National Strategy for the Development of Official Statistics of Georgia 2020-2023

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA Prepared and published by the National Statistics Office of Georgia with the assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Sweden. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of UNDP and the Government of Sweden. 2 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 FOREWORD The production of high quality statistics based on users’ needs, creation of modern sys- tems for data collection and dissemination and capacity building are the priority areas, on which the activities of GEOSTAT and the entire National Statistical System of Georgia (NSS) will be based over the next four years. During the strategy period, we plan to estab- lish new standards and methodologies, conduct new surveys and produce additional detailed fig- ures, this will be important for expanding the area of statistics and for calculating baseline indicators for the purposes of UN sustainable development The National Strategy for the Development goals. We also plan to conduct Population and of Official Statistics of Georgia 2020-2023 defines Agricultural Censuses, which will become an im- the main directions of official statistics production portant basis for the introduction of the admin- in Georgia and provides general rules of conduct istrative registers system in the direction of their for the statistics-producing agencies. This strategy further development. emphasizes the importance of official statistics for Our plan also is to improve data quality in the development of a democratic society and calls the context of making greater use of administra- relevant agencies to assure reliability, objectivity tive data for statistical purposes, and invest more and impartiality in the production of official sta- in information technology development. The tistics. above is of great importance both in terms of ef- There is a growing need for high quality sta- ficient use of resources and reduction of respon- tistics in our era, taking into account that reliable dent burden. data represents the basis for evidence-based and In addition, past experience has shown that good decision making. At the same time, it is im- traditional methods of data collection, such as possible to meet all the requirements at once that statistical surveys and administrative data, may may arise from the statistical data users. However, not be sufficient to meet the increased demand GEOSTAT offers the public a set of priorities that for statistics. This is one of the reasons that the will be acceptable to a broad range of users and agenda includes issues of finding alternative data will be in line with their needs. sources and the introduction of modern technol- 3

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA ogies such as Big Data, Scanned data, Web Scrap- and the implementa�on of the interna�onally ing, etc. To implement and develop them a num- acknowledged standards. However, there are s�ll ber of ac�vi�es have been planned during the some drawbacks and difficul�es in the sta�s�cal strategy validity period. system, among which are insufficient resources. Though the produc�on of high quality sta- Among important challenges there s�ll are raising �s�cs is our top priority, our major objec�ve is consumer awareness, confidence in the work of to disseminate data in such forms that simpli- GEOSTAT, and misinterpreta�on of data. fies their use and improves planning and deci- Bearing the above in mind, the present strat- sion-making processes at any level. egy aims at crea�ng a more efficient and transpar - The development of this strategy coincides ent system for the collec�on, processing, analy- with the centenary of the establishment of GEO- sis and dissemina�on of sta�s�cs in the country STAT. On July 25, 1919, the country’s first sta�s� - through ac�ve dialogue and communica�on with cal office was established, which has gone a hard users. That will give users the confidence that sta- but extremely significant way of development. �s�cs produced by GEOSTAT are reliable, objec - Georgia has made a remarkable progress in the �ve, and independent from the stakeholders’ in- development of the country’s sta�s�cal system fluence. Gogita Todradze Execu�ve Director of Geostat 4 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 LIST OF ACRONYMS ACRONYM DEFINITION AA Association Agreement ADAPT Advance Data Planning Tool AGRIS Agricultural Integrated Survey AOG Administration of Government BI Business Intelligence BOP Balance of Payments Sixth Edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments and BPM6 International Investment Position Manual CAPI Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing COICOP Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose CPA 2008 Classification of Products by Activity DC Depository Corporations EFTA European Free Trade Association ESCOP European Statistics Code of Practice ESS European Statistical System EUROSTAT Statistical office of the European Union situated in Luxembourg FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FDI Foreign Direct Investment FRIBS Framework regulation integrating business statistics GA Global Assessment GDP Gross Domestic Product GEOSTAT National Statistics Office of Georgia GFSM Government Finance Statistics Manuals and Guides GLOS Generic Law on Official Statistics GOG Government of Georgia GSBPM Generic Statistical Business Process Model GSS Georgian Statistical System HICP Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices HR Human Resources ILO International Labour Organization IMF International Monetary Fund IMIS International Merchandise Trade Statistics 5

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA ISCO-08 International Standard Classification of Occupations IT Information Technologies LEPL Legal Entity of Public Law LFS Labour Force Survey LOS Law on Official Statistics MEPA Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture MFS Monetary and Financial Statistics MOF Ministry of Finance MRDI Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure MSF Master Sample Frame NACE REV.2 Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community NBG National Bank of Georgia NSDS National Strategy for the Development of Statistics NSO National Statistics Office NUTS Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics OCVA Other Changes in the Volume of Assets ODC Other Depository Corporations ODIN Open Data Inventory PARIS21 Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21th century RPPI Residential Property Price Index SDDS Specific Data Dissemination Standard SDG Sustainable Development Goals SDMX Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange SIMS Single Integrated Metadata Structure SITC Standards International Trade Classification SNA System of National Accounts SPAERS Strategic Plan for Agricultural, Environmental and Rural Statistics UN WOMEN The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UPC Universal Product Code UVI Unit Value Index 6 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 CONTENTS 1. Introduction 9 1.1. Methodology 12 2. Situation analysis 16 2.1. Historical development 17 2.2. Legal framework 18 2.3. Assessment of current trends and rationale for NSDS 20 2.4. SWOT analysis 24 3. Mission 28 4. Vision 29 5. Values 30 6. Strategic goals 31 6.1. Strategic goal 1: Produce high quality official statistics based on user needs 33 Objective 1.1 Production of statistical information to support evidence-based decision making 34 Objective 1.2. Production of official statistics in full compliance with international standards and guidelines 44 Objective 1.3. Improvement of data quality 48 Objective 1.4. Promote the use of statistics 52 7

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 6.2. Strategic goal 2: Building the effective, modern and continuous statistical production processes 56 Objective 2.1. Modernization and standardization of the statistical information production process 57 Objective 2.2. Establishment of a modern and comprehensive data collection system 59 Objective 2.3. Improvement of practices for dissemination and communication processes 64 6.3. Strategic goal 3: Building the statistical infrastructure and capacity development 69 Objective 3.1. Improvement of legislative base in line with international standards 70 Objective 3.2. Establishing sustainable IT and development of data protection systems 72 Objective 3.3 Ensuring adequate staffing and the development of an Effective Human Resource Management System 75 Objective 3.4. Establishing modern and up-to-date system of classification and registers 79 Objective 3.5. Fostering a good image and reputation, increasing credibility and developing trust in official statistics 81 7. Logical framework 84 8. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation 92 8 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION This document presents a common strategy (hereinafter referred to as NSDS) for the development of a national system of official statistics for 2020-2023 as well as an associated action plan for 2020- 2021. The document was prepared in accordance with the national guidelines for Policy Planning, Mon- itoring and Evaluation (hereinafter the national guidelines) as well as National Strategy for the Develop- ment of Statistics (NSDS) guidelines developed by PARIS21 for developing countries, which provides a robust framework for capacity development in statistics. The goal of the document is to define an overall vision for the development of the national statisti- cal system of Georgia (GSS) that includes the country’s national and international needs, addresses the data requirements of a national policy-making system, identifies the areas of priority for effective statis- tical development, rationalizes the conduct of statistical activities and allocation of financial resources, serves as a framework for international cooperation, includes all parts of the data production process and adheres to the latest international standards. The legal basis for the functioning of the GSS is the Law of Georgia on Official Statistics (LoS) dat- ed 11 December, 2009. The Law defines the GSS as “[a] set of official statistics producer entities that collect, process and disseminate official statistics on behalf of Georgia”. At the same time, according to Item “e” of Article 3 of the Law, the official statistics providers are represented by Geostat and the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). Considering the framework defined by the current version of the LoS and centralized nature of statistics production in Georgia, Geostat and NBG, within their respective com- petences, are seen as the key actors for the coordination and implementation of the strategy. All other state agencies that produce sectorial statistics, although they are essential administrative data keepers, will support the process in line with their competences and mandates. Geostat, as the main producer of official statistics in Georgia and the coordinating body of the GSS, is committed to maintaining public trust and confidence in official statistics by producing them in an objective and professionally independent manner. Geostat has expended great efforts and made sub- stantial progress in recent years to develop Georgia’s statistical capacity and to harmonize the country’s statistical methods and standards with international norms. Back in 2010, the first NSDS was produced 9

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA INTRODUCTION covering the period of 2011-2014 to contribute to statistical capacity development process. This was the very first attempt to develop a common vision for the whole GSS. Since 2009, the LoS has been amended several times (the latest amendment was adopted in De- cember 2018) to ensure that the GSS can transition efficiently to producing independent, objective and reliable statistics whilst using internationally-recognized basic principles. However, the legal underpin- ning of the principles in the LoS needs to be further improved and aligned more closely with the relevant guidelines of the Generic Law on Official Statistics (GLOS) that was subsequently adopted by the Confer- ence of European Statisticians in April 2016 and the European Statistics Code of Practice1 (ESCoP). In order to assess the GSS’ compliance with ESCoP, a Global Assessment (GA) of the GSS was un- dertaken by the European Commission (Eurostat), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 2019. The aim of conducting the GA was to provide an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the institutional, organizational and technical capac- ity of the country to produce official statistics that comply with international and European guidelines and recommendations, including the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics (FPs) and ESCoP. These global reviews are used as important inputs in designing and evaluating the effec- tiveness of the NSDS. The recommendations presented in the final report of the GA are reflected in NSDS 2020-2023 to provide the framework for strengthening statistical capacity across the GSS. As it is expressed in the recent Global Assessment, the GSS, and in particular Geostat, generally comply with international and European standards to a significant extent. However, further improvement of the GSS overall is necessary, with additional work needed to achieve full compliance with ESCoP. Moreover, pro- ducers of official statistics are confronted with an increasing demand from the government, the business sector, international organizations and the public at large for timely, reliable and internationally compa- rable statistics for the monitoring of economic, social and environmental policies. In this context the NSDS 2020-2023 of Georgia, which has been developed with support of UNDP Georgia and the Government of Sweden, was designed to provide a strategic vision to the national statistics system under the broader frameworks of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (AA). It aims to ensure adherence to EU statistical methodologies and classifications. The AA’s vision for the GSS is stated in Article 286 of the document when addressing the development of official statistics in Chapter Four: “The Parties shall develop and strengthen their cooperation on statistical issues, thereby contributing to the long-term objective of providing timely, internationally comparable and reliable statistical data. It is expected that a sustainable, efficient and professionally independent national statistical system shall produce information relevant for citizens, businesses and decision-makers in Georgia and in the EU, en- 1 “European Statistics Code of Practice” for National Statistical Authorities and Eurostat, Nov. 2017 10 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 INTRODUCTION abling them to take informed decisions on this basis. The national statistical system should respect the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, taking into account the EU acquis in statistics, including the European Statistics Code of Practice, in order to align the national statistical system with the Europe- an norms and standards.” The NSDS 2020-2023 also creates a framework for the development of a strong and unified Nation- al Statistical System (NSS) for the collection, management, dissemination and utilization of official statis- tics in the country both to support national policy-making and international commitments. In 2015, the Government of Georgia (GoG) began the nationalization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Sustainable Development Goals Council was established with four thematic working groups for the monitoring and efficient coordination of SDG implementation. The monitoring process requires high quality statistics as a decisive means to implement the SDGs and monitor the progress that Georgia is making in achieving its targets. The country needs baseline data to prepare the translation of the SDGs into national development strategies, and indicators are required to monitor and evaluate progress on a regular basis. The Agenda 2030, therefore, insists on the need for “high quality, time- ly, and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location”. Developing a strong and well-coordinated NSS will ensure the availability of high-quality data for monitoring the progress of SDG implementation as part of Georgia’s Agenda 2030 commitments. NSDS 2020-2023 of Georgia has been prepared as a national policy document, formulated with the wide participation of key stakeholders and involvement of experienced international consultants. 11

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA INTRODUCTION 1.1. METHODOLOGY The UNDP Georgia office, under its Governance Reform Fund project, has formed a project team which was composed of external consultants (Chief Adviser, International Expert, Local Expert and Fi- nancial Expert) to support Geostat in the NSDS preparation process. Geostat initiated the NSDS devel- opment and assumed the leading role in the coordination of all necessary activities within the develop- ment process. The strategy development phases are presented below (see figure 1): Establishemnt of High Establishment of Stakeholder Situation Analysis Level Interagency Interagency Working consultations using SWOT Council Groups Drafting NSDS 2020-2023 Identifying the mission, Drafting Action Plan Development of Logical based on Logical vision and strategic

2020-2021 Framework Framework priorities for 2020-2023 Drafted NSDS, action plan Approval of strategy, action Drafting M&E plan and M&E plan preseted plan and M&E plan to Interagency Council Figure 1: NSDS development process 12 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 INTRODUCTION The strategy preparation followed an inclusive approach involving all elements of the Georgian sta- tistical system (GSS), which envisaged the harmonizing and coordinating of all GSS activities and objec- tives and the development of a common programming tool. The first step in the NSDS design process involved stakeholder consultations to prepare a situation analysis of the NSS in Georgia. Geostat, supported by UNDP, organized a series of meetings with differ- ent stakeholders. A total of 32 interviews and meetings were conducted, including meetings with: all Geostat departments (including the top management) and all government entities that represent either the official statistics providers or the key administrative data keepers and data users2. In addition, two focus group meetings were conducted with international organizations and data users (researchers, aca- demia, business associations, etc.) to capture the key challenges of the GSS from the perspective of the main statistics users beyond the public sector. The results of stakeholder consultations were summarized and analyzed using the SWOT frame- work. The situation analysis was also based on the results of the GA. The GA was undertaken by a team of experts from UNECE, EFTA and Eurostat using a standard methodology agreed for ENP countries. The assessment objective was to review strengths and weaknesses of the GSS and propose recommenda- tions. Global Assessment Technical Self-assessment Cooperation Recommendations Annual 5-7 years Work Programme NSDS Master Plan Figure 2. GA processes (UNECE) 2 The follwing state agencies were consulted with: National Center for Desease Control and Public Health; Ministry of Internal Affairs; National Bank of Geor- gia; Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development; National Toursim Administration; Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure; Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture; State Services Development Agency; Ministry of IDP from Occupied Territories, Health, Labour and Social Affaiers; Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport; Sectoral Commitee of Georigian Parliament. 13

