serving as the resource persons and facilitators, while the press releases and the snapshot publications were drafted by the four pilot countries and ASEAN Secretariat.

The schedule of the press releases and snapshot publications is as follows:

1. 
   Topic of the 1^st press release is based on the ACPMS Full Report 2012 and to be issued on 17 September 2013 at 12.00 PM Kuala Lumpur and Manila time or 11.00 AM Jakarta and Hanoi time;
   
2. 
   Topic of the 2^nd press release is about the quarterly GDP, to be issued on 14 October 2013. ASEANstats is expected to provide aggregate ASEAN figures by 10 September 2013; and
   
3. 
   Topic of the 3^rd press release is about Consumer Price Index (CPI), to be issued on 15 November 2013. ASEANstats is expected to provide aggregate ASEAN figures by 23 October 2013.
   

In line with the pilot project activities, Meetings of the WGDSA were held to discussed and developed draft policies and guidelines on data sharing, confidentiality, and dissemination as well as ACSS Communication Plan with inputs from AMS and the experts.

The 4^th Meeting of the WGDSA was held back to back with the 4^th Meeting of SCPC on 4-6 June 2013 in Manila, Philippines. Development of draft Policies and Guidelines on Data Sharing, Confidentiality and Dissemination of Statistics as well as draft ASEAN Statistics Communication Plan were discussed in the joint session of WGDSA and SCPC Meeting on 5 June 2013.

The 5^th Meeting of the WGDSA was held back to back with the 2^nd Training on 1-2 August 2013 in Putrajaya, Malaysia. First draft of Operational Guide on Data Sharing, Confidentiality, and Dissemination was presented by ASEANstats in this meeting. The first draft Communication Strategy, which is an elaboration of one section under the First Draft Outline of ACSS Communication Plan discussed at the 4^th WGDSA, was presented and discussed in this meeting for further review by AMSs. The 6^th Meeting of WGDSA is planned to be held in the second week of November 2013.

The WGDSA Meetings noted the successful outcomes and the usefulness of the training in improving writing and oral communication skills in the preparation of statistical press release, and further appreciated the experience in working closely with media specialists. Follow-up activities to help sustain the skills and capacity gained through the pilot project, wider implementation of the community mission-based dissemination model, and a long-term and closer collaboration between media specialists and NSOs as well as ASEANstats were suggested. Furthermore, the pilot project team and WGDSA also expressed their expectation that the pilot countries share the knowledge gained to other AMSs as part of the ASEAN-help-ASEAN framework.


II. Production and Publication of ASEAN Brief and ASEAN Community Progress Monitoring System

Background

ASEAN Community Progress Monitoring System (ACPMS) 2012 is the second report, following the ACPMS 2007 published in 2009. The report present key indicators to track progress of ASEAN towards achieving the broad goals of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). As in the ACPMS 2007, the publication of ACPMS 2012 comes in two version: (1) ASEAN Brief, and (2) ACPMS Full Report. The ASEAN Brief is preview of the ACPMS full report and is meant for the consumption of high-level officials and policy makers. ACPMS full report provide more indicators to better reflect the progress towards realizing the main characteristics of the ASEAN Community as defined in the AEC and ASCC Blueprints.

Through the project Enhancing ASEAN Community Progress Monitoring System (ACPMS), a one-and-half year project commencing in May 2012, ACPMS consultant from Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic Research, Dr. Alfons Palangkaraya with full support from ASEANstats and the Working Group on Data Sharing, Analysis, Dissemination and Communication of Statistics (WGDSA) work on updating and enhancing the 2007 ACPMS framework.

An extensive process including desk review of regional integration literature, data review and consultations with data producers and users has been performed by the consultant during the process of drafting ACPMS Report 2012. From this process, important insights have been gained in terms of which indicators should be retained and what types of additional outcome indicators of integration should be included in the enhanced ACPMS framework 2012.

As agreed at the 1^st WGDSA meeting that for the AEC pillar there is a need to enhance the ACPMS framework’s potential for monitoring economic convergence outcomes arising from policy implementations under the areas of macroeconomic and financial co-operation, logistics services, equity, and ASEAN Connectivity. In addition, further indicators are needed to reflect the economic competitiveness of the region. For the ASCC, the framework needs to be improved in terms of its ability to show progress towards convergence under the socio-cultural pillars.

