Support to the Philippine Statistical Development Program The overarching objective of the proposed project is to enhance the capacity of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) and the Philippine Statistical System (PSS), which includes the major statistical agencies (MSAs) and other data producing agencies, in formulating a comprehensive and integrated Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP) for 2011-2017 that will address emerging statistical needs and challenges in the country. Prior to preparing the project proposal and in accordance with the requirements of the World Bank, the NSCB requested the Bank's assistance in funding an independent assessment of the existing PSDP 2005-2010.  The Bank contracted Dr. Alex Korns and Ms. Chita Marzan, both with relevant experience in the review and design of national strategies for the development of statistics (NSDS), to assess the current PSDP as an input to developing the next PSDP. Their assessment highlights major issues in the PSS that needs to be addressed in the next PSDP: i) the growing need for statistics, ii) the declining resources for statistics, iii) the negative effects of the government's rationalization plan on the human resources of the PSS, iv) the problems in national accounts, such as the inadequate number of staff, the need to rebase and revise the national accounts, and the widening gap between the demand and supply for source data for national accounts, v) the problems in the household data, such as the lack of provincial data and untimely availability of results, and vi) the need to improve data dissemination and utilization  for the local government units. For a detailed account of the issues and recommendations, please see the attached assessment report and annex. In order to address these issues, the next PSDP will give high priority to advocating for more resources for the PSS. Key activities of the next PSDP will include the formulation of a medium-term expenditure and human resource plan to sustain the production, dissemination, and communication of quality statistics. Two cases are envisioned for the framework: a base case following the current declining or flat trend in the budget for statistics, and a reform case with increases in both budgetary and human resources and what these higher resources can buy in terms of improved statistical capacity and products. With this framework, it is envisioned that the PSS will be able to improve the generation of relevant and useful statistics to strengthen evidence-based decision making and contribute to improving economic and social outcomes in the country. The proposed project intends to develop an improved PSDP for the period 2011-2017 that lays out a strategy to address the major constraints in the PSS and enable the PSS to contribute more in monitoring of the development targets of the country. The formulation of the PSDP 2011-2017 shall adhere to the PARIS21 "Guide to Designing an NSDS" where processes to be undertaken shall ensure wide consultation with all stakeholders of the PSS.  The next PSDP will involve not only the major statistical agencies but also the other data producers, data users, and other stakeholders to ensure that the PSDP cover the entire PSS. The following are the specific objectives: a.   Enhance the capacity of the PSS in preparing a national strategic plan for the development of statistics through the provision of capacity building activities (training and workshop) on strategic planning, financial planning and budgeting, and human resource planning. b.   Improve the processes involved in the formulation, implementation, advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation of the PSDP 2011-2017. c.   Craft an improved PSDP 2011-2017 containing strategies and programs that would address the resource requirements. This will include a medium-term expenditure and human resource framework. d.   Formulate policy directions and strategies that will address the growing need and demand for statistics with sub-national dimension and sectoral dimension, such as on agriculture, education, health, tourism, and other priority concerns that will be identified in the MTPDP, with disaggregation at the lowest level possible but at least at the provincial level. e.   Effect improvements in the PSS through formulation and implementation of programs and activities that will address the problems in terms of  lower level data dis-aggregations, timeliness, and frequency for data to be more relevant to data users. f.   Consider in the PSDP formulation the best in international statistical practices and standards and other concerns/developments in the international community, such as the Millennium Development Goals, the ASEAN integration by 2015, the Dakar Declaration on the Development of Statistics, etc. The objectives will be achieved through staff time dedicated to the project and related incremental operating expenses (to be funded by the regular budget of the NSCB, albeit limited), and consultancy and advisory services, training, workshops, and forums, and procurement of minimal equipment necessary in the formulation, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the PSDP 2011-2017 (to be funded by TFSCB).