Lao Statistics Bureau
Country Report
Challenges in Promoting Data and
Data Dissemination Policies
20-22 June 2012
Prepared by:
Ms. Sulaphanh PHIMPHAPHONGSAVATH
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Contents
• I. Background Information
• II. Work program in Dissemination
• III. The Challenges in Promoting Data and
Data Dissemination Strategies
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I. Background Information
China
Lao flag
Area:
236.800 km2
Myanmar
Border to:
Lao logo
Vietnam
Thailand
Vientiane Capital city
Cambodia
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I. Background Information (Cont.)
Some Indicators:
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Total land area:
Population:
Population growth (annual):
Population density is
GDP (growth rate):
236.800 Km2
6,3 M (2011)
2,1%
27 p. per km2.
7,9% (2011)
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II. Work program in Dissemination
The government of Lao PDR aims to use the
General Data Dissemination Standard (GDDS) which
comprises four main properties (“dimensions”) which
serve as objectives when compiling and
disseminating data.
Those dimensions are: data (coverage,
periodicity, and timeliness), quality, integrity, and
access by the public.
Therefore, the Lao Statistics Bureau has played a
core role in supporting and cooperating with other
statistics producers within the national statistical
system to employ GDDS in their data dissemination.
The main activities undertaken are:
Activities:
1. Define and improve official statistics as well as raw
data dissemination policies taking into account users’
needs. Although currently we still cannot determine
an appropriate statistical release schedule to allow
universal access to the data by various users, we treat
this as our long-term strategy.
2. Produce manual on how to documents data.
3. Improve and expand modes of dissemination to
increase variety and timeliness specifically through
the use of website to disseminate various surveys’
results.
The Lao Statistics Bureau will determine
schedules for statistical releases, publications
and the release through the website.
Geographical Information System (GIS)
mapping will be used as one of dissemination
methods; and LaoInfo software will be used to
disseminate economic and social indicators.
In addition, the Lao Statistics Bureau will
attempt to expand formats of statistics to
make available data by province on the top of
national data;
4. Develop and establish statistical service
(dissemination) team to efficiently provide
information to users.
5. Conduct users’ satisfaction and data quality
surveys by developing suitable questionnaire
that can measure expectation, satisfaction,
and opinion on timeliness, accuracy and
reliability of data.
Information about dissemination
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LSB has provide variety of formats to suit user
needs:
Print publications
yearbooks, reports, brochures, factsheets, etc.
Interactive databases
CD, USB, etc.
Electronic products
website, electronic publications, PDF, etc.
Services
sales counter, hotline, library
Statistics Publication
http://www.lsb.gov.la
http://www.lsb.gov.la/decide
and http://www.decide.la
http://www.lsb.gov.la/nada
http://www.laoinfo.gov.la (will be
online in this year)
III. The Challenges in Promoting Data
and Data Dissemination Srategies
1. Promoting Data:
• Developing a good, efficient and effective National
Statistical System (NSS) is necessary and important for the
country to improve the quality of official statistics as
according to statistical scientific approaches and
methodologies with the appropriate production and
dissemination processes.
• Improve and strengthen the foundation for the development
of statistical production both in term of quantity and quality,
to ensure that the NSS is comparable to international
standards, and to increase credibility of the NSS with best
practices
2. The biggest challenges
• Staff competence does not effectively meet the needs of
the national statistical system. Comparing with many
countries and to statistical needs, numbers of statistical
staff are still small.
• The application of new technology into statistical activities
is still limited due to insufficient capacity and funds.
• Statistics production and dissemination are still not fully
comprehensive as follows:
– The use of statistical concepts, standards,
methodologies as well as classification systems is still
not satisfactory.
– Statistics production is not comprehensive. For
example, many main indicators cannot be
produced such as real national income; many price
statistics cannot be calculated and the annual
assessment is not continuous and lacks clear
methodology.
– Most of the reports are produced on an annual
basis; reports on quarterly basis and monthly basis
are still limited; and the statistical newsletter is still
unavailable.
• There is long distance between available
statistical data and user’s need
• Technical infrastructure for statistical activities
are limited
• Lack of fresh information and provincial/
district levels database
3. Data Dissemination Strategies
Statistics is only useful if they are used. LSB has
strives to productively implementing the tasks of
dissemintion by:
1. Providing user-friendly statistical information/data
to users.
2. Employing ranges of dissemination tools/techniques
3. Ensuring coherence and effectiveness
4. Diversifying method of knowledge production
5. Producing dissemination guideline/ style guide