Altogether, there are 18 indicators in the ASEAN Brief 2012: 11 indicators for ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and 7 indicators for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), while in the ACPMS 2012 the indicators covers 57 indicators: 29 AEC indicators and 28 ASCC indicators. The ASEAN Brief 2007 consists of 14 indicators, while the ACPMS 2007 consists of 46 indicators.
Users’ Inputs and Involvement
Users and various stakeholders were involved since the definition of the framework, selection of the indicators, and in reviewing and discussing the draft report. Two users-producers workshops were organized during the course of the project: one at the commencement stage and the second one when discussing the ACPMS drat report. Consultations were also conducted via email communications. Concerned desk officers of the ASEAN Secretariat from both the AEC and ASCC departments were also consulted and a few of them attended the users-producers workshops. Consultations with the WGDSA/ACPMS focal points was done very intensively.

However, greater efforts and initiatives are needed to ensure greater involvement of the users, at both national and regional levels. The users-producers workshop held in Bali in July 2013 identified the insufficient users’ inputs as one potential risk that may prevent the ACPMS from being widely acknowledged by higher ASEAN bodies. The WGDSA suggested to work towards getting acknowledgement of the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) through the Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM). Acknowledging that the framework of the ACPMS goes beyond the areas under AEM purview, it was also suggested to get support from the ASEAN Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting (AFDM) and the relevant bodies under the ASCC pillar, through closer collaboration with the respective ASEAN Secretariat divisions. The need to better align with the existing monitoring initiatives at the ASEAN Secretariat was also highlighted, including with the AEC Scorecard initiatives and the ASCC Scorecard initiative. More efforts and greater ASEAN Secretariat management supports are needed to ensure such acknowledgement and better alignment, especially because the ACPMS is a bottom-up initiative rather than a top-down initiative.

Ideally to construct the ACPMS indicators, the main source of the data to be used is data from the AMSs, including those that have been available at ASEAN Secretariat through regular submission and those that are submitted specifically for the purpose of the ACPMS updating. In this case, the data are collected by each AMS’ national statistical offices (NSO) either directly or indirectly via other data sources such as the stakeholders. This principle is used in order to obtain the most accurate and up-to-date official data and to have the report as an officially endorsed statistical report under the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS).

Some data such as international merchandise trade statistics (IMTS), foreign direct investment statistics (FDIS), statistics on international trade in services (SITS), tourist arrivals, MDG indicators, amongst others, have been available at the ASEAN Secretariat through regular data submission. To minimise the amount of duplication in data collection efforts, data may also be sourced directly from ASEC even if the data can be obtained directly from the NSOs. This way, the issues of harmonisation in data definitions can also be minimised. In such cases, the AMSs were requested to verify and provide update, if any.

However, for some indicators, the only available data may come from international organisations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). These includes among others, data on the average-per-container cost importing and exporting in ASEAN; Technological capacity and capability including number of published scientific and technical articles, and numbers of patent and trademark applications, the PPP$1.25 poverty rate, human development index, among others.

Updating indicators based on directly submitted data from the AMS may require significant extra time, especially when the underlying data are not collected regularly by each NSO or collected by other data producing agencies. Also, when there is a significant variation across country in terms of their definition and collection, additional time is required to process and harmonise the data at the ASEAN level. The extra time also needed on data consolidation by WGDSA focal points as the data required for ACPMS not only sourced from NSO but from other national data producers.

Finalization of the draft ACPMS Full Report

The ASEAN Brief 2012 has been released in March 2013. The ACPMS Full Report 2012 is expected to be released by second quarter. However, because of data availability, technical and analytical issues the Full Report will be only be available by mid of September 2013 in PDF format. The printed publication version is expected to be available two weeks after.

As agreed at the WGDSA, four pilot countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Viet Nam) along with the ASEAN Secretariat will issue a press release featuring five different indicators of the ACPMS report, to be issued simultaneously, as soon as the ACPMS 2012 Full Report is released. The agreed date of the press release is 17 September 2013.

3. 
   Proposed Follow-Up Activities
   

1. 
   Enhancement of ACPMS-Phase II: Strengthening mechanism and data collection, and seeking higher-level bodies endorsement
   

A number of issues that may hamper sustainability of the ACPMS updating have been addressed, including the lack of skills and capability of the ASEANstats to undertake the data processing, analysis, and report. The ACPMS Users-Producers Workshop in July 2013, identified the low enforcement in data collection at the national level, the lose organisation/mechanism of ACPMS data updating, and methodological issues and processing of data related to some indicators.