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA INTRODUCTION As shown in Figure 2, GA recommendations are integrated into the NSDS 2020-2023. The previous NSDS, covering the period 2011-2014, did not take into account the previous GA carried out in Georgia (2012) as the exercises were not chronologically aligned. Active engagement and contribution from all entities (line ministries, government agencies) con- cerned with data production within the GSS have been critical throughout the NSDS design process. The process of elaborating the NSDS is participative, inclusive and widely integrates issues, challenges and needs from all participating producers and users of official statistics. The GoG has expressed its support for this participatory process by establishing a High-Level Interagency Council to coordinate the pro- cess of NSDS development. Those serving on the Council include representatives of line ministries (at the level of First Deputy Ministers), NBG (represented by its Vice President), and the Administration of the Government of Georgia (AoG). The Council was chaired by the Executive Director of Geostat. At the technical level, Interagency Working Groups were created under the High-Level Interagency Council to build a platform for user-producer consultations and to review in detail sectorial statistical development issues, capacity development and the overall coordination of the GSS. Working Group Members were made up of Heads of Departments/Heads of Divisions of Geostat (as Facilitators/Group Leaders) and middle level managers representing statistics/analytical units of Ministries/NBG/AoG within the GSS. The Department of Strategic Planning, Coordination and Communication of Geostat undertook the role of Secretariat. Three working groups with the following remits were established: Working Group 1 on Statistical Production Processes and Data Quality Working Group 2 on Coordination, Communication and Dissemination Working Group 3 on Capacity Development The situation analysis allowed for the prioritization of key challenges facing the GSS and served as a basis for Logical Framework Development. Logical Framework (see Chapter 7) represents a hierarchy of strategic goals (priorities) and objectives, identifying their indicators and the targets to be achieved. Mission, Vision and Strategic Priorities were identified and agreed with the Interagency Council. The Logical Framework was used as a skeleton for the NSDS and was followed by the identification of stra- tegic directions, which were further disaggregated into a set of activities to achieve the NSDS targets. 14 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 INTRODUCTION The NSDS drafting was accompanied by the drafting of an action plan. In order to ensure the inte- gration of NSS needs, and to address the most pressing challenges, the action plan was developed with the active involvement of the Interagency Working Groups. The Working Group members participated in two workshops, providing recommendations and inputs for the preparation of the NSDS, reporting to the project team and discussing and giving feedback on the Strategy, Action Plan and M&E Plan. The action plan has been prepared with the national guidelines stipulating the activities, defining the activity output indicators and indicating the responsible entities, date of implementation and bud- get. The M&E Plan has been prepared to enable monitoring of NSDS implementation performance and establish baselines, milestones and targets for each indicator. The Draft Strategy, Action Plan and M&E Plan were presented to and discussed with the Interagen- cy Council. Once all feedback and comments were collected and integrated, the final version was sent for approval. 15

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA SITUATION ANALYSIS 2. SITUATION ANALYSIS The situation analysis was performed using the Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis method. The SWOT analysis, through which the conditions affecting GSS were systematically analysed, was performed based on information received from the 32 interviews and meet- ings with Geostat top management and departments, other government entities. Two focus groups with users and partner organizations as well as consultations with GA team were also conducted to ensure that the statistics producers, administrative data keepers and key users were also represented. Apart from the meetings, the situation analysis was performed using information from the official GA report and Gender Assessment of the National Statistical System in Georgia developed with the support of UN WOMEN. Primary recommendations from both reports were incorporated in the strategy and associated action plan. The situation analysis chapter also covers background information on the GSS, some major recent reforms, the current trends and rationale behind the NSDS development. 16 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 SITUATION ANALYSIS 2.1. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT In July 2019, Geostat celebrated its 100th anniversary, emphasizing the existence of a long history of official statistics production in Georgia. On July 25 1919, the Central Statistical Committee was set up. The Committee was tasked with managing all of Georgia’ssignificant statistical work. In 1921, the first charter for the state statistical bodies of Georgia was published. After that, a large portion of the statistics of the Soviet Union were produced in Georgia for over 70 years. Between 1991 and 1995, the statistical activities in the country were carried out by the Social and Economic Information Committee established by the Supreme Council of Georgia. From 1995–1997, the State Department of Social and Economic Information carried out the work in accordance with the Law of Georgia. From 1997-2004, the State Department of Statistics of Georgia was established and carried out all statistical activities. Then, in 2004, the Department of Statistics was merged with the Ministry of Economic Development of Geor- gia and from this period until 11 December 2009 the Department of Statistics carried out the country’s statistical activities as a subordinated body of the Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia. The Law of Georgia on Official Statistics adopted in 2009 created a foundation for the establishment of an in- dependent entity, LEPL National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat). Since then, Geostat has operated independently as the main producer and coordinator of official statistics. 17

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA SITUATION ANALYSIS 2.2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK According to the LoS, enacted on December 11 2009, there are two institutions that are recognized as official staistics producers: Geostat and NBG. According to the law, apart from statistics produced by Geostat and NBG, statistics produced by other administrative entities only qualify as official statistics if they are produced using the methodology and standards approved by the Geostat Governing Board. The Board is yet to approve a methodology to be used by any other entity except Geostat, therefore, all other state entities are recongnized only as administrative data keepers and data providers for the compilation of official statistics. However, although not stipulated by the law, the Ministry of Finance, as a producer of Government Finance Statistics, is another producer of official statistics. The Ministry follows the international methodology but the Board has not formally approved it. There may be other examples as well. The GA also refers to this issue while commenting on the coordination of the NSS and emphasizes importance of a clear distinction between producers of official statistics and data providers. Criteria for the clear and systematic identification of other official statistics producers and their outputs should be established and these criteria should be included in any future revision of the LoS. Geostat, in accordance with the legislation of Georgia, represents an institution established for the production and dissemination of official statistics and carries out its professional activities independent- ly. Geostat was established and operates in accordance with the LoS and based on the Decree №406 of the Government of Georgia “On the Establishement of Statute of LEPL - National Statistics Office of Georgia”, dated December 31, 2013. Geostat activities are also governed by the Constitution of Georgia, the Law of Georgia on Legal Entities of Public Law, the General Administrative Code of Georgia and other normative and subordinate Acts. Geostat is the coordinator of the statistical system of Georgia. By law, it ensures the coordination of work with official statistics-producing bodies, makes recommendations on standards and methodol- ogies required to produce statistics, coordinates the exchange of information with administrative bodies for the production of statistics and promotes the implementation of approved standards and methodol- ogy. 18 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 SITUATION ANALYSIS NBG is responsible for producing the country’s economic and financial statistics and disseminating them in compliance with the strict standards of the International Monetary Fund. According to Item “h” of Section 3, Article 3 of Organic Law of Georgia on National Bank, NBG is responsible for the production of financial, monetary and external sectors’ official statistics in accordance with international standards. Monetary statistics describe the surveys of NBG, the banking sector, and other financial institutions. As for external sector statistics, these represent data on the balance of payments, external debt, the inter- national investment position and international reserves. Statistics produced by NBG are published on the NBG website on pre-determined dates. 19

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA SITUATION ANALYSIS 2.3. ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT TRENDS AND RATIONALE FOR NSDS Geostat produces statistics on all domains (except monetary, financial and external sector statistics produced by NBG and government finance statistics produced by MoF) relying heavily on its own capac- ity. To a lesser extent, it also utilizes each sector’s administrative data. Most of the sectorial statistics produced by Geostat come from survey data. Globally, 70% of produced statistics are generated from primary data and Geostat conduct over 240 surveys per year. Administrative data is mainly provided by the state entities. Substantial progress has been made in the GSS by steadily improving its capacity and performance since 2004. In May 2010, Georgia subscribed to the IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). At the same time, the effectiveness of the statistical system as assessed by the World Bank’s Statistical Capacity Indicator has increased significantly. However, the recently concluded Global Assessment has identified a number of important weaknesses in the system and has raised concerns specifically about its capacity to meet current and future demands for statistics in a sustainable manner. These concerns were largely confirmed and elaborated on in the conclusions of the stakeholder consultations. There- fore, the preparation of an NSDS, based on good practice and the PARIS21 guidelines, is a high-priority item on the Georgian government’s agenda. In addition, the statistical system in general will face a num- ber of challenges over the next few years and the preparation of an NSDS will provide an opportunity to address them in a systematic manner. Geostat led the development of the first NSDS covering the period 2011-2014. Its objective was to enable the development of an integrated statistical system in conjunction with a national data quality framework, international standards and recommendations for social, economic and environmental sta- tistics. However, the recommendations of the first round of the GA carried out in Georgia (2012) could not be integrated into the master plans or statistics development strategy 2011-2014, as these process- es were not chronologically aligned. Additionally, no monitoring and evaluation results of this first NSDS implementation effort are available. Further incentive for the development of an NSDS is the need for upgrading the existing legislative base so as to align it more closely with international standards (e.g. GLOS and ESCoP). The current redac- 20 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 SITUATION ANALYSIS tion of the LoS defines the purpose and principles of official statistics and determines the legal grounds for the keeping, storing and disseminating of statistical information. Despite the periodic updating of the LoS, the legal foundation for official statistics in Georgia is not fully in line with the recommendations set down in the GLOS. The recent GA’s (2019) final report drew attention to a number of shortcomings. In particular, there are difficulties that arise from the respective roles assigned under the LoS to the Gov- erning Board and Executive Director of Geostat regarding the fundamental statistical principle of profes- sional independence. Furthermore, the status, term of office and appointment/dismissal procedures of the Executive Director need to be aligned more closely with international recommendations. Other is- sues have been identified in respect of the principles relating to the Mandate for data collection and sta- tistical confidentiality. The implementation of these principles is critical in order to ensure the credibility of statistical information and confidence among the key stakeholders. Persistent efforts to maintain and increase this confidence will be required in the coming years. The GA has identified a particular strength of the GSS to be the nature of its centralized statisti- cal system, within which official statistics predominantly produced by Geostat. However, although they are not formally recognized, there are other important producers of official statistics, such as NBG and MoF), and administrative data keepers/providers to take into account. Geostat is the coordinating body of the official statistical system, but this position needs to be further strengthened. Scarce and frag- mented statistical resources and capacities (outside of Geostat, NBG and MoF) create unbalanced exper- tise communication and coordination in the GSS. Overall, weak coordination of the GSS has a negative impact on the planning of additional indicator production. Furthermore, Geostat does not have suffi- cient control over the quality of the data provided by public sector entities and this negatively affects the quality of both the basic administrative data and the quality of the final statistical product. Issues of quality in administrative data introduce a vicious circle with a sequence of causes and effects between: low quality, low use, high respondent burden and low statistical capacity of the providers. The improve- ment of administrative data and registers (e.g. farm register, population register, etc.) is therefore an essential objective of the new NSDS. While quality is treated as a priority issue in the production of individual statistical outputs, more progress could have been made in the development and implementation of an integrated quality man- agement system to be applied throughout the organization. While the establishment of such a system in compliance with international standards would have significant resource implications, it should never- theless be pursued as a priority objective in a targeted and pragmatic manner paying careful consider- ation to the resources available. The current organizational structure of Geostat is very much based on the traditional “pro- duct”-based model. In the context of the current limited resources available to Geostat, this may be the most appropriate structure to adopt. However, some consideration should be given to adopting a more “functional” model based on the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) principles. This 21

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA SITUATION ANALYSIS model is increasingly becoming the norm for developed national statistical systems. This would be par- ticularly relevant in the context of making greater use of administrative data for statistical purposes and of benefitting from increased investment in IT resources. In addition to the issues stated above, the GSS is under intense pressure from changing user needs and the growing demands from users such as politicians, government bodies, international organiza- tions, development agencies, researchers and NGOs. Both the “needs” and “user profiles” are different in the current climate. Geostat and other statistics producers in the GSS must first cope with the urgent, dynamic needs of users. Although the general capacity of the GSS to produce timely and comprehensive statistical informa- tion has increased in recent years, there is still room for significant improvement to provide statistics in an internationally comparable manner, based on the highest quality standards. In Georgia, as elsewhere, users need to have internationally comparable data. Therefore, the GSS should initiate harmonization studies to fully adopt the up-to-date international methodologies and classifications (e.g. SNA 2008, GFSM 2014, NACE Rev. 2, EU NUTS etc.). New indicators are needed in the domains of energy, construc- tion, persons with disabilities, culture, sports, informal sector, social, etc. There is also a high demand for disaggregated statistics to facilitate gender and regional analyses, which are especially necessary for the SDG monitoring process. In this respect, the data collection process and data dissemination should be modernized by Geostat and other statistics producers in the GSS with up-to-date IT solutions. Moreover, greater use should be made of alternative data sources including administrative registers and big data together with the establishment and development of integrated sectorial information systems (EMIS, ASHMIS etc.). Moreover, a user-producer platform should be established to strengthen the consultation process with users. Continuous monitoring of user satisfaction, timeliness and user-friendly website are other critical issues which should be developed in the GSS data dissemination process. Over the course of the Strategy’s implementation, priority must be given to the planned Census of Population (in conjunction with the linked Census of Agriculture) being conducted to the highest pos- sible standard. This is required to provide comprehensive and accurate information on the population, land distribution and the agricultural sector at national, regional and local levels. In addition, informa- tion collected during the censuses should be used, in conjunction with relevant administrative and reg- ister data, to develop population and farm registers for statistical purposes. High-quality population and farm registers are a vital component of a national statistical infrastructure – not only as a source of high-quality statistical information, but also as a reference framework for future and ongoing statistical surveys and analyses. The successful implementation of the NSDS is very much dependent on the resources available to Geostat and the GSS as a whole. The GA report voiced serious concerns in regard to the level and quality of resources (staffing, financial, IT and accommodation) available to Geostat. With regard to staffing, 22 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 SITUATION ANALYSIS it was noted that the number of employees at Geostat was significantly lower than those employed in comparable National Statistical Institutes elsewhere, notwithstanding that Georgia has a highly cen- tralised statistical service. Persistent under-investment in IT, in terms of skilled staff, hardware and soft- ware, was also noted and it was recommended that an expert assessment should be undertaken without delay as an initial step towards addressing this critical issue. Finally, the accommodation available and the working conditions of staff were considered to be sub-standard and not conducive to promoting high staff morale and a positive public image. Regarding the human resources, another issue is the absence of a capacity development policy and training programme/strategy. This problem is not isolated to Geo- stat, but is observed throughout the whole of the GSS. Some government entities engaged in statistical activities in Georgia do not have any qualified statistical staff. Therefore, the development of statistical and analytical capacity within these public institutions is a key issue for the GSS. Overall, the GA report recommended that the Government of Georgia “recognise the need to significantly increase the staff, fi- nancial and information technology resources available to Geostat to meet current and emerging needs for improved statistics in a sustainable manner.” Accordingly, the NSDS is very much framed on the basis of a positive response to this recommendation. 23

