Overview

UNSIAP’s objective is to improve the national capability in official statistics of developing countries in the ESCAP region through practically oriented training courses and to build or strengthen statistical training capacity in the region’s developing countries that are in transition, landlocked, least developed or island communities. The training programme of SIAP consists of courses conducted at SIAP’s premises in Chiba, Tokyo Metropolitan Area (TMA), Japan, outreach programme and distance training.  The TMA-based course consists of two type of courses: (a) those that are conducted in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA): SIAP-JICA TMA-based courses and (b) short-term TMA-based courses, either organized by SIAP alone or in collaboration with other organizations. Participants of these courses are selected from nominations received from developing countries upon invitation by SIAP. Those countries eligible include member and associate member states of ESCAP although countries from other regions also participate in SIAP-JICA TMA-based courses.

Activities

SIAP training is organized to meet both requirements for international statistics and countries’ specific needs. It covers all area of official statistics from theory to practice, from economic statistics to social and demographic ones, and from organizational and legal framework to technical details. Programme delivery is demand driven so that programmes are designed to take into account the level of participants’ knowledge and skills and the priorities set by national statistical systems for subject matter content. Courses are conducted in three ways:

Programmes conducted in TMA, Japan

a. SIAP-JICA TMA-based courses
Regular training courses are conducted at the premises of SIAP and fellowships for attending group training courses are normally funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Four courses are conducted regularly, these being a four month course in production and development of official statistics in support for national development including the achievement of MDGs; a two month course on the application of information management and related ICT for official statistics; two month course on the analysis, interpretation and use of official statistics: and, a two month area focused course on integrated economic statistics including SNA for Central Asian countries
b. Short-term TMA-based courses
These courses with three to five days duration focus on specific issues of concern to NSOs. These courses complement the SIAP-JICA TMA-based courses and provide an opportunity to exchange experiences as well as to discuss common problems while implementing internationally agreed statistical standards in statistical collection, compilation and dissemination of official statistics. 

Outreach Programme conducted outside of Japan

The outreach programme complements the courses conducted in Japan. It is carried out with the collaboration of NSOs, related training institutes, international organizations and donor agencies. The courses, normally conducted at country, sub-regional and regional levels, are of short-term duration, usually from one to two weeks. The programme currently includes courses / workshops on statistics for MDG Indicators; sample design for household and establishment / enterprise surveys; statistical quality management and fundamental principles of official statistics; price statistics and the International Comparison Programme; a management seminar for the heads of national statistical offices in Asia and the Pacific; and, the system of national accounts. These courses are set at regional or sub-regional level and can be further complemented by country specific training programmes.

Distance training

Distance training is conducted to provide officials with basic knowledge and skills about statistics and statistical software to help prepare them for attendance at a full-time training course.

Participants in all courses are required, after the completion of their training, to share their new knowledge and skills with colleagues in their countries.

By the end of March 2010 about 12,000 government officials/statisticians have been trained since 1970. Out of these about 3,000 officials attended courses conducted under the TMA based courses and remaining 9,000 officials participated in the outreach programme and the distance training.   As for the academic year 2009 (from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010), a total of 555 official statisticians were trained: 95 in TMA based programme, 350 in the outreach programme, and 110 in the distance training programme conducted on trial basis.

For SIAP publications and other information on its outputs/activities visit the webpage at: www.unsiap.or.jp

Received November 2010