The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) Combined Project Information Documents / Integrated Safeguards Datasheet (PID/ISDS) Appraisal Stage | Date Prepared/Updated: 07-Jun-2017 | Report No: PIDISDSA20397 May 23, 2017 Page 1 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) BASIC INFORMATION OPS_TABLE_BASIC_DATA A. Basic Project Data Country Project ID Project Name Parent Project ID (if any) Bangladesh P157987 National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support Region Estimated Appraisal Date Estimated Board Date Practice Area (Lead) SOUTH ASIA 10-Jul-2017 05-Sep-2017 Poverty and Equity Financing Instrument Borrower(s) Implementing Agency Investment Project Financing Economic Relations Bangladesh Bureau of Division, Ministry of Statistics Finance Proposed Development Objective(s) The Project aims to improve the capacity of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to produce quality core statistics and make them accessible in a timely manner to policy makers and the public. In doing so, the Project will support the Government to implement selected aspects of its National Strategy for Development of Statistics (NSDS) Components Improving the coordination and management of statistical activities Developing human resources and ICT infrastructure to produce and manage data Improving the coverage and quality of core statistics required for policy Promoting and strengthening access to and the use of official statistics Project Management Financing (in USD Million) Finance OLD Financing Source Amount Borrower 11.50 International Development Association (IDA) 49.00 Total Project Cost 60.50 Environmental Assessment Category C - Not Required May 23, 2017 Page 2 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) Decision The review did authorize the preparation to continue Other Decision (as needed) B. Introduction and Context Country Context 1. Bangladesh is one of the world’s most populous countries with an estimated 160 million people living in a geographical area of about 144,415 km2. With per capita income of US$1,409 in 2016, it is well above the lower middle income country category threshold which it crossed in fiscal year (FY) 2014. During recent years, economic conditions improved in the country with headline inflation declining to 5.9 percent in FY16 from 7.3 percent in FY14, while the fiscal deficit was contained at around 3.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in FY16. The FY17 budget targets 5 percent deficit with 28.7 percent growth in expenditures. The current account surplus rose to 1.7 percent of GDP in FY16. The GDP grew well above the average for developing countries in recent years, averaging 6.5 percent since 2010, with an officially reported growth of 7.1 percent in in FY16, driven by manufacturing and services. Progress on reducing extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity through human development and employment generation has continued with the poverty incidence based on the international $1.90 per capita per day poverty line (measured on the basis of the Purchasing Power Parity exchange rate) declining from 44.2 percent in 1991 to 18.5 percent in 2010 (latest available poverty data) and a projected 14.9 percent in 2016. Bangladesh’s performance against the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is impressive against the South Asia Region average for most of the indicators. Such progress notwithstanding, the country needs more effort in improving its growth rate to meet its goal of achieving the middle income status by 2021. For accelerating private sector-led growth with improved investment climate, the key challenges are the need for increased infrastructure and power, with much improved quality in spending public resources, better regulations and enhanced skills of its vast and rapidly increasing labor force. Sectoral and Institutional Context 2. The Government’s Seventh Five Year Plan (FY16–FY20, the 7th Five Year Plan) aims to develop strategies, policies, and institutions to accelerate inclusive growth, reduce poverty, empower citizens, and promote sustainable development. It adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to which the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) has shown strong commitment. The GOB has expressed its commitment to monitor progress towards the achievement of goals and acknowledges the importance of and is committed to the timely availability of reliable statistics for evidence-based planning and policy making, as reflected in its National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS). 3. The GOB has taken significant steps to improve the availability, quality, and reliability of statistics. In 2007, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), under the Ministry of Planning, responsible May 23, 2017 Page 3 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) for providing statistical information to guide decision making and the development process, embarked upon a three-stage process to improve statistics, with support from the World Bank. The first stage, from 2007 to 2009, was limited to improving the coverage and quality of statistics in key areas. The second stage, completed in 2011, involved the preparation of the first NSDS, which maps out a development path for the National Statistical System (NSS) to have a world-class system by 2021. The GOB approved the NSDS1 in 2013, together with the Statistics Act 2013, that envisages an “integrated, professional, efficient, and effective NSS, under the guidance and leadership of the BBS and to produce official statistics that meet the current and evolving needs of national and international users in a transparent and timely fashion using international standards�. The Statistics Act 2013 confers on the BBS the function of “preparing and preserving correct, accurate, and up-to-date statistics.