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA SITUATION ANALYSIS 2.4. SWOT ANALYSIS Based on consultations with the GA team and the final list of recommendations, meetings with GSS S w Strengths Weaknesses members, focus groups and other stakeholders’ con- o t sultations, the current challenges and needs of the statistical system were analysed and systematically or- ganised using the SWOT framework, as shown below: Opportunities Threats • Highly centralized system of official statistics production led by S Geostat results in a very efficient use of the limited resources available for official statistics; • Free access to administrative data sources; • Highly qualified staff and network of experienced interviewers Strengths at Geostat; • Good experience of international cooperation supports Geo- stat on its way to greater compliance with International and EU statistical standards Good relations and cooperation between the main statistics providers: Geostat, National Bank of Georgia and Ministry of Finance; • Geostat has placed an increased focus on data quality improvements. There is a dedicated structural unit as well as the interagency working group on quality issues at Geostat. 24 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 SITUATION ANALYSIS • Weak coordination and lack of clear distiction between produc- w ers of official statitics and data providers negatively affects the level of coordination of the NSS; • Despite the very centralized statistical system, the staffing lev- els in Geostat are significantly below those in other compara- Weaknesses ble countries. Significant underinvestment in the Information Technology hardware and systems required by a modern NSO; • Accommodation conditions at the Geostat are quite poor and restrictive and need to be improved to facilitate the anticipat- ed increase in staff numbers and to provide a better working environment that will improve staff morale overall and support the retention and recruitment of qualified staff; • Law on Official Statistics needs to be aligned more closely with the Generic Law on Official Sta- tistics to ensure full compliance with ESCoP; • The efficiency of the statistical production process should be improved to reduce reliance on traditional approaches and, in particular, to develop electronic reporting and the greater use of administrative records; • Limited “user-centric” view. Statistical production processes should be more agile to respond to the changing needs of users; • The existing training system is not targeted well enough at the development of needed exper- tise for statisticians and IT staff at Geostat; • Geostat does not have enough control over the quality of the data provided by public sector entities; • There is room for improvements in statistics dissemination practice to support the use of statis- tics by various user groups. 25

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA SITUATION ANALYSIS • The implementation of the SDGs in Georgia, with the devel- o opment of high priority indicators to monitor progress, will heighten the need for high quality statistics and enhance the role and public profile of Geostat; • Sectorial Ministries have a growing need for high quality statis- Opportunities tics to support evidence-based decision making and policy im- pacts monitoring in the time of reforms; • Implementation of the Global Assessment recommendations will improve the level of conformity with European statistical standards; • The modern technologies like “open data” and “big data” can increase the sources available for official statistics production; • Access and availability of administrative data should be exploited further to support the devel- opment of new indicators; • The conduct of well-planned and resourced decennial Censuses of Population, Housing and Ag- riculture will improve not only the quality and coverage of data available at national and local levels but also provide a basis for developing essential population and farm registers for statis- tical purposes. 26 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 SITUATION ANALYSIS • The high dependence on a relatively small number of skilled t and experienced staff limits the capacity of Geostat to develop new statistical products and to systematically assure the quali- ty of existing outputs; • Underinvestment in Information Technology limits the ability Threats to adopt more cost-effective statistical methodologies and puts the sustainability of existing systems at risk; • Limited resources to further improve the level of salaries and accommodation may challenge retention of qualified staff and development of strong IT at Geostat; • Reorganization of sectoral Ministries may lead to partial loss of data sources; • Insufficient financial recourses; • Poor infrastructure; • Outflow of qualified personnel. 27

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA MISSION 3. MISSION The GSS provides the statistical evidence needed by the Government and other users to support the economic, social and environmental development of the country. The statistical system also aims to meet its obligations to report statistical data to regional and international agencies using scarce national resources effectively and efficiently. Geostat, as the main statistical producer and coordinator of the GSS, has continuously made prog- ress in developing its activities, while endeavouring to keep pace with international developments and best practice in order to support decision makers through the provision of high-quality statistical in- formation. In this respect, the NSDS is designed to further strengthen the statistical capacity and infra- structure of Geostat and NBG and support the GSS as a whole in the production and dissemination of high-quality statistics to meet user needs in line with international standards and requirements. The mission of the GSS is determined The mission is to produce and disseminate high-quality, timely and relevant official statistics in this direction within the framework in an effective manner based on user needs to in- of the NSDS 2020-2023 of Georgia form good decision making and enhance public ac- and it is stated as follows: countability. 28 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 VISION 4. VISION The vision for Georgian national statistics provides a medium to long-term framework for statistics development. It communicates the desired future of the GSS and is, therefore, the reference frame for setting the strategic goals and objectives of the NSDS. In accordance with the LoS, the GSS is comprised of Geostat, NBG and other public entities that ei- ther produce official statistics or provide administrative or other data as an input to their compilation. The mandate of the GSS is to produce and disseminate high quality statistics in a professionally independent manner that meet real user needs to inform good decision making and enhance public accountability. In fulfilling its mandate, the GSS must also respect the interests of respondents through actively minimising the statistical burden it imposes and protecting the confidentiality of individual statistical returns. International statistical principles and best practices, such as the Fundamental Principles for Official Statistics adopted by the United Nations, have been promulgated to guide the production of official sta- tistics worldwide. A core objective is to ensure that reliable and relevant official statistics are produced in a transparent manner, free from political and other external interference, in order to obtain the trust of all users. Furthermore, since international comparability is a key requirement, adherence to the max- imum extent to internationally agreed statistical standards and methodologies is essential for the GSS. The ESCoP provides a comprehensive reference quality framework for systematically ensuring that national statistical systems comply with the aforementioned requirements. The GA used the Code as the basis for assessing the GSS and hence, in concrete terms, full compliance with the ESCoP will represent a central pillar of the vision for the system. In short, the NSDS must ensure that the GSS is developed so that it is “fit for purpose” in meeting the real needs of users while adhering to international statistical principles, standards and methodologies. The vision for the Georgian Statistical System is to create a well-coordinated, user focused and efficient national statistical system based on international standards. 29

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA VALUES 5. VALUES The list of core values of GSS consist of the values related to the institutional environment and all statistical processes. Professional Independence Objectivity Reliability Data confidentiality and security Efficiency User focus Managed statistical burden on respondents 30 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS 6. STRATEGIC GOALS The objective for the elaboration of the NSDS 2020-2023 is to provide the GSS with a strategic instrument to plan, implement and monitor the next steps of Georgian statistical development under the global objective of complying with the ESCoP principles. The NSDS seeks to be “fit for users’ needs” when responding to users’ (government, public and private sectors, civil society, academia & research, international organization etc.) growing demand for high quality, credible statistics through enabling the GSS to deliver high quality statistical outputs in line with challenging international standards for official statistics. The strategic goals of the NSDS, and the objectives under these goals, have been derived from the situation analysis including the results of the Global Assessment and consultations with GSS stakehold- ers. The strategic goals are designed to exploit the existing strengths of the GSS, use the available oppor- tunities, solve the identified weaknesses and ward off present risks. The main pillars of the strategy can be summarized as addressing the following issues: • Changing user needs for improved statistics in the various sectoral domains; • The development and effective deployment of scarce and fragmented statistical resources and ca- pacities in the GSS; • The need to improve the quality of administrative data used for statistical purposes; • The increasing demand for disaggregated statistics and for improved coverage of partially covered and emerging areas of statistical interest (e.g. energy, migration, construction, disabilities, culture, sports, informal sector, social protection, etc.); • The urgent need to upgrade the technology, the HR practices and the available accommodation/ equipment/facilities to improve the effectiveness of processes and thus cope with high pressure to produce high quality statistics in a sustainable manner; • The need to tackle overall weak coordination in the GSS. 31

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Setting out strategic priorities is critical in responding to the issues identified in the GA and situa- tion analysis. The prioritization provided a framework for the efficient allocation of resources in the im- plementation of the NSDS and in the development of the GSS over the four years, thus reducing the risk of diverting attention away from the key challenges. In this context, three strategic goals have been identified on which to focus during the implemen- tation of the 2020-2023 NSDS of Georgia. Strategic objectives, with implementing activities, have been grouped and elaborated under each of the three strategic goals. The strategic goals, related objectives and activities are explained below. The goals were formulated using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) principles. Each goal has specific targets and indicators to mea- sure their achievement. Targets and indicators were derived by Geostat in collaboration with GSS mem- bers to ensure that goals and associated targets are feasible and relevant. Please refer to Chapter 7 for the list of indicators and targets per strategic goals and specific objectives. 32 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY OFFICIAL 6.1. STRATEGIC GOAL 1: STATISTICS BASED ON USER NEEDS Meeting the real needs of users for high-quality official statistics at national, regional and local lev- els is the core function of the GSS. Geostat and the other statistical producers and data providers in the GSS are committed to strengthening their capacity to deliver to the maximum extent an increased range of statistics that are based on international statistical standards and quality criteria. Users’ demand for statistics varies greatly according to their purpose and their capacity, literacy and knowledge in use of statistics. Therefore, a review of both current and potential data demand was undertaken. User needs cannot be properly met unless these have been properly identified, understood and prioritized. While the needs of all users will be taken into account in developing the statistical programme, priority will be given to the provision of statistics required for the support of evidence-based policy making and for the development and monitoring of national programmes. Another important process that the GSS needs to support through provision of high-quality statistics is SDG monitoring. By the end of the strategy pe- riod the GSS, and Geostat in particular, are aiming at being able to produce almost all SDG quantitative indicators, which are to be produced by NSO. Geostat and the GSS partners, in the context of the NSDS 2020-2023, will work collaboratively to respond to user needs in a coordinated manner. This strategic goal has two dimensions: ensuring that the produced statistics are of high quality and that official statistics are tailored to user needs, or in other words are “fit for purpose”. 33

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 1.1. Production of statistical information to support evidence-based decision making The very purpose of official statistics is providing impartial quality information on relevant matters. High quality official statistics play an important role in the decision-making processes of various differ- ent users (policy makers, researchers and civil society as a whole). The policy makers in Georgia, as in other developing countries, are regularly faced with the tasks of answering complex questions and making difficult decisions. To support informed decision making, sound, reliable and timely statistical information is crucial. It is up to the GSS to produce data that could demonstrate the current state-of-play in an easily comparable manner. It should be stated that macro- economic policies and structural reforms must rely on high quality statistical information. The statistical information that policy-makers receive should be relevant, timely and accurate to make informed deci- sions on policy directions. The GSS should enhance their methods to increase transparency and avail- ability of data through improving data clarity, data distribution channels and communication with users. Users have a very long list of needs for statistical data in various sectors such as macroeconomic statistics, monetary statistics, social statistics, agricultural and environment statistics, and they should be encouraged to identify their own priorities. Therefore, a regular user-producer dialogue is to be es- tablished to monitor changing needs of users. Additionally, a number of new indicators will be devel- oped based on close cooperation with respective stakeholders. For example, sport, culture and educa- tion statistics indicators will be defined in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. Based on the priority list of indicators developed in consultations with the Ministry, Geostat will develop an appropriate methodology and produce the indicators that are of urgent need by the Min- istry for proper policy planning and monitoring. Similarly, regional statistics indicators will be defined in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure to identify the priority indi- cators needed for policy making at the national level as well as in local municipalities. Considering these user needs and the requirement of high-quality statistics, the GSS will work on the further development of sectorial statistics, namely the National Accounts, Monetary Statistics, Business Statistics, Social Sta- tistics, Demographic Statistics, Price Statistics, External Sector Statistics, Agricultural and Environment Statistics. 34 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Vital activities to be conducted within the strategy timeframe are the Population and Agricultural Censuses. Both will be conducted concurrently in 2023. Apart from being the core statistical programme and the primary source of data on the population and economy, the Population Census has a special significance in the light of several dependent activities being planned within the strategy period. Firstly, the census will allow for population data to be collected disaggregated by gender, municipalities, urban/ rural and other important classes. Secondly, data provided by the Census will serve as a good basis for the development of statistics on internal migration. Considering that the existing information on inter- nal migration is quite limited due to the lack of incentives for people to register their factual changes of address, the Census of Population is therefore the only source that can provide reliable information on internal population movements within Georgia. Finally, the Census plays a vital role in the development of high-quality statistical population register (Objective 3.4, Chapter 6.3). The Ministry of Justice and State Services Development Agency, (SDA) which maintain the Civil Register together with Geostat, will work on linking the existing register with the Census return to allow construction of a statistical popula- tion register. Similarly, the Agricultural Census that is planned to be conducted in conjunction with the Population Census will allow for construction of a Farm Register (Objective 3.4, Chapter 6.3). Geostat will closely cooperate with MEPA to integrate information from the Census with the Farm registry and develop a high-quality statistical Farm Register. Although both Censuses are planned under the NSDS and directly linked to several activities of this strategy, it should be noted that the budget, methodology and timeframe for both Censuses will be approved by a special commission established by GoG. Another important activity is the implementation of an improved agricultural statistics programme, in line with the AGRIS methodology of the FAO, better covering user needs such as farm productivity and profitability indicators, agricultural labour data, and aligning more comprehensively with international commitments. In addition to these, there is a high demand on the regional statistics to support both mu- nicipalities and national authorities in designing and monitoring of regional policies. The development of gender-disaggregated indicators is another priority issue for the GSS. In the context of the 2030 Agen- da for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, the formation of indicators for the SDG Monitoring Process is an expectation for all users. In this context, the GSS will aim to expand its statistical reach, producing new indicators and developing disaggregation components to existing key indicators (by regions and gender). The main targets of this objective are to improve and maintain the high satisfaction rate of the pub- lic sector users as well as to reduce in time needed to respond to public sector user-data requests, by providing the requested statistics within 5 working days on average. The main activities to reach the relevant objective are summarized by directions below. 35

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.1. Expand statistical areas and production of new indicators Activity Result in 2023 TUS results are published, at least 20 new indicators Conduct Time Use Survey (TUS) and develop are disaggregated by gender. The gender statistics additional indicators disaggregated by gender are produced in accordance with the latest interna- tional methodologies Possibilities of production of statistics at municipal and regional level are assessed; Short list of priority indicators is developed in coop- Further development of regional statistics eration with the relevant stakeholders; Key demographic, social and business statistics have been published by regions of Georgia Develop statistics for calculation of baseline At least 95% of SDG indicators to be covered by indicators for SDGs which are not available by Geostat are developed. 2019 Financial sector financial accounts for stocks are developed and published Develop Financial Accounts for financial sector Financial accounts for flows (revaluations and OCVA) are published 36 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.2. Development of National Accounts Activity Result in 2023 Development of quarterly GDP by expenditure Quarterly GDP by expenditure approach in approach in constant prices constant prices is available at Geostat website Methodology is developed and sectoral Development of sectoral accounts accounts are published Development of supply and use tables in Supply and use tables in nominal and constant nominal and constant prices by types of prices by types of activities and product according activities and products according to to NACE Rev. 2 and CPA 2008 are published NACE Rev. 2 and CPA 2008 Methodology is developed and Development of Input-Output tables input-output tables are published 37

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.3. Expand the area of business statistics Activity Result in 2023 Identification and development of short-term At least 3 STS indicators are identified, business statistics (STS) indicators developed and published in accordance with FRIBS Development of 1-4 tables of tourism Published tables 1-4 of tourism satellite accounts satellite accounts Development of at least 5 additional At least 5 additional business demography business demography indicators indicators are published 38 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.4. Improvement of social statistics Activity Result in 2023 Methodology is reviewed and updated in line with recent Update the methodology for poverty international standards. Additional indicators are and living conditions statistics developed and published At least two new indicators on labour market statistics New additional indicators on labour are developed and published including Median statistics are produced. Earnings and Gender Pay Gap In close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport additional indicators Develop education statistics are obtained from administrative sources. At least 5 new indicators are published The set of indicators is identified in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Develop sports statistics Sport; At least 3 new sport statistics indicators are developed and published Methodology for theatres and museums survey is Develop culture statistics updated; at least 3 new culture statistics indicators are produced and published At least 3 additional indicators are obtained from Develop health statistics administrative sources and published 39

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.5. Production of demographic statistics which are compatible with EU standards Activity Result in 2023 Improvement of the quality of the causes of Share of ill-defined causes of death is reduced to death indicators 20%. The baseline data (2019) - 33% Creation of the base for migration statistics development: In close cooperation with Migration Commission the a) Development of methodology for internal methodology is developed; The use of nontradition- migration statistics al administrative sources for migration statistics are b) Development of methodology for interna- tested (e.g. Big data) tional migration statistics Methodology and questionnaires are developed and Conduct Population Census approved by the State Commission; Census field- work is conducted Methodology for introduction and conduction of Creation of the base for population projection population projection is elaborated and published; introduction Capacity building of relevant staff is conducted 40 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.6. Development of new indicators on agricultural and environment statistics Activity Result in 2023 Agriculture Census is conducted together Conducting the Agricultural Census with the Population Census Data archive is created and access to the anonymised microdata is provided; Computer-assisted personal Further implementation of the Strategic interviewing (CAPI) method is implemented in all Plan for Agricultural, Environmental and relevant surveys; Classification of agricultural Rural Statistics (SPAERS) holdings is updated in compliance with international standards and data users’ needs. Existing questionnaires are updated; 2 Sustainable Implementing Agricultural Integrated Development Goals (SDG) indicators (2.3.1 and 2.3.2) Survey (AGRIS) are calculated and published At least one indicator on waste statistics Development of waste statistics is calculated and published At least one additional United Nations Economic Development of environment statistics Commission for Europe (UNECE) indicator is calculated and published 41

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.7. Increasing the volume of price index Activity Result in 2023 Development of Domestic Supply Pro- Domestic Supply Producer Price Index is available on the ducer Price index Geostat website Development of Producer Price Index for Methodology is developed and approved by Geostat Telecommunication Services, Warehouse Board; Producer Price Indices for Telecommunication and Storage services and Tourism agen- services, Warehouse and Storage services and Tourism cies’ services agencies’ services is available at Geostat website. Pilot index calculation is conducted using 3 methods as Development of Residential Property per recommendations of IMF RPPI data series are devel- Price Index (RPPI) oped and published. 42 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.1.8. Development of External Sector Statistics Activity Result in 2023 Development of external trade indexes (Ex- port–Import Unit Value Indices) on the basis External trade unit value indices (UVI) are published of the Foreign Economic Activity Commodity Nomenclature (HS) by sections Develop the international trade in services Pilot survey is conducted in 2021; Regular surveys statistics are conducted since 2023 and results are published Development of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) FDI by size and age of enterprises is published by size and age of enterprises Development of existing FDI indicators Existing FDI indicators are published in accordance according to the BPM6 manual with the BPM6 manual Development of domestic export statistics Domestic export statistics is published Mirror Comparison in International Merchandise Trade Mirror Comparison in International Merchan- Statistics (IMTS) with pre-selected partner country is dise Trade Statistics (IMTS) conducted and published 43

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 1.2. Production of official statistics in full compliance with international standards and guidelines Statistical production in the GSS is a comprehensive process requiring knowledge and experience as well as extensive planning. One of the most important criteria for reliable statistics is the consideration of international norms at every stage of the statistical production process. The GSS aims to follow the statistical methodologies and standards set for the statistical pro- gramme of the European Union and to focus on complying with the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice. The GSS needs to perform harmonization studies in order to adopt the international methodologies and classifications. Considering the high importance of comparable and reliable statisti- cal information during the EU integration process, there are a number of areas where methodological improvements are required in the field of statistics: • Macro-Economic Statistics • Agricultural Statistics • Social Statistics • Business Statistics • International Trade Statistics • other statistics (e.g. environment statistics, regional statistics, etc.) Geostat, as the coordinator of the GSS, will continue to strengthen cooperation with international part- ners to further implement international standards, guidelines and best practices in the implementation of the statistical programme. Geostat will foster greater cooperation with the NSO of different countries for effective exchange of experience and ideas through study visits, joint events and other collaborations. Geostat will actively participate in international and regional trainings, workshops as well as joint international projects to support smooth introduction of the most recent international standards and methodologies. In this regard, particular importance is placed on the possibility of integration of NSO into a European Statistical System (ESS). For this, active participation in ESS activities is considered necessary in line with the Eurostat Code of Principles for International Cooperation which was adopted at the meeting of the Policy Group for Statistical 44 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Cooperation (PGSC) in 2007. Through this, Geostat staff will be integrated into the European statistical net- work, which will increase the motivation for professional development and upskilling to the level of their ESS peers. Moreover, Geostat, along with the other statistics producers of Georgia, will have the opportunity to foster new partnerships and collaborate with the European scientific community, The main directions under this objective will include a review of the existing methodology for Price Sta- tistics, External Trade Statistics and Labour Force Statistics, producing essential steps necessary to make adap- tations and ensuring compliance with international standards considering the methodological developments and recommendations provided by international statistical studies. In this respect an important activity is in- troduction of the latest standards on Labour Force Survey (LFS) in close cooperation with ILO, based on the resolutions adopted at the 19th and 20th International Labour Conference as well as introduction of Interna- tional Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) in labour market survey. The new standard and clas- sification will allow updating the existing classification of self-employed and improve compliance of labour statistics with the most recent international standards. The Financial Corporations Survey being conducted by NBG will be developed in accordance with IMF’s improved methodology. NBG will develop a methodology for Financial Intermediation Services Indirectly Measured (FISIM) to be introduced in the Balance of Payments (BoP). As a result of the efforts made to achieve the objective, at the end of the strategy period more than 90% of the key statistics indicators will be produced in accordance with the most recent international standards and guidelines. The main activities to reach the relevant objective are summarized by directions below. 45

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.2.1. Harmonization with international methodologies Activity Result in 2023 Methodology is adapted to national context and Harmonization with HICP methodology in approved by the Board of Geostat; Harmonized CPI is Price statistics produced and published along with the existing CPI Use of renewed Classification of Individ- ual Consumption According to Purpose COICOP 2018 is translated and adopted by the Board of (COICOP 2018) while creating consumers Geostat; COICOP 2018 is introduced in the CPI survey basket Process and disseminate External mer- chandise trade data in accordance with External merchandise trade statistics by Standard Standard International Trade Classifica- International Trade Classification (SITC) is produced tion (SITC) at a maximally detailed level and published (5-digit level) Introduce the latest standards in Labour The national LFS methodology is updated according to Force Survey (LFS) based on the resolutions the ILO new standards; The LFS is carried out according adopted at the 19th and 20th International to the new standards, results are published Labour Conference Introduce International Standard Classifi- Employment statistics is calculated according to the cation of Occupations (ISCO-08) in labour International Standard Classification of Occupations market statistics. ISCO-08. Develop Financial Corporations Surveys New Survey of National Bank of Georgia is developed based on the IMF’s improved methodol- and published; New ODC and DC Surveys are developed ogy and published Develop methodology for Financial Inter- mediation Services Indirectly Measured FISIM records are published in BoP (FISIM) 46 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.2.2. Cooperation with international partners Activity Result in 2023 Geostat staff members actively participate in internation- Continue active cooperation with al trainings/workshops and projects; Cooperation international organizations and partners projects with international partners to modernize statistical production processes are realized Cooperation with NSOs of different countries estab- Strengthening cooperation with col- lished; Study visits to Georgia for foreign colleagues leagues in different countries to improve and vice versa are organised; System for exchanging of the exchange of experiences, ideas and information on new methodologies and technologies knowledge established Conditions of new partnership and collaboration with Developing new partnership and scientific community identified; At least 2 meetings per collaboration with scientific community year conducted with scientific community 47

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 1.3. Cooperation with international partners The basic provision for quality statistics is to produce the statistics as comparable, consistent, up- to-date, timely and appropriate to the specific needs. It is expected that the statistics produced through- out the country will meet the criteria. The quality of existing statistics/indicators needs to be continuously monitored and improved to fit the dynamic context in which the GSS operates. For instance, Geostat has the challenges of reducing the information gaps relating to the non-observed economy in the national accounts. Therefore, the methodology for non-observed economy estimation should be elaborated and at least two additional surveys be conducted. Similarly, the introduction of software for data processing and analysis of national accounts will contribute to the better quality of macroeconomic statistics. To improve the quality and coverage of energy statistics additional indicators on energy efficiency and transport will be produced. NBG will continue to improve the quality of monetary statistics. The quality of flow data collection will be improved to ensure sufficient expansion of Financial Accounts reports. NBG will assign a separate, interactive statistics web page for each ODC for quality-checking purposes and, to achieve this, will use business intelligence3 solutions. Additionally, it will develop a debt security database which will be avail- able on NBG’s website. GSS is a part of central government and the initiative to promote open statistical data is part of a broader process to make the country generally more transparent. Georgia is a part of the multination- al Open Government Partnership, which promotes accountable, responsive and inclusive governance. Supported by a formal national commitment towards the open data, the aim is to make all kinds of statistics, including aggregated indicators, micro-data and geo-spatial data more open, while still main- taining the requirements of individual data confidentiality. The UN Principle of Official Statistics empha- sizes the importance of dissemination of information about the concepts, sources, and methods used to produce the statistics; i.e., metadata. Official statistics producers should ensure that users have access to metadata so that they have a proper understanding of what the statistics represent. During the Global 3 Based on the parameters set, BI reporting is generally an automated process that captures and report on analyzed data. These reports can be in form of statistical data, visual charts and/or standard textual content. 48 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Assessment interviews, several users stressed the importance of metadata availability. In this sense, the availability of information for users on the methods and quality of all outputs will be further improved and extended, based on international standards (e.g. the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS), incorporating the Euro-SDMX Metadata Structure (ESMS) and the ESS Standard for Quality Reports Structure (ESQRS)). Moreover, Geostat should continue its development of an integrated quality management system with realistic objectives, as is recommended in the Global Assessment (2019) final report. A high-level committee on quality will be established to oversee the implementation of the quality management system, with a particular focus on setting priorities for quality initiatives and reviewing progress with resultant action plans. This system will include regular quality self-assessment of the statistical outputs, in which all statistical departments will be involved. The self-assessment forms will be elaborated and introduced. The results of the regular self-assessments, together with resultant action plans, will be sub- mitted to the high-level committee on quality. Geostat, through the high-level committee on quality, will be able to prioritise areas for detailed statistical-quality audits. As always, available audit resources and statistical priorities must be taken into consideration. The main activities to reach the relevant objective are summarized by directions below. 49

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.3.1. Improving the quality of existing indicators Activity Result in 2023 Development of software for national accounts Software for data processing and analysis on compilation national accounts is introduced Elaboration of methodology and conduction of Information gaps in non-observed economy are additional surveys for non-observed economy reduced estimation Development of additional surveys to expand Business statistics area is expanded by at least business statistics area one additional survey results At least 5 energy efficiency indicators are pub- Development of energy efficiency indicators lished Transport statistics indicators are identified by Development of additional transport statistics consultations with relevant stakeholders; At least indicators 5 additional indicators are produced Develop high-quality flow data collection system Quality of collected flow data is sufficient to expand from other depository corporations Financial Accounts report NBG has assigned for each ODC separate interactive Develop BI interactive reports for other depository statistics web page, where interactive reports are corporations to ensure data quality checks published for data quality checking purposes Develop debt securities database Debt security database is published on NBG website 50 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.3.2. Transition to the integrated structure for quality management Activity Result in 2023 A quality policy document is developed; Established a high-level committee (working Enhancement of an integrated quality manage- group) to oversee the implementation of the ment system and a mechanism to ensure high quality management system; A self-assessment quality of statistical data form of activity is developed and introduced; Pri- orities for quality audit areas are identified. Direction 1.3.3. Development of metadata system Activity Result in 2023 Establishment of a metadata administrating sys- Metadata administering system is developed and tem in compliance with international standards introduced (Euro SDMX Metadata Structure-ESMS) 51

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 1.4. Promote the use of statistics Geostat produces official statistics to inform the wider society based on data obtained from the surveys of individuals, households, establishments, and administrative data sources, transform- ing this raw data into finalized statistics for the decision-makers and other users. There is a need for effective advocacy to strengthen confidence in the GSS and in the use for statistics and to raise awareness of the relevance of quality statistics for development and strategic decision making. Sta- tistics are needed to both influence the design of “informed” policies and monitor their outcomes. The improved use of statistics will help to build a culture of evidence-based decision making and contribute to transparency and accountability in national policy making. Moreover, statistics can help donors by informing their decisions concerning aid allocation and support monitoring of the implementation of their ongoing investments. Civil society will also benefit from the enhanced use of statistics as it will help them to advocate based on statistics and make arguments and democratic decisions enforced by relevant data. Other users such as research institutes and academia are bene- fiting from statistics as they are using the raw data for their analysis, while the improved use of sta- tistics for media means improved objectivity of media coverage. Therefore, all levels of society can benefit from the improved use of statistics. Use of statistics can be promoted through better com- munication and dissemination channels as well as through improved users’ literacy. Since dissem- ination is one of the key issues in the strategic development of statistics, and since its importance extends well beyond its contribution to the better use of statistics, it is also discussed separately below under Objective 2.3, Chapter 6.2. The main focus of the given strategic objective is to establish an effective dialogue with users and improve the users’ literacy in statistics. This is an important activity as it helps to ensure that statistics are understood and used in the correct manner and to avoid any wrong interpretations. In relation to this, results from the situation analysis showed that users felt that Geostat could also do more to improve statistical literacy, stating that helpful activities would include the provision of training courses, public seminars and workshops for the media and other user groups as well as in- creasing the use of official statistics in schools and other education institutes. In this context, Geostat should actively promote the use of statistics, in particular for the facil- itation of greater evidence-informed policy making and develop further its partnerships with uni- versities and researchers to improve mutual understanding of needs and capabilities. This will im- 52 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS prove the analytical and data processing skills across GSS member institutions and will strengthen working links between the GSS and Geostat. Additionally, it needs to increase its efforts to improve statistical literacy, for example through organising trainings, public lectures/seminars for media and selected users and collaboration with education authorities to promote a greater focus on statisti- cal literacy in the educational system. The effectiveness of literacy development programmes will be measured using pre and post-tests introduced at educational literacy development programmes. Such programmes will be conducted regularly with the aim of having at least 100 people with post- test scores of 70% or above annually by 2023. Besides organising trainings for various user groups, special attention must be given to the provision of capacity building for GSS members, namely those representing administrative data keepers or key users. Geostat, as the organisation with the highest concentration of qualified and experienced statisticians, will deliver a series of trainings on data processing and statistics/data analysis for administrative data owners and public sector users respectively. This activity will not only improve the awareness of statistics among the public sector users and improve the quality of data processed by administrative data keepers, but also will significantly strengthen the cooperative links between Geostat and other GSS members. In total, four targeted 2-3 day workshops will be conducted annually. The directions under this objective are also related to the development of more user-friendly manner, dissemination processes, such as visualization tools, in order to increase the use of statis- tics by media and other user groups. Geostat has successful experience in the use of Infographic for presentation of key statistics as well as regular briefings for media. During the situation analysis phase, some users mentioned the need for more analysis of official statistics to not only present indicators, but to explain, interpret and contextualize the information. Geostat will invest in analysis of gender statistics and will elaborate and publish this information in its regular publication “Men and Women in Georgia”. NBG publishes analytical reports on their website where, together with statistics, an analysis of recent trends is made to explain the story behind the numbers. For the presentation of the key statistics, NBG also conducts media briefings explaining the key messages for the wider audience. To ensure that official statistics are addressing user needs, Geostat, as the main coordinator of the GSS, will establish a platform for dialogue with users to continuously monitor their changing needs as well as their own effectiveness in addressing them. Once a new need is identified Geostat will analyse the best way of addressing it and will integrate it in the statistical programme. A system for regular user satisfaction monitoring will be established to continuously track users’ perceptions of statistics in terms of quality, relevance, timeliness, trust and other. Comprehensive surveys will be conducted once every 2 years, while assessments of web-based user satisfaction survey will be conducted quarterly. 53

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.4.1. Improvement of the content and channels of dissemination products Activity Result in 2023 The results of the user satisfaction survey are analysed; Analysis of the user needs is performed; New studies are conducted; Data Production of statistics based on user needs dissemination system has been upgraded and statistical products have been diversified according to user needs. Develop survey results in more understandable Visualization materials for all major research and visually attractive manner results are prepared and posted on the website Analytical narrative part is added to regular Perform analysis of gender statistics publication “Men and Women in Georgia” 54 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 1.4.2. Conducting statistical literacy activities and development of guidance documents Activity Result in 2023 At least 100 people from selected users have Systemic and proactive development of user participated in user literacy development pro- literacy grammes annually Two workshops annually are organized for public organisations in data processing and statistics/ Increase the awareness on the use of data analysis; Awareness of public sector users on statistics in the public sector the right interpretation of statistics is significantly improved, statistics used more actively in deci- sion making 55

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS BUILD EFFECTIVE, MODERN AND SUSTAINABLE STATISTICAL 6.2. STRATEGIC GOAL 2: PRODUCTION PROCESSES The Generic Statistics Business Process Model (GSBPM) has been developed internationally to pro- vide a comprehensive and integrated framework for the production and dissemination of high-quali- ty official statistics. It focuses on the processes that are undertaken, either explicitly or implicitly, in a sequential manner from the conception to delivery of statistical outputs. National statistical services have increasingly adopted this model in the modernisation of their systems and this has usually involved adopting a more process-based focus instead of the traditional product-based approach that dominated in the past. Geostat, which currently has a very product-based working model (i.e. organised around the statistical domain), will place greater emphasis on the process-driven working principles in the develop- ment of all elements involved in the statistical production process. In this way, Geostat will aim to make data collection, processing and statistics production faster, more accurate and more effective. For this purpose, within the GSS, the initial aims are to promote the use of administrative registers for statistical purposes, to expand the areas of their utilization and to increase the quality of both the statistical pro- duction process and the statistics by developing new techniques. When striving for the enhancement of process effectiveness throughout the strategic period, Geostat will apply innovative solutions and adopt the best practices developed in other statistical systems abroad. NBG will also make certain efforts to optimize data collection processes and make statistics produc- tion more effective. 56 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 2.1. Modernization and standardization of the statistical information production process The current organisational structure in Geostat is very much based on the traditional “product” based model. Although it can be assumed that this may be the most appropriate structure given the circumstances due to the current limited resources, some consideration should be given to adopting a more “functional” model, based on GSBPM developed by UN. The original aim of GSBPM was to provide a basis for statistical organisations to agree on standard terminology to aid their discussions on developing statistical metadata systems and processes. Howev- er, as the model has developed, it has become increasingly apparent that it can be used for many other purposes, in particular related to the modernisation of official statistics production. GSBPM can be also used for facilitating the sharing of statistical software, providing a structure for documentation of sta- tistical processes, providing a framework for building organisational capability, measuring operational costs and measuring system performance. The domain-based organisation structure may prevent Geostat from maximising the efficiency of its operations. More than 50 statistical organizations worldwide are implementing process-based organ- isational structures in line with GSBPM and enabled by standardised IT systems and methodologies. It would be particularly relevant for the GSS in the context of making greater use of administrative data for statistical purposes and of benefitting from an investment in IT resources. In line with this, Geostat will aim to modernize its statistical production process as part of its overall strategic goal. Preparation works for the transition to GSBPM will be realized during this strategic period. A road map for moving towards a more process-based organisational structure will be developed. The standardization of the statistical production process and the improvement of processes are also important targets. Statistical works can have their duration shortened as a result of improved efficiency of statistics production processes will be identified as well under this objective. As a result of the improved efficiency of statistics production processes, the publishing date of at least 2 annual survey results could be reduced by 5 days and the publishing date of at least 2 quarter surveys results will be reduced by at least 1 day by 2023. Additionally, the costs of production burden will be reduced along with the burden on the respondent. 57

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 2.1.1. Preparation works for transition to Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) Activity Result in 2023 Results of IT infrastructure assessment are Developing a road map for moving towards a available; Statistical processes are described; more process-based organisational structure, A road map for introduction of GSBPM is in line with the GSBPM developed. Identification of statistical works which duration Inventory of work processes is performed; can be shortened due to improved statistical Surveys, the production processes of which can processes efficiency be shortened, are identified. 58 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 2.2. Establishment of a modern and comprehensive data collection system Geostat is the only official statistics provider that conducts surveys for statistics production pur- poses. Moreover, other GSS members, when they need special statistics to be collected via surveys, sub-contract Geostat to perform the task (e.g. survey of currency exchange offices performed by Geo- stat and ordered by NBG). Therefore, due to its greater capacity, efforts to improve the efficiency of surveys, replace or complement them with modern digital tools and to reduce the respondents’ burden are largely concentrated through Geostat. Geostat aims to establish a modern and cost-effective data collection system, taking advantage of the rapid development afforded by the adoption of modern infor- mation technologies. An expected output of this will be the availability of better quality statistics that conform to a greater extent with international standards. New technologies are leading to a drastic increase in the volume and types of data available, cre- ating unprecedented possibilities. The era of these possibilities represents a “data revolution” that has many definitions referring to the process of data collection and use of new data sources, including Big data. PARIS21 defines the data revolution as the pursuit of “delivering the right data to the right people in the right format at the right time”. The use of such new data sources is explicitly encouraged in the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics: “Principle 5: Cost-effectiveness: Data for statistical purposes may be drawn from all types of sourc- es [...]. Statistical agencies are to choose the source with regard to quality, timeliness, costs and the bur- den on respondents.” -- United Nations (2014), Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. So-called Big data use will be considered by Geostat to complement the existing system of surveys and administrative data inputs. Use of Big data is associated with certain risks and challenges and so- phisticated analytic techniques needs to be applied. Examples of new data sources possibilities to be considered by Geostat within the strategy time frame include, but are not limited to: • Scanner data for the Consumer Price Index. All items being sold at the markets have a manufac- turer Universal Product Code (UPC) printed on the product to be read by a scanner. Consequently, the retailers create computerized records by UPC of the prices and number of units they have sold; records that are commonly known as scanner data. Geostat will cooperate with the largest retail chains (those that have computerised system of goods inventory) to gain access to their scanned data for its subsequent use in CPI. 59

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS • Web scraping. Web scraping is automatically retrieving (and processing) information from web- sites. Websites contain detailed and frequently updated information that may be useful to of- ficial statistics. Geostat will consider the possibilities of using the web scraping for CPI through the observation of online prices for goods. Prices for real estate are already web scraped for use during the Residential Property Price Index’s pilot calculations. Web scraping is also suitable for job vacancy surveys as a complementary source of data. Web scraping can help to significantly re- duce respondents’ burden and to have ability to observe changes in prices sooner than using the traditional methods. • Other possibilities of using Big data will be also explored within the strategy time frame. In this regard, Geostat staff needs to have a proper command of new methodologies to identify, evaluate and access new data sources. This requires skills and training capacity in the field of data sci- ence. Additionally, the possibility of international cooperation and learning from experienced interna- tional partners will also be explored. Geostat will aim to modernise its existing practices of data collection. On top of exploring the pos- sibility of benefiting from the data revolution, Geostat will continue its introduction of electronic data collection system. Specifically, special importance is given to the use of CAPI in most surveys, and could also potentially be used during the upcoming Population and Agricultural Censuses. CAPI will reduce the probability of errors during the collection phase and will significantly reduce the amount of human re- sources (work load) needed. Moreover, the use of CAPI for the main surveys will allow for the processing and publishing of the results to occur sooner than if traditional, paper-based methods were used. As a result of these efforts Geostat sets an ambitious target to have up to a 90% share of surveys that are conducted by using modern data collection methods. Besides this, Geostat should work on the improvement of existing questionnaires to reduce respon- dents’ burden. As expressed by several users during the situation analysis, there is much room for im- provement of the questionnaires in terms of reducing the burden on respondents. Business and tourism statistics-related surveys were mentioned specifically as those that should be improved in terms of re- spondents’ burden. However, the most cost effective and accurate way of producing statistics is still the use of admin- istrative data sources. Regarding the administrative data, although Geostat is making increasing use of data from administrative sources and right of access to administrative data is included in the LoS, it is not always easy to obtain the data in practice, particularly micro-data. In most cases, Geostat does not have access to the administrative databases that affect the quality and timing of the data. There is a need to develop and implement a strategy for achieving full access to all relevant administrative data at the micro level and for developing the use of such data for statistical purposes in all relevant statisti- cal domains. To overcome the difficulties surrounding the use of administrative data, it is required that co-operation agreements be signed with administrative data holders to ensure the quality of the basic 60 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS data and to introduce appropriate structures for managing and co-ordinating the use of administrative data in a uniform manner throughout the organisation. Another way to improve the quality of adminis- trative data and establish stronger working links with administrative data keepers is through planning a series of capacity building workshops on data processing and analysis (Objective 1.4, Chapter 6.1) to be organized by Geostat for state organisations. Geostat should strengthen its role as the coordinator of the GSS and establish a platform for dia- logue with the state agencies that are holders of administrative data. Regular meetings with state organ- isations, including local self-governments, will allow Geostat to identify the new sources of administra- tive data and continuously update the GSS mapping. As a result of these efforts, the share of statistics based on administrative data will be increased from 28% in 2019 to 40% by 2023. 61

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 2.2.1. Improvement of survey questionnaires Activity Result in 2023 All survey questionnaires have been aligned to Improve the quality of questionnaires and reduce international standards; Respondent burden is the respondent burden measured, ways to reduce it are stipulated in the road map and implemented Direction 2.2.1. Active cooperation with owners of administrative data Activity Result in 2023 Appropriate amendments to the LoS entered into the force; Memoranda of Understanding with Playing a more active central role in coordinating other statistics producing agencies are signed; official statistics Regular meetings with state agencies and local self-governments are organized to discuss statis- tics related issues. Establish criteria for clearly and systematically Procedures for the coordination of other produc- identifying other producers of statistics and their ers of statistics and administrative data keepers outputs are introduced 62 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 2.2.3. Developing and testing the use of new data sources and modern technologies Activity Result in 2023 Established platform for using new data sources Develop software platform for use of modern (big data) and modern technologies technologies in data collection (e.g. web scraping and data scanning) Possibilities of using the data from the internet for producing statistics on job vacancies have Study the possibilities of production of statistical been analysed (web scraping); IT platform is information on job vacancies developed to ensure easy monitoring of job vacancies Introduce the use of modern technologies for Cooperation with data keepers is established (e.g. data collection such as web scraping, scanner retail chains to provide access to scanner data); data and use of Big Data for consumer price Big data, scanner data and web scraping data is statistics integrated in the CPI survey 63

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 2.3. Improvement of practices for dissemination and communication processes The First Principle of UN Fundamental Princi- ples of Official Statistics states clearly the responsi- bility of releasing information to the public: “Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, serving the Govern- ment, the economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social and environmental situation. To this end, offi- cial statistics that meet the test of practical utility are to be com- piled and made available on an impartial basis by official statistical agencies to honour citizens’ entitlement to public information.” The improvement of data dissemination is the ultimate objective of the statistical system in Geor- gia. There are two aspects that are considered under this objective: official dissemination and dissem- ination at large. Geostat is responsible for dissemination of official statistics and is doing so in accor- dance with the pre-defined release calendar. Additionally, NBG is publishing statistics that it produces according to its own release calendar. Geostat has the policies and procedures in place to ensure adherence to the requirements of im- partiality and objectivity and to the set timelines for statistical production and dissemination. However, external assessment results indicated a need to codify its current practices and prepare and publish guidelines for assuring impartiality and objectivity in the production and dissemination of official statis- tics. The development of a policy on the treatment of errors, their correction and marking the dates of major revisions is therefore required in advance of the release calendar. 64 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS In 2019, Geostat launched a new, modern website. The website is the main platform for the dis- semination of official statistics, as well as information on applied methodologies, annual publications (yearbooks), international cooperation and other important news. The website is being maintained and continuously improved by Geostat. Its functionality and accessibility for various user groups will be fur- ther improved within the strategy timeframe. Publication of statistical information produced by other producers of statistics on the official website is also planned to create a “one-stop shop” of official sta- tistics for any user group. Disseminating data to the public-at-large requires the development of a data dissemination strate- gy. Figure 3 below provides a reference to help define the various user groups and the demand for data they need. The strategy will define the specific user groups as well as specific means of communication with which to inform them. The effectiveness of communication tools, such as the website, will be reg- ularly measured to allow for continuous improvement in delivering the right data in the right format at the right time. Additionally, efforts will be made to increase the number of statistics that are visualized using modern tools, such as Infographic. NBG publishes monetary and external sector statistics on its website. To improve the usability of its statistics for a wider circle of users, it will publish external sector statistics in interactive tables. Audiences Information Size of Audience Leaders from government, business and civil society, along with officials, managers, Increasing levels of aggregation / summarization researchers and the general public Headline indicators Managers, analysts and Policy briefs researchers from Indicator sets government, business and civil society and research Flagship publication institutions Headline publications Official statistics and geographic info Case studies and direct data collections Researchers Micro data on businesses, households or individuals Quantity of information Figure 3. Information and audience model for the ECA data and related information. Source: UNECA 65

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Both Geostat and NBG are participants and subscribers to the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). MoF is also part of the SDDS system. The SDDS is provided and monitored by IMF. SDDS is a glob- al benchmark for disseminating macroeconomic statistics to the public. SDDS subscription indicates that a country meets the test of “good statistical citizenship”. Upgrading to SDDS plus is planned within the strategy timeframe. The SDDS Plus4 is the highest tier in the IMF’s Data Standards Initiatives and builds on the progress achieved under the SDDS. NBG will apply the SDMX format for data sharing with IMF, namely MFSCBS - Central Bank survey and MFSODC - Other Depository Corporations will be shared in the SDMX format. Another challenge related to the dissemination practices of the GSS is to optimise the process for preparing responses to requests for statistical information. This will ensure that response time to the users’ letters is reduced. By 2023 Geostat aims to have 10% more individual visitors to the website annually and increase its number of followers and engagements across social networks by 20%. 4 As of end-February 2019, out of all IMF member countries there are 112 participants in the e-GDDS (General Data Dissemination Standard), 57 SDDS subscribers, and 18 SDDS Plus adherents. 66 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 2.3.1. Development of a policy on data dissemination Activity Result in 2023 Development of the strategy for data dissemina- New version of the communication and dissemi- tion and communication nation strategy is approved Published a policy on the treatment of errors, Preparing the policy/guidelines for assuring their corrections. Dissemination is performed in impartiality and objectivity in the production and accordance with the new policy. The document is dissemination of official statistics available at Geostat website Direction 2.3.2. Improving the content system of website Activity Result in 2023 New services are being added regularly to the Further development of Geostat website website (quarterly); Number of multimedia in- struments is increased Expanding sources and publishing new statistical Geostat website has covered the statistical infor- information produced by other state institutions mation produced by other producers of statistics Publish external sector statistics interactive Published tables on the NBG website (visualized) tables 67

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 2.3.3. Upgrading the dissemination practices Activity Result in 2023 Monitoring and analysis of users’ data requests Optimise the process for preparing responses to are introduced; Statistical content of the website requests for statistical information is updated in accordance with results of users’ data requests analysis Macroeconomic statistics is published and dis- Upgrade existing SDDS standard to SDDS Plus seminated in accordance with the highest avail- able IMF standard - SDDS plus MFSCBS - Central Bank survey shared with IMF in Implementation of SDMX format for data sharing SDMX format; MFSODC - Other Depository Corpo- with international financial organizations rations survey shared with IMF in SDMX format 68 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS BUILD THE STATISTICAL INFRASTRUCTURE 6.3. STRATEGIC GOAL 3: AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT The term “capacity” in statistics can be defined as the ability of NSSs to produce reliable, accu- rate, timely, relevant and internationally comparable data. Capacity development is the process used to create or strengthen this ability in statistical institutions, or in broader terms, to reform a country’s statistical system as a whole to make it more efficient and effective. It has various aspects such as legal infrastructure, human resources, financial resources, infrastructure and technical resources, standards, coordination roles of NSOs, relations with stakeholders/users and building partnerships. Capacity devel- opment is a continuous effort in the age of information and globalization. Geostat and the whole GSS, therefore, need to reform and modernize the infrastructure and adopt new developments to build their capacities as core and essential elements of the NSDS. Full Government support, particularly in making additional justified resources available, will be critical to the achievement of this strategic goal. The role of official statistics in developing countries needs to be based on the ESCoP which provides the basic principles and criteria for establishing sustainable and credible national systems of official sta- tistics. Therefore, the legal basis should be in line with GLOS and the ESCoP to ensure the necessary legal arrangements concerning professional independence, mandate for data collection and confidentiality are in place. The necessary amendments to LoS are to be made to ensure that NSO as well as other offi- cial statistics providers have all legal instruments in place to be able to produce reliable, high quality and free from any influence statistics. The development of an effective NSS is impossible without proper investment in IT and human resources. This is another important pillar in ensuring that the right conditions for development of sta- tistics are in place. In the era of reforms, high demand for reliable statistics and changing needs of users represent a big challenge that GSS and NSO in particular need to cope with. In order to be able to do so, the IT system should be modernized to catch up with the recent digital era trends and human manage- ment systems should be redesigned in a way that allows the retention and attraction of qualified staff to the system. 69

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 3.1. Improvement of legislative base in line with international standards There should be a sound legal basis mandating NSOs to perform their duties to produce official sta- tistics. It should include basic principles on data quality (relevance, accuracy, timeliness, comparability, coherence, accessibility and clarity) and precise division of labour among actors within the statistical system. The legal basis for official statistics in Georgia is not in full compliance with the recommendations set out in the GLOS. Although the LoS has been amended several times since 2009 and continuously improved, the recent GA underlines a set of recommendations for its full alignment with the GLOS as per the respective principles of the ESCoP. Implementation of GA recommendations concerning the LoS will ensure the existence of a proper legal base for effective and efficient functioning of NSS and NSO in particular. LoS needs to be amended to explicitly address several issues such as the concept of “profes- sional independence”, the status and appointment of an Executive Director (ED) of Geostat, revision of the role and mandate of the Board of Geostat and access to relevant administrative data for statistical purposes in accordance with the internationally recognised statistical principles. The status of the Executive Director of Geostat should be enhanced so that he/she is at the level of the highest (non-political) public servants in Georgia and should also be assigned sole responsibility for deciding on statistical methods, standards and procedures and on the content and timing of statistical releases. The tenure arrangements of the Executive Director should follow the relevant recommenda- tions of the GLOS i.e. a fixed term renewable once. Besides, the grounds for the possible dismissal of the Executive Director, prior to the expiry of his/her term of office, should be set out in the LoS and should exclude any explicit reasons that could compromise the statistical principles. The role and mandate of the Board of Geostat needs to be revised to align more closely with the statistical governance recommendations of the GLOS and to clarify the respective competences of the Board and the Executive Director. In particular, the Board of Geostat should not retain its current level of function with respect to the approval of statistical methodology as this should be the sole professional responsibility of the Executive Director. 70 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Regarding the mandate for data collection, the LoS should be amended to grant Geostat access for statistical purposes to relevant administrative data. The current arrangements for imposing sanctions for non-compliance should be reviewed and streamlined with mandatory demands from Geostat for data for statistical purposes. The LoS should be amended to exclude its current reference to the potential use of confidential data for non-statistical purposes i.e. delete “but for the exceptions envisaged under Georgian legisla- tion”. The article of the LoS related to access to the statistical data and their storage should be reviewed and any time restriction on the storage of confidential data in electronic form should be removed or qualified so that the ability to generate historical statistical analyses is not impaired. The LoS should be amended to permit access to confidential data for research and Geostat should develop appropriate rules and procedures in line with international best practice to guard against any unlawful disclosure of confidential returns in facilitating such access. Direction 3.1.1. Preparation of amended law in line with the international frameworks and recommendations Activity Result in 2023 The professional independence of Geostat is in Amending the Law on Official Statistics in line compliance with ESCoP; Articles on mandate for with the international requirements and Global data collection are in line with the principle of Assessment recommendations ESCoP; Articles on statistical confidentiality are in line with the principle of ESCoP. 71

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 3.2. Establishing sustainable IT and development of data protection systems Effective use of modern information technologies is a core requirement for all statistical systems. The rapid changes and developments in the field of information technologies necessitate that statisti- cal systems adapt quickly to the new environment. Continuing investment in information technology (staffing, hardware and software systems) must, therefore, be a strategic imperative. Geostat’s approach prioritizes the productivity and quality in the processes of statistics production and dissemination by utilizing the existing IT infrastructure and applications. The GA raised concerns about the low level of investment in IT and, as a consequence, the sustainability of the current approach. In response, Geostat needs to prepare an IT Development Strategy in order to update the information technologies for the production of quality statistics and presentation of statistics to users in all processes from collection to dissemination of data, whilst also producing new solutions. Additionally, planned Population and Agri- cultural Censuses pose a great demand for strong IT both in the implementation phase (e.g. using CAPI) as well as for data processing, storage and dissemination. The implementation of the IT Strategy as part of the NSDS 2020-2023 must therefore be a core objective. In this context, the IT capacity of Geostat needs to be assessed by qualified international experts. The IT Development Strategy will be developed to address the needs identified by the assessment. A particular focus should be placed on building and tailoring the tools that are used in the data collection and the data processing phases as well as upgrading the technical infrastructure accordingly (e.g. serv- ers, personal computers, etc.). Another important issue to address is the acquisition, updating and ongo- ing licencing of software products required by Geostat to deliver a modern statistical processing system. This is also a prerequisite for ability to address data confidentiality and security issues. The IT strategy should allow development of IT in such a way that it is able to support the implementation of strategic objectives under the NSDS, including, but not limited to, Censuses, the introduction of CAPI as a data collection tool, maintaining and upgrading the new website, etc. Geostat will also develop data protec- tion systems to ensure data confidentiality. This is especially important in light of possible amendments to the LoS concerning provision of access to the databases storages for Geostat. 72 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Another dimension in need of addressing is the strengthening of internal institutional communica- tion by facilitating internal information sharing. To do this, one of the tasks is to install an intranet for the sharing and storing of information (including educational and work-related material) so as to im- prove communications and to foster greater sharing of knowledge within the organisation. As a result of the efforts made under this objective, by 2023 an IT Development Strategy will be in place as well as IT policy on Data Protection and Security. Direction 3.2.1. Assessment of IT Systems Activity Result in 2023 Evaluation of the capacity and sustainability of Needs assessment on the IT development per- current IT system by international experts formed by international experts Direction 3.2.2. Development of IT Systems Activity Result in 2023 Strategy for the development of IT is adopted and published on the website; The infrastructure Elaboration of IT development strategy for networks, servers, hardware, software and databases is updated according to the IT strategy document 73

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 3.2.3 Development of data protection systems Activity Result in 2023 Development of data protection and security Adopted policy on data protection and security; policy document IT audit is performed Direction 3.2.4 Install the Geostat intranet Activity Result in 2023 Development and introduction of intranet at Geostat's internal communication portal is Geostat designed and introduced 74 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 3.3. Ensuring adequate staffing and the development of an Effective Human Resource Management System The situation analysis showed that the human resources, in terms of both numbers and expertise, available to Geostat and the wider GSS were relatively low compared to other comparable national sta- tistical systems. The capacity of the GSS to sustain the current statistical programme, not to mention its ability to respond to new and emerging needs, was questioned by the assessment team and the Govern- ment of Georgia was encouraged to recognise the problem and to respond in an appropriate manner by facilitating the recruitment and retention of adequate numbers of qualified and experience staff. The concept of “Human Resources” does not only mean recruiting adequate staff, but also in- volves producing an appropriate human resource development plan that improves internal and external communications, makes the best use of scarce skills and expertise, and provides for regular upgrades through training and education. There should be comprehensive programmes to make the staff aware of what they are required to achieve, how goals are determined and what resources staff members can call upon to support their personal development. The human resources management in Geostat and other ministries in the GSS intend to cultivate a motivated, professional team, to focus on the needs of em- ployees and to create a sustainable working environment. One of the human resources-related challenges in the GSS is high staff turnover. This is problematic as the public entities in Georgia are in the process of building up their capabilities for statistical staff in their institution and developing capacity to take on full requirements of the international and EU stan- dards. Loss of human capital can seriously hamper progress in the GSS. Considering the centralised na- ture of statistics production in Georgia and the fact that the largest share of official statistics is produced by Geostat, adequate human resources is an issue of particular importance for NSO. Outflow of qualified staff creates a serious risk for Geostat considering that it is currently functioning with already limited resources. In recent years, one of the main reasons for staff outflow, especially young permanent staff, was a significant difference in volume of remuneration between Geostat and other public entities. Al- though average salary levels have been increased recently to align more closely to the average salaries in other public entities, there is still much room for improvement both in regards to financial issues (e.g. remuneration) and accommodation. Currently neither the available working space per employee 75

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS nor the available technical equipment (in most of the cases outdated personal computers and laptops) provide comfortable working conditions. The issue of proper accommodation provision should be ad- dressed within the strategy period, especially in light of the upcoming Population and Agricultural Cen- suses, which will create an additional demand for adequate conditions to accommodate the high volume of Census-related staff. The general psychological welfare and attitude of staff should not be neglected in capacity de- velopment. Indeed, a positive attitude by staff towards reforms is indispensable to the success of pro- grammes. Thus, Geostat will develop programmes to create an attractive working environment for its staff. Another important component to be addressed to improve the working environment is the devel- opment and introduction of a flexible working schedule. A certain rate of staff turnover is inevitable in any organisation and is permissible to ensure con- tinuous inflow of new knowledge and skills. Capacity building activities or a training strategy will be developed to effectively support the training of newcomers and knowledge sharing from the most expe- rienced employees to the less experienced ones. In addition to an internal training system, employees should benefit from external trainings as well. Good knowledge and information about new methods and phenomena are important for the production of good quality statistics. Well targeted IT training is essential for the GSS for enhancing the production and dissemination of statistics. Management training is aimed at supporting the development of strategies, defining a statistical infrastructure, handling user requests, implementing new initiatives and achieving the mission and the vision of GSS. Management training should cover both top and middle level management. Strengthening the strategic role of human resources and formalizing a human resources policy is a step forward and one that is likely to benefit Geostat and whole statistical system in numerous ways both in the medium and long term. Due to the fact that provisions of the Law on Public Service have be- come mandatory for all LEPLs, Geostat will need to introduce a staff performance evaluation system in accordance with the criteria stipulated in the law. As a result of these activities, the rate of employee turnover, calculated as the number of leavers divided by total number of permanent staff for the same period, should be reduced to no more than 5% by 2023. Additionally, a staff satisfaction survey will be introduced in 2019 to constantly monitor staff satisfaction rate. Apart from rating their satisfaction in various aspects of the working environment, an employee will be able to provide suggestions and ideas for the improvement of staff well-being. By 2023, Geostat aims to have at least 80% positive feedback from the survey. 76 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 3.3.1. Development of motivated professional team in GSS Activity Result in 2023 Development and implementation of a policy for Created HR Management Guidelines; Geostat is the recruitment and retention of qualified and represented in all thematic employment forums experienced staff The system is implemented and all Geostat em- Introduction of a performance evaluation system ployees are evaluated with the new performance in accordance with the national legislation evaluation system 77

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 3.3.2. Elaborate capacity development programmes for the personnel to create an attractive and sustainable environment Activity Result in 2023 The staffing levels and accommodation needs are assessed and addressed by the respective actions to improve employee well-being; Remuneration increased Development of mechanisms for enhanc- by 10% and have been made more comparable with the ing employee well-being officials in other areas of the public service; Accommodation conditions are improved and equipment is renewed; A flexible work schedule is introduced GSS Staff assessment conducted and capacity develop- ment needs are identified; Training strategy is elaborated Elaboration of GSS employees capacity and implemented bringing more systematic basis on development scheme skills development of GSS staff in general and Geostat staff in particular, and focusing on the IT skills of relevant staff 78 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 3.4. Establishing modern and up-to-date system of classification and registers Although the statistical business register held by Geostat is largely in line with international recom- mendations such as Eurostat’s “Business registers – Recommendations manual” and UNECE’s “Guide- lines on Statistical Business Registers”, there is a need to introduce a wider range of statistical units in the statistical business register, including local units. A population register for statistical purposes should be established as a strategic issue and a matter of urgency. The Census of Population will have a key role in underpinning the quality of the register and it is vital, therefore, that this should be taken into account in planning the upcoming census (linked to Objective 1.1. Chapter 6.1). Presently, Georgia does not have a farm register for statistical or administrative purposes. Geostat, however, created a Master Sample Frame (MSF) for agricultural surveys based on the 2014 Censuses of Agriculture and Population. The MSF would provide a good basis for developing a farm register for sta- tistical purposes. In close cooperation with MEPA, Geostat will work on the development of a Farm Reg- ister and link it to the forthcoming Agricultural Census. MEPA, as the main stakeholder, will be respon- sible for the maintenance and updating of the register. Currently, approximately 16% of the register is completed, mainly based on the administrative source of MEPA, in the form of a list of farmers that are beneficiaries of any government farmers support programme. On top of creating Population and farm registers, the strategy targets further improving the compliance of the existing Business register with international standards and GA recommendations, so as by 2023 it is at least 95% aligned to the recent international requirements. As the main coordinator of statistics production, Geostat will cooperate closely with the relevant GSS members to develop registers and classification systems. The Ministry of Justice, as the key stake- holder, will work with Geostat to build a Population register for statistical purposes. Additionally, intro- ducing a Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) classification for Georgia will be studied to develop the procedures for the production of a wider range of relevant statistics at the regional level. MRDI, supported by international partners, will be responsible for studying the EU NUTS classification system and its potential implementation in Georgia. Geostat will be involved in the process to oversee the perspectives for NUTS classification use in the national context. 79

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 3.4.1. Development of register systems in line with international recommendations Activity Result in 2023 Reduction of missing data in business Missing data in business registers are reduced by 5% register Adopted and implemented strategic plan on the loca- Preparation of roadmap for developing tion of the registers, procedures for gaining full access population register and linking of the register to the next Census of Popu- lation returned to individual and household levels Farm registers have been developed and introduced Establishment of farm registers in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture Direction 3.4.2. Establishing a classification system covering the whole GSS Activity Result in 2023 Introducing new and updating existing All classifications are in full alignment with the classifications recent international methodologies Conduct the Inception Study on the EU NUTS classification system and the related Inception study prepared and published perspectives and needs of its gradual on the MRDI website introduction in Georgia 80 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Objective 3.5. Fostering a good image and reputation, increasing credibility and developing trust in official statistics Establishing and ensuring the operability of a statistics system is a long-term task that requires strong coordination, cooperation and effort. Fostering a good image and developing trust in statistics is directly related with increasing the awareness, strengthening coordination and communication with us- ers and relevant institutions, and enhancing cooperation with international organizations and partners. Since Geostat, as NSO, produces and disseminates official statistics on behalf of Georgia, coordinates the GSS and represents it at international events and committees, the national and international reputation of Geostat is directly linked to the perception of Georgia’s official statistics among society and the inter- national community. Therefore, an image of NSO as a reputable and credible institution is an important prerequisite for fostering credibility and trust in official statistics. The image and reputation of other of- ficial statistics providers, like NBG, extends well beyond just the provision of statistics, but rather being the main institution to ensure price stability and implement monetary policy according to the main di- rections of the monetary and foreign exchange policy defined by the Parliament of Georgia. Conversely, the image of Geostat is centred solely on official statistics. Geostat has greatly benefited from international cooperation, both through twinning projects and other collaborations with national statistical offices from other countries, and through support from in- ternational organisations. However, a clear plan setting out strategic priorities would be useful for Geo- stat and the GSS in general. It would provide a framework against which offers of cooperation could be assessed to make sure that they would contribute to strategic objectives. The strategy itself can be con- sidered as a planned approach or roadmap to seeking technical assistance and initiating projects, which are linked to medium- and long-term strategic objectives to be funded by developmental partners. In- ternational cooperation is especially important in light of plans for further implementation of interna- tional methodologies, standards and mastering the modern tools for statistics production. A successful example of international cooperation is the EU-funded twinning project “Strengthening the capacities of the Georgian statistical system”, which is carried out by Statistics Denmark and Geostat. The project is supporting the implementation of strategy activities in the following domains: External Trade, National Accounts, Business statistics and Social Statistics. Other key international partners of the GSS include, 81

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA STRATEGIC GOALS but are not limited to: IMF (partnering in the national accounts domain with Geostat, NBG and MoF); SIDA (provided long-term technical support to Geostat) and UNDP. As a result of the planned activities, the strategy aims to increase the number of references to of- ficial statistics in local media by 5% annually. In terms of international cooperation, Geostat aims to be represented as either member or chairman in 15 international committees or councils by 2023. Another important component for building a good image is social responsibility. Therefore, Geo- stat, as well as other official statistics providers, will participate in social campaigns. Additionally, efforts will be made to make official statistics and Geostat’s website in general more accessible for people with disabilities. Direction 3.5.1. Increase awareness of Geostat and its services Activity Result in 2023 Number of meetings with media increased by 10% Strengthen relations with media and compared to 2019; 20 meetings have been organized conduct awareness raising campaign on with other targeted user groups per year; Number statistics of references to Geostat in the media is significantly increased. 82 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 STRATEGIC GOALS Direction 3.5.2. Strengthening cooperation with international partners and improving international image Activity Result in 2023 New international partnership opportunities are Identify new partners and start negotia- identified and at least 4 new international projects are tions with them to expand cooperation initiated Direction 3.5.3. Striving for social responsibility Activity Result in 2023 Geostat participates in at least two social or/and sport Striving for social responsibility activities, such as blood donation, environment clean-up campaign, national marathons Adaptation of a particular part of the website to users Develop special services for users with with disabilities; Preparation of special leaflets with disabilities Braille transcription. 83

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA LOGICAL FRAMEWORK 7. LOGICAL FRAMEWORK LOGICAL FRAMEWORK This section will include nice graphic of logical framework (currently developed as a separate excel document) The targets of 17.18 and 17.19 under SDG 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and Produce high quality official statistics based on user GOAL 1: Link to SDGs revitalize the global needs partnership for sustainable development) are directly related to NSDS Goal 1 Baseline Target Sources of Verification Satisfaction rate of users (according to Year 2019 2023 IMPACT user satisfaction Indicator 1.1: surveys related to Baseline the statistical Results of user satisfaction indicator will services of Geostat) Indicator Baseline rate surveys be available in data improved by 20% November, 2019 Baseline Target Sources of Verification Percentage of Year 2019 2023 IMPACT 1. Administration of produced indicators Indicator 1.2: Government assessment for SDGs reports on SDGs Indicator 80% 95% data 2. Data availability studies OBJECTIVE 1.1: Production of statistical information to support evidence-based decision making Baseline Target Sources of Verification Year 2019 2023 Targeted user satisfaction OUTCOME Satisfaction rate of survey to measure indicator 1.1.1 public sector users Baseline frequency of use of indicator will statistics for decision Indicator be available in At least 90% making, trust, confidence, data November, relevance and timeliness 2019 of statistical data 84 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK Baseline Target Sources of Verification Time needed to OUTCOME respond to public Year 2019 2023 Strategic Planning, Indicator 1.1.2 sector users data requests Coordination and Indicator Communication 7 working days 5 working days data Department, Geostat Insufficient involvement of other statistics providers in Georgia Risks Inadequate financial, human and IT resources OBJECTIVE 1.2: Production of official statistics in full compliance with international standards and guidelines Baseline Target Sources of Verification Key indicators are produced in OUTCOME accordance to the Year 2019 2023 Information on Indicator 1.2.1 recent international methodologies available at standards and Geostat website; guidelines Indicator Methodology and Quality 77% At least 90% data Management Division of Geostat Low support from international partners Risks Difficulties with interpretation and adaptation of international standards OBJECTIVE 1.3: Improvement of data quality Baseline Target Sources of Verification Introduction of Year 2019 2023 OUTCOME Quality self- Indicator 1.3.1 Quality self- assessment Data quality self- assessment is Indicator assessment reports N/A introduced in all data subject matter departments Baseline Target Sources of Verification Satisfaction rate of users with the Year 2019 2023 OUTCOME available metadata, Indicator 1.3.2 Baseline as measured in user indicator will User satisfaction survey satisfaction surveys Indicator be available by Improved baseline reports data the end of indicator by 20% November, 2019 Inadequate human and IT resources Risks Weak cooperation with administrative data keepers 85

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA LOGICAL FRAMEWORK OBJECTIVE 1.4: Promote the use of statistics Baseline Target Sources of Verification Established system Year 2019 2023 for regular user OUTCOME satisfaction survey Regular Indicator 1.4.1 No systematic by different user comprehensive Regular user satisfaction groups user Indicator user survey is surveys of Geostat satisfaction data conducted once in surveys in 2 years by the place internet Baseline Target Sources of Verification Number of people with improved Year 2019 2023 statistics literacy as OUTCOME a result of annual Self-assessment forms Indicator 1.4.2 literacy 70 persons filled by statistics literacy development At least 100 people Indicator with post-test development programme programmes with post-test data score at least participants score 70% or above 70% Insufficient involvement of other statistics providers in Georgia Risks Inadequate financial, human and IT resources Unavailability of international partners The targets of 17.18 and 17.19 under SDG 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and Build effective, modern and sustainable statistical GOAL 2: Link to SDGs revitalize the global production processes partnership for sustainable development) are directly related to NSDS Goal 2 Baseline Target Sources of Verification Year 2019 2023 Assemsssment of efectiveness and The next GA sustainability of positively evaluates IMPACT statistical the progress Indicator 2.1: production achieved in terms processes by the of improved Global Assesment Report next round of Global Indicator N/A efficiency and Assessment data sustainability of statistical production processes 86 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK Baseline Target Sources of Verification User satisfaction Year 2019 2023 IMPACT rate on Indicator 2.2: dissemination of statistical data First results will User satisfaction surveys Indicator be available in Baseline rate data November, improved by 20% 2019 OBJECTIVE 2.1: Modernization and standardization of the statistical information production process Level of preparation Baseline Target Sources of Verification of the basis for the OUTCOME transition to Year 2019 2023 Indicator 2.1.1 Generic Statistical Business Process Road map is developed Model (GSBPM) Indicator 15% 100% data Baseline Target Sources of Verification Year 2019 2023 At least 2 annual Reduced time survey results OUTCOME needed for statistics production will be Indicator 2.1.2 production Annual reduced by Annual Statistical work Indicator statistical work minimum 5 days; programme for 2023 data programme for at least 2 quarter 2019 survey results production will be reduced by minimum 1 day Risks Lack of support from international partners in assessing the possibilities to GSBPM transition OBJECTIVE 2.2: Establishment of a modern and comprehensive data collection system Baseline Target Sources of Verification Share of surveys OUTCOME conducted by Year 2019 2023 Indicator 2.2.1 modern data collection tools Geostat internal reports Indicator 70% Over 90% data 87

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA LOGICAL FRAMEWORK Baseline Target Sources of Verification Share of administrative OUTCOME sources for Year 2019 2023 Indicator 2.2.2 production of official statistics Geostat internal reports Indicator 28% 40% data Insufficient involvement of administrative data providers Risks Lack of cooperation with owners of big data (e.g. retail chains) Technical difficulties with introduction of modern data collection tools OBJECTIVE 2.3: Improvement of practices for dissemination and communication processes Baseline Target Sources of Verification Number of unique OUTCOME visitors of official Indicator 2.3.1 website/number of Year 2019 2023 downloads Website analytics Indicator 10% higher than 562 thousand data baseline Baseline Target Sources of Verification Number of the OUTCOME “followers” and Indicator 2.3.2 "engagements" of in Year 2019 2023 social networks Social network analytics Indicator 20% higher than 15 thousand data baseline Low interest towards official statistics. Risks Insufficient IT resources The targets of 17.18 and 17.19 under SDG 17 (strengthen the means of Building the statistical infrastructure and capacity implementation and GOAL 3: Link to SDGs development revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development) are directly related to NSDS Goal 3 Baseline Target Sources of Verification Compliance of LoS IMPACT with GLOS and Year 2019 2023 Indicator 3.1: respective provisions of ESCoP 80-85% At least 95% Law on Official Statistics Indicator compliance compliance with data with GLOS (as GLOS defined by GA) 88 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK Baseline Target Sources of Verification Number of qualified staff with statistical IMPACT Year 2019 2023 background, foreign Strategic Planning, Indicator 3.2: language and Coordination and computer skills Indicator Communication 55% At least 70% data Department OBJECTIVE 3.1: Improvement of legislative base in line with international standards Baseline Target Sources of Verification Level of Year 2019 2023 implementation of OUTCOME Global Assessment Indicator 3.1.1 Almost all GA recommendations in relation to recommendations LoS amended and legislative base Indicator related to published N/a data statistical legislation are implemented Delay with adoption of amendments to the LoS Risks Low supprot from other entities to the LoS amendments OBJECTIVE 3.2: Establishing sustainable IT and development of data protection systems Baseline Target Sources of Verification OUTCOME IT Development Year 2019 2023 Indicator 3.2.1 Strategy is in place Strategy IT development strategy Indicator IT Development document data Strategy is in place doesn't exist Baseline Target Sources of Verification IT Policy on data OUTCOME Year 2019 2023 protection and Indicator 3.2.2 security is in place IT Policy document of Policy Indicator IT Policy document Geostat document data is developed doesn't exist Insufficient financial resources for attraction and retention of highly qualified IT personnel Risks Unavailability of qualified firm to perform assessment of IT Low support from international partners 89

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA LOGICAL FRAMEWORK OBJECTIVE 3.3: Ensuring adequate staffing and the development of Effective Human Resource Management System Baseline Target Sources of Verification Year 2019 2023 Strategic Planning, Coordination and OUTCOME Communication Rate of employee Indicator 3.3.1 Department. Calculated as turnover number of leavers divided Indicator by total number of 9% 5% data employees at the same period of time (quarter/year) Baseline Target Sources of Verification Year 2019 2023 OUTCOME Staff satisfaction Indicator 3.3.3 rate Baseline Employee satisfaction indicator will surveys in Geostat Indicator be available in At least 80% data December, 2019 Lack of financial resources to ensure continuous improvement of working conditions Risks Outflow of qualified staff caused by high demand for analytical staff in other state agencies OBJECTIVE 3.4: Establishing modern and up-to-date system of classification and registers Baseline Target Sources of Verification System of statistical registers (statistical Year 2019 2023 business register (SBR), Population Register (PR), Farm OUTCOME 1. At least 95% SBR Register (FR)) is in 1. Updated Business Indicator 3.4.1 2. New population line with Register System in Geostat; census is international 1. 90% SBR Indicator conducted; 2. Population census standards and 2. 0% PR data potential sources materials; road map requirements (GA 3. 16% FR are identified; report) road map is developed 90 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK Level of Baseline Target Sources of Verification introduction of the latest versions of OUTCOME international Indicator 3.4.2 Year 2019 2023 statistical Methodology and Quality classifications and Management Division of Indicator nomenclatures 70% 100% Geostat data Insufficient involvement of other entities that are responsible for maintenance of registers (e.g MEPA, Risks SDA) OBJECTIVE 3.5: Fostering a good image and reputation, increasing credibility and developing trust in official statistics Baseline Target Sources of Verification Number of OUTCOME references to Indicator 3.5.1 Geostat in local Year 2019 2023 media Results of tracking of Indicator media mentions 6000 5% annual growth data Baseline Target Sources of Verification Number of OUTCOME memberships or Indicator 3.5.2 chairing of Year 2019 2023 Department of Strategic international Planning, Coordination and committees Indicator 8 15 Communication data Risks Unavailability of international partners 91

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION 8. IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION The coordination mechanism used in the process of strategy development will be retained to en- sure effective implementation of the strategy and associated action plan. The Interagency Council, es- tablished by the Government Resolution №189 dated 12 April 2019 for the strategy development, will continue to exist over the whole strategy period, 2020-2023, to oversee the implementation of the NSDS. The Council includes: the Executive Director of Geostat, who acts as chairman of the Council; Deputy Ministers from all line Ministries; the Vice President of the National Bank of Georgia; and repre- sentative from the Administration of Government. The Council will ensure high level support and com- mitment of NSS members towards effective and timely implementation of the strategy. The strategy implementation and monitoring thereof will be coordinated by Geostat. Geostat will also coordinate the evaluation process. Geostat will organize regular, annual meetings with the Council to present the results of monitoring in the form of an annual monitoring report. The structure of the an- nual monitoring report will be in line with the national guidelines. Policy level Interagency Council Secretariat Geostat, Department of Strategic Planning,Coordination and Communication Technical level Interagency Working Groups Figure 4. Coordination mechanism 92 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023 IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION The Secretariat, represented by the Department of Strategic Planning, Coordination and Communi- cation of Geostat, will be responsible for the monitoring of the strategy and the action plan implementa- tion process in accordance with an approved M&E plan. The monitoring will be conducted once every six months and will be presented in the form of a progress report. The structure of the progress report will strictly follow annex 6 of the national guidelines. The progress report will include the results of monitor- ing the action plan activities’ implementation. Moreover, the annual monitoring report will summarize the key achievements at both strategic objective and activity indicator levels, with its main focus being on the achievement of the strategic objectives. This report will be presented by the Secretary to the Council for consideration and approval. All annual monitoring reports will also be distributed to the NSS member institutions and will be made public and uploaded to the appropriate section of the website no later than 60 calendar days after the reporting period. The Interagency working groups will be preserved in the form of thematic groups/committees that will ensure effective communication, especially in the case of collaborative activities of the action plan, throughout the whole strategy period. Members of thematic groups will not be represented by the indi- viduals but rather by the structural units (affiliations) and will determine official contact points for the strategy and action plan implementation process. The thematic groups will support the Secretariat in the monitoring process through provision of relevant information and status reports (where appropri- ate) and will be involved in respective activities implementation on behalf of partner entities. Monitoring will be performed using the Advanced Data Planning Tool (ADAPT). ADAPT is a cloud based tool made available by PARIS21 to support NSDS development, monitoring and evaluation. ADAPT digitalizes the NSDS M&E framework and proposes several features to report on progress. It also offers different zooming into the actual content of the NSDS, to provide continuous monitoring of the progress status. By showing institutional responsibilities, it can help identify the potential delays and address them in a timely fashion. Geostat, as coordinator of M&E, will assign programme users and organize re- spective trainings on ADAPT for those members of working groups that are supposed to be involved in the monitoring process. Once the strategy period has concluded, by the end of 2023, strategy evaluation will be performed. The evaluation will assess the impacts that the strategy had on the system of official statistics devel- opment and will serve as a base for the development of the next medium-term strategy. Impact indi- cators of strategic goals will be assessed and compared to the baseline (where applicable) and target values. The evaluation will follow the national guidelines, annex 6, and, in order to ensure objectivity and impartiality, will be performed by an independent consultant/subcontractor. The Secretariat will be responsible for the development of Terms of Reference and the conducting of a tender to select an ap- propriate sub-contractor. Evaluation results will be presented to the Council and final evaluation report will be uploaded at the respective section of Geostat website. The next round of the GA, which may co- incide with the end of the strategy period, will serve as a comprehensive assessment tool to depict the 93

2020-2023 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION effect of the strategy implementation on the state of the NSS. The next GA will show the progress made to increase the level of compliance of the GSS with the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Offi- cial Statistics (FPs) and the ESCoP. Additional complimentary sources of assessment of national statisti- cal system development such as international external ratings and assessments can be considered, for example: World Bank’s Statistical Capacity Indicator5 and Open Data Inventory rating6. However, these rating should not serve as a primary assessment tool or as the main reference as they do not fully assess the level and effectiveness of strategy implementation in addition to its impact on GSS development. In- stead, they focus on the comparability of certain aspects of the NSS with those of other developing and developed countries. 5 The World Bank’s Statistical Capacity Indicator is a composite score assessing the capacity of a country’s statistical system. It is based on a diagnostic frame- work assessing the following areas: methodology; data sources; and periodicity and timeliness. Indicator can be assessed online at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IQ.SCI.OVRL?locations=GE&view=chart 6 The Open Data Inventory (ODIN) assesses the coverage and openness of official statistics. International raiting can be assessed online at: https://odin.opendatawatch.com 94 NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF GEORGIA 2020-2023