Consultations with users and key stakeholders have always been emphasized since the start of the ACPMS. However, greater efforts and initiatives are needed to ensure greater involvement of the users, at both national and regional levels. The WGDSA suggested to work towards getting acknowledgement of the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) through the Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) and to get support from the ASEAN Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting (AFDM) and the relevant bodies under the ASCC pillar, as well as to better align with the existing monitoring initiatives at the ASEAN Secretariat. More efforts and greater ASEAN Secretariat management supports are needed to ensure such acknowledgement and better alignment, especially because the ACPMS is a bottom-up initiative rather than a top-down initiative.

Sustainability is at risk if there is no effective mechanism at the national level that can support regular and timely updating of the ACPMS and if major methodological issues are left unresolved. Insufficient users’ support and acknowledgement by higher bodies is also perceived as factors that may risk sustainability.

Concept Note on Strengthening ACPMS Data Collection Mechanism and Methodology has been prepared by the ASEANstats for consideration by the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Programme II (AADCPII).

The concept note proposed a project to address the issues of low enforcement at the national level, lose organisation/mechanism, and methodological issues, through the strengthening and institutionalising of ACPMS data collection mechanism and strengthening the methodology for compiling ACPMS indicators. At the same time, it also aims at seeking greater users’ inputs and acknowledgement by the higher bodies.

The project is expected to commence in first quarter of 2014 and to conclude in December 2014, in time for the 2014 ACPMS updating. Two regional workshops and 3 national workshops are needed. Two local experts will be required and one international expert is needed as a resource person. One local staff is needed to provide administrative and technical support during the course of the project.

The overall objectives of this proposed initiative are two-folds: (1) to establish a strong ACPMS team and institutionalize the ACPMS data collection and coordination mechanism at the national level, and (2) to address methodological issues and improve the collection of the ACPMS key indicators. The specific objectives are as follows:

1. 
   To set up and operationalise a strong team/organisation and coordination mechanism; eg. with the team and mechanism for data sharing at the national level endorsed/recognised by the Head/management of NSO, and with clear designation of persons and institutions involved, clear responsibilities, reporting system, and means of coordination (meetings, MoU, etc);
   
2. 
   To design an overall ACPMS data collection plan;
   
3. 
   To familiarize the concerned national institutions with the ACPMS framework, indicators and requirements;
   
4. 
   To address methodological issues related to the following key indicators: (1) PIS value added data, (2) PIS employment data, and (3) the related price indices/deflators, (4) wages of professional worker, (5) real interest rates, (6) government bond yields, (7) youth-employment-to-population ratio, (8) R&D, (9) S&T, and (10) ASEAN identity.
   
5. 
   To update the ACPMS database to cover the 2013 data;
   
6. 
   To gain support and acknowledgement by the higher bodies.
   

The followings are the expected deliverables:

1. 
   A strong ACPMS team in each AMSs with coordination mechanisms in place (initiated by the Head of the National Statistical System);
   
2. 
   An Overall data collection plan over the next 3 years;
   
3. 
   Documentation of the ACPMS data sharing mechanism and activity;
   
4. 
   The sharing of best practices/methodology is in place, for compiling PIS-related indicators (value added, employments and price indices/deflators), wages of professional worker, real interest rates, government bond yields, youth-employment-to-population ratio, R&D, S&T, and ASEAN identity;
   
5. 
   Updated ACPMS 2014 report;
   
6. 
   Acknowledgement by the higher bodies.
   

• 
  Noted that the definition of indicators remains a problem in collecting and analyzing the data, and in general remains committed to support the efforts to sustain the ACPMS report and is interested in objectives outlined in the concept note;
  
• 
  To make sure that AADCP II will not be overlap with other Project (EU and GIZ), and hope to also benefit from the improvement in national coordination addressed through other projects.
  
• 
  Noted that national consultants who are needed are more in the technical part (e.g national account), while the international consultants is more or less the same capability as the first project, that is, in expanding the framework, developing the indicators, and preparing the report.
  
• 
  Noted the strengthened capacity at the ASEANstats in producing the indicators and noted that training components will not be needed.
  
• 
  ASEANstats is to report these developments to the ACSS Committee Third Session and seek their support and guidance in developing the full project proposal.  
  
• 
  ASEANstats with greater involvement of the AIMO will then prepare the project proposal and seek for endorsement from ACSS Committee on an ad-referendum basis.
  

2. 
   Wider Implementation of the Community Mission-based Dissemination Statistics
   

• 
  Positive response and promising progress of the Pilot Project on Data Dissemination,
  
• 
  Sustainability remains a challenge,
  
• 
  The need to have the following follow-up, as suggested by the Pilot Project Team and WGDSA:
  
  • 
    training of trainers component to allow for continued training and ASEAN-help-ASEAN,
    
  • 
    broader AMSs’ involvement,
    
  • 
    wider application in various statistics publication,
    
  • 
    broader scope of statistics training for the media,
    
  • 
    primary objective of strengthening the implementation of the community mission-based dissemination
    
• 
  Mindful of the importance of:
  
  • 
    The media/journalists as partners in communicating statistics,
    
  • 
    targeting ASEAN Governments/Bodies, through the right means and products/services such as High-Profile Statistical Publication,
    
  • 
    enhancing the skills and capacity to produce statistics press release and snapshot publications, and
    
  • 
    the conduct of special events with clear target.
    

Concept Note on “Wider Implementation of the Community Mission-Based Dissemination Using the ASEAN Community in Figures (ACIF) Special Edition as the Main Platform” has been prepared by the ASEANstats for consideration by the 5^th SCPC held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam on 20-22 August 2013. A copy has also been sent to the GIZ for early response.

The Concept Note proposes a project to implement the Community Mission-based Dissemination Statistics Model in all AMSs to sustain the skills and capacity gained through the pilot project, through the production and dissemination of an ASEAN Community in Figures (ACIF) Special Edition, hence using the ACIF Special Edition as the platform.

Overall Objectives:

Promote ASEAN statistics through improved and sustained implementation of the community mission-based dissemination of statistics

• 
  Specific Objectives:
  
  • 
    Promote ASEAN statistics through the publication of an ASEAN Community In Figures (ACIF) Special Edition, a high-profile statistics report,
    
  • 
    Strengthen the skills of the AMSs and ASEC in producing press releases and snapshot publications,
    
  • 
    Establish a pool of ASEAN Trainers capable of training and mentoring statisticians in the production of statistics press releases and snapshot publications,
    
  • 
    Broaden the country coverage to all AMSs,
    
  • 
    Enhance collaboration with the media
    

• 
  Simple statistics report (economic and social), of 67 pages, A5 size:
  
• 
  No underlying theoretical/analytical framework (economic and social),
  
• 
  Only based on common themes,
  
• 
  Highlighting progress and state of the condition of ASEAN Community in various aspects,
  
• 
  Fancy graphs, short write-up and maps (as applicable)
  
• 
  Based on statistics are regularly collected/disseminated,
  
• 
  Mindful of strategic target users, date, and events: to release the ACIF Special Edition at the occasion of the ASEAN Day, 8 August 2014, to ensure wider media coverage.
  

• 
  In principle agree on supporting the proposal,
  
• 
  Clarification about the extent of AMSs’ involvement and which countries can join the TOT,
  
• 
  The project could be implemented in Q1 2014,
  
• 
  Singapore and Brunei’s participation in the training should be at their own cost - as regards travel costs,
  
• 
  Possible issues due to data collection problems,
  
• 
  Involvement of CLM: whether or not it is too early,
  
• 
  Involvement of the Media and broader scope of statistics training for the Media,
  
• 
  Involvement of Public Outreach Service Division of the ASEC,
  
• 
  GIZ would not be able to cover the production costs of the ACIF-SE,
  

• 
  note the outcomes and activities under the Community Mission-based Pilot Dissemination Project;
  
• 
  note the outcomes and progress in the production of the ACPMS 2012 Report;
  
• 
  confirm the date of the release of the first series of press releases on ACPMS;
  
• 
  agree to mention in the Joint Media Statement the forthcoming release of the ACPMS 2012;
  
• 
  support the development of project proposal to follow strengthen ACPMS mechanism and data collection; and
  
• 
  support the development of project proposal to implement the Community Mission-based Dissemination of Statistics Model in all AMSs.