Russia Improves Statistical System with New World Bank Support

The project will support the efforts of the national statistical agency – ROSSTAT – to produce in a timely fashionaccurate and reliable economic, financial and socio-demographic data for policy formulation and decision-making processes.

STASYS 2 aims to help monitor policy implementation in order to keep step with international good practice and frameworks. The project will also help to forge ahead with the implementation of the national development strategy, which is aimed at sustainingthe country’s economic growth, achieving the Government’s ambitious social goals, and ensuring significant improvements in the efficiency of ROSSTAT’s performance.

The Government of the Russian Federation has been making considerable financial and technical efforts to advance the institutional statistical reform process, but there is still a lot to be accomplished in the development of national statistics in order to achieve their full potential. The System of National Accounts (SNA) requires considerable enhancements in order to improve accuracy of the macro-aggregates compilation. There is also a need to modernize the Government’s poverty monitoring program. Statistical data and indicators have to reflect the country’s progress in raising living standards, in reducing social inequality, and in putting basic social benefits within reach of the lowest-income groups of the population.

“A well developed statistical system is critically important for ensuring transparency of the Government and for improved results orientation, said Klaus Roland, Country Director and Resident Representative of the World Bank in the Russian Federation. “Statistics play a key role in increasing the efficiency in the use of public resources, especially for providing timely support to those who need them most.”

In order to further advance the statistical reform process, the Government approved a USD200 million Federal Targeted Program on the Development of the Statistics for the year 2007-2011. STASYS 2 fully supports and complements the program by financing the modernization of the State Statistical System of Russia and ROSSTAT. STASYS 2 will help upgrade and develop statistical operations and procedures. It will also develop the necessary statistical infrastructure, including sampling frames, classifications, data- and metadata-base structures and geographic information systems. The project will foster the creation of a system for human resources development, by providing ICT equipment and software. The proposed project fully conforms to the current Country Partnership Strategy for 2007-2009, endorsed by the Board of Executive Directors on December 14, 2006.

STASYS 2 consists of the following main components:
§ Modernizing the economic statistics methodology with regard to enhancing the System of National Accounts; developing the methodological basis for the compilation of the basic input-output tables; improving price, trade and enterprise statistics;

§ Developing a modern design and technology for a statistical data collection, processing, and dissemination system;

§ Enhancing social statistics by strengthening statistics of population incomes, poverty and living standards, and modernizing the system of household sample surveys; improving administrative data collection; developing labor market statistics to propose new tasks in labor force analysis in order to develop policies to support the labor market; and improving demographic statistics;

§ Developing human resources through the analysis of the current re-training system and preparing a strategy for its development; developing training programs and training materials and providing statistical training and furthering knowledge sharing;

§ The Project Management component will finance logistical and secretarial support for the Inter-Agency Coordination Council and the operating costs of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, as well as the implementation of the project results framework.

The five-year STASYS 2 project has a total cost of US$50 million, of which US$10 million will be financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and US$40 million will be counterpart financing provided by the Russian Federation. The terms of the loan include a 5-year grace period and a 15-year maturity.

The Russian Federation joined the World Bank in 1992. Since then, commitments to the country total more than $13.5 billion for 63 operations. Recent projects in Russia are being implemented with a high degree of government co-financing and a focus on transfer of the World Bank’s knowledge and project management skills in specific areas. The relationship between the World Bank and Russia has evolved into a strong partnership based on global initiatives, knowledge sharing, policy dialogue, and joint analytical work. These areas of cooperation form the core of the new Country Partnership Strategy, which is expected to further shift the World Bank’s work towards closer engagement with Russia’s regions and contribute to Russia’s regional development agenda. -The World Bank