� Other agencies may also produce statistics “following the regulations established by the bureau and upon getting no objection and approval from the bureau.�2 The third stage (2013–2023) of the process is putting the NSDS into effect. 4. The NSDS Implementation Support Project (the proposed project) aims to support the GOB in the implementation of key elements of the NSDS. The NSDS is a ten-year reform plan (2013–2023) costed at around US$600 million with four priority areas: (a) Improving the quality, coverage, and use of core statistics required for national planning and economic management and for monitoring progress towards national goals; (b) Strengthening the professionalism of the NSS, which involves, among others, increasing the skills and expertise of the workforce, enhancing the leadership capacity of the BBS, and strengthening procedures and internal process to make the statistical system more open and accountable; (c) Building capacity to collect, compile, disseminate, and, especially, use statistics at the local level; (d) Promoting and strengthening access to and the use of official statistics at all levels of the society, based on an ‘open-data strategy’. 5. The proposed project, consistent with the priorities of the NSDS, will focus on (a) improving data collection and the quality of data in several areas, including gender disaggregation where appropriate and (b) strengthening capacity of the BBS for better management and dissemination of improved statistics. The proposed project will build on the progress made thus far in some reform areas 1 In preparing the NSDS, the BBS organized workshops in which stakeholders identified strengths and weakness within the statistical system. Based on these, the NSDS identified four priority areas for the first decade of implementation: (a) improving the quality, coverage, and use of core statistics required for national planning and economic management and for monitoring progress toward national goals; (b) strengthening the professionalism of the NSS, by increasing skills and expertise of the workforce and increasing the staff with professional qualifications; (c) enhancing capacity to collect, compile, disseminate, and, especially, use statistics at the local level, providing statistical information to help empower citizens; and (d) promoting and strengthening access to and the use of official statistics at all levels of society. Important intermediate targets include having a formal statistical data dissemination policy in place for all components of the NSS, establishing a national data archive, and ensuring that all statistical activities are properly documented. 2 The act has been in effect since 2013 but does not automatically confer on the BBS the right to access administrative data from other agencies for statistical purposes. May 23, 2017 Page 4 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) of the NSDS while complementing investments by the GOB and other development partners (DPs). C. Proposed Development Objective(s) Development Objective(s) (From PAD) 6. The Project aims to improve the capacity of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to produce quality core statistics and make them accessible in a timely manner to policy makers and the public. In doing so, the Project will support the Government to implement selected aspects of its National Strategy for Development of Statistics (NSDS) Key Results 7. Progress towards the Project Development Objective (PDO) will be measured through five indicators, described in table 1. Table 1. PDO-level indicators Elements of the PDO PDO indicators Producing quality statistics 1. Mechanisms are put in place to enhance coordination 34 2. Core statistics are improved in line with international standards Making statistics available 3. Core statistics are released according to a predefined calendar on time 4. Core surveys’ microdata anonymized and accessible online 5. Increased user satisfaction 3 The targets are determined based on the flow of surveys and statistics that will be reviewed, improved, or collected with the support of the project. Some key statistics include GDP, private consumption, service sector statistics, quantum index of industrial production (QIIP) (National Accounts); consumer price index (CPI), producer price index (PPI) (price statistics); economic activity, labor force participation, employment and unemployment rates, labor income (Labor Force Survey); poverty headcount, income inequality (Household Income and Expenditure Survey [HIES]); area, yield, and production of major crops (agriculture statistics); gross value added (survey of manufacturing industries); self-reported morbidity rate, outpatient utilization rate, inpatient admission rate, and child stunting rate (health and demographic statistics). 