ENHANCING STATISTICAL LEADERSHIP FOR HEADS OF NATIONAL STATISTICALOFFICES (NSOs) IN ASIA and the PACIFICREGIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP
4-6 September 2024, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

CONCEPT NOTE
Background
With the increased and evolving demand for data from national development plans, Agenda 2030 forsustainable development goals, the current and post crisis affecting the World, including climate change; aswell as the opportunity available with the new technology including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) forthe modernisation and digital transformation of national data ecosystems; National statistical offices (NSOs)
continue to be at the forefront of developing, transforming and coordinating national statistical systems (NSS)
as well as engaging with the larger data ecosystem to fit for purpose.
National statistical systems (NSS) in low and middle-income countries need to innovate and adapt quickly not
only in terms of data production, but also in more effectively re-using, analysing, disseminating andcommunicating other existing sources of development data. The development of strong leadership andmanagement skills at both senior- and mid - levels is key to ensure NSOs are positioned to drive change andoperate in modern and dynamic data ecosystems. In this context, enhancing leadership skills of leaders of NSO
through targeted trainings is an important strategy to position the NSO/NSS to respond to emerging dataneeds, strengthen institutional reputation, and build trust among citizens.
Therefore, NSO heads should be capacitated to effectively lead their own organization but also to coordinate
the national statistical system and the data ecosystem at large. As part of its program to strengthen national
statistical systems, PARIS21 has developed a statistical leadership training for NSO heads, since 2015, andimplemented in collaboration with the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (UN SIAP).
The latest leadership training workshop was organised in 2023.
As part of its continued effort to support countries in strengthening NSSs and to increase the number of NSO
heads that would benefit from the statistical leadership training, UN SIAP and PARIS21 in collaboration with
the National Statistics Office of Mongolia will organize another round of trainings for this year in Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia, from 4-6 September 2024. This regional statistical leadership training will gather around 20 NSO
heads, providing a space for knowledge sharing and peer-learning.

Why to attend this training
This training will provide NSO heads with leadership skills to improve their effectiveness through greaterawareness of their strengths and weaknesses and the challenges they face both internally within theirorganization and externally within the larger environment they are engaging with. Often, NSO heads rarely
have the opportunity to receive extensive feedback from staff and stakeholders outside. It is necessary tohave to open opportunity and understanding to build a comprehensive plan for driving success within the NSO
and the NSS, and by extension the data ecosystem.
Each individual has his/her own leadership style. Nurturing and developing these styles and skills with keen
understanding and awareness of the challenges surrounding them will significantly improve their positive selfPage 1 of 5

engagement, collaboration, and contribution to the field they are engaged in. Leadership can be nurtured anddeveloped if it is enabled to flourish in each individual using best practices built around: (1) assessment tools
to help leaders look within and examine their identity, leadership skills and challenges and set developmental
goals; (2) challenge-oriented, experiential, team-based activities that leverage their own experiences in cocreating solutions to enhance leadership skills; and (3) support through a peer learning and mentoring modelthat enable leaders to share their challenges, utilize innovation techniques and chart a course for greater
effectiveness. Self-knowledge is an important key to effective leadership.
It is also essential to understand that coordination is an important part of the leadership and managementrole of the NSO head. Coordination includes organizing one’s own work and effectively linking it with theoverall organizational or institutional workflow, including external engagement. Coordination skills include:
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attending to several activities simultaneously in the new data landscape;prioritizing and shifting activities where needed according to priority data demand;
linking statistical activity plans with those of other work streams in the NSS and working with otherentities/stakeholders with objectives different from own organization;
dealing with unexpected crises, obstacles or interruptions, e.g. delivering data in times of Covid-19;
managing upward and downward relations: the political role of coordination of NSS stakeholders, etc;
creating a space for exchange of best practices and to strengthen leadership skills and visibility offemale leaders in statistics.

The Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL), a non-profit educational institution with an exclusive focus on andworldwide reputation in leadership development and research, will lead and facilitate this Regional StatisticalLeadership Training in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, under the supervision of PARIS21 and UN SIAP in collaboration
with The National Statistics Office of Mongolia.

Training Objectives
The training intends to unlock the participants’ potential to be effective in leadership roles and processes withfocus on statistical development areas. Further, the participants will be able to explain and model theirlearning to others in their national statistical systems and promote leadership among mid-managers.
Participants will be able to disseminate what they have learned by taking active roles in leadership and also
develop creativity through the activities and tools provided in the training to advance the statisticaldevelopment agenda in their countries and region.
The participants will learn about:••••essentials of leadership: Direction, Alignment, Commitment to deliver quality statistics to users andits impact on changing prople’s lives
key drivers of effective leadership development in statistics development
the importance of Emotional Intelligence, psychological safety, feedback and its use in statisticalorganization and development
exchange of best practices for inclusive leadership, strengthening soft skills linked to supporting staff
in their career progression.

Expected takeaways
By the end of the training, participants will be able to:•Use tools for effective leadership tools including social and emotional intelligence to improve theenvironment and efficiency of the NSO staff and facilitate NSS coordination•

Work better as a team - collaborating more effectively.:•Understand change leadership vs change management, listening to understand, network analysis,
feedback, individual goal setting and its use in promoting statistics development
Page 2 of 5••Understand the need for providing feedback in the workplace (learn about giving effective feedback;review common mistakes in delivering feedback; create a plan of action for more effectively delivering
feedback to others)
Explore inclusive leadership and how it can improve influence.

•Understand why inclusive leadership is important to create a harmonious workplace where staff canprogress in the areas where they thrive.

•Have established a network with other peers.

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Training Programme: 4-6 September 2024, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Day 1 – Wednesday 4 September 2024
Welcome remarks: Government of Mongolia (tbd)
Opening remarks – UN SIAPPARIS21 Frame the context – “What brings us here?”
Introductions - Leaders in the Room, Societal Advancement
Social Identity
DAC (Effective leadership), Societal Organizational Group, Individual (SOGI) & organizational
cultures. Experiential activity – Move the statistical data
Emotional Intelligence and its use to lead in statistics
Listening to UnderstandCompletion of Change Style Indicator assessment for Day 2
End of Day 1

Day 2 – Thursday 5 September 2024
Review Day 1
Psychological Safety
Feedback
Change Leadership vs Change Management
Change Style Indicator Self -Assessment (CSI)
Leading Teams
Inclusive leadershipEnd of Day 2

Day 3 – Friday 6 September 2024
Review Day 2
Influence
Strategic Networks
Leadership in Statistics: Contextualizing leadership of NSO Heads: including challenges from Covid19, other new Data Sources, Modernization of the National Statistical Office / National Statistical
Systems and the role of the Director General + Capacity development
Personal Development: Dashboard Creation Individual Goal Setting
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Day 3 – Friday 6 September 2024
Participants Individual Presentations:completed Dashboards
Evaluation
Certification
End of Day 3

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