4 In line with international standards means that the statistics (and their source data) were revised in a systematic way following guidance provided by recognized international agencies (e.g. UN, ILO, WHO, FAO, etc.) and best practices. It also includes producing documentation of the way the statistics are calculated and sharing the documentation on-line for all users. For each statistical product a standardized checklist, such as the EUROSTAT self-assessment check list for survey managers – DESAP, will be applied before and after the technical support to provide an objective assessment of the improvement and quality of the survey/operation. This checklist will cover the entire process of the production of a survey or statistical product including: (i) analyzing survey needs and objectives; (ii) survey concepts, sampling design, and development and testing of measurement instruments; (iii) data collection; (iv) data capture and processing; (v) data analysis and output quality; (vi) documentation and dissemination; (vii) improvement cycle. The WB Statistical Capacity Indicator was also considered as an indicator to monitor progress towards the PDO. However, given the definition and current level of the Indicator for Bangladesh, the team does not anticipate a significant change in its value. In addition, this Indicator is being revised and may not be available for monitoring in the next few years. May 23, 2017 Page 5 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) D. Project Description 8. The proposed project will assist implementation of the four priority areas of the NSDS by financing activities to strengthen capacity, as well as investments in information and communication technology (ICT), and ensuring adherence to international standards for core surveys (that are not being financed by other DPs). Component A. Improving the Coordination and Management of Statistical Activities (US$2 million), contributing specifically to implementation of priority areas 1 and 2 of the NSDS 9. Enhanced coordination (Subcomponent A.1) will help reduce redundancies and ensure that data collected by other agencies are in line with international standards. The activities under Subcomponent A.2 aim to ensure sustainable improvements in the management functions of the BBS. The Finance, Administration, and Management Information System (FA&MIS) Wing of the BBS will take a lead for Component A and coordinate with the other Wings as necessary. Subcomponent A.1. Improving the Coordination with Other Official Statistical Providers 10. This subcomponent will support, among others, the (a) creation of a National Statistics Advisory Council to oversee coordination and statistical activities of the NSS; (b) development, revision, and improvement of agreements between government agencies producing statistics to ensure efficient interaction and develop data sharing protocols; and (c) development of the regulations and bylaws to improve inter-agency cooperation. Improved coordination is key to strengthening the quality of highly important statistics (for example, national accounts, trade statistics, and vital statistics) because many data or inputs are produced by other agencies. Subcomponent A.2. Strengthening Management Systems 11. Activities under this subcomponent will include, among others, (a) improving the BBS’s business processes and workflows; (b) improving recruitment, procurement, and financial management (FM) capacities; and (c) introducing quality management systems. Component B. Developing Human Resources and ICT Infrastructure to Produce and Manage Data (US$20 million), contributing specifically to implementation of priority areas 2, 3, and 4 of the NSDS 12. The proposed project will strengthen the role of the Statistical Staff Training Institute of the BBS and develop a training policy to deliver systematic, rather than ad hoc, training for BBS staff (Subcomponent B.1). As highlighted in the NSDS, the investments in ICT (Subcomponent B.2) are central to strengthen the functioning of local offices, improve quality in data collection, and for data sharing efforts through the website. Subcomponent B.1. Investing in Core Skills and Competencies 13. Activities under this subcomponent will include, among others, (a) developing a training policy and a training program for all staff led by the BBS’s existing training institute; (b) creating an inventory of generic training needs; and (c) creating an inventory of training facilities and sources, courses available, and assessing the capacity of local and regional training institutes that can partner with the BBS to May 23, 2017 Page 6 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) deliver training. The training policy will include provisions to link with local universities and training institutions, as well as develop training programs for media and government officials. Following the training policy, some training will be held in-house, but other trainings will be delivered in the form of study tours or advanced programs by other institutions. This is important to ensure that the project investments are sustainable. The Statistical Staff Training Institute of the BBS will take a lead for Subcomponent B.1 and coordinate with the other Wings as necessary. Subcomponent B.2. Investing in ICT 14. Activities under this subcomponent will support, among others, (a) developing an efficient data management system and putting in place maintenance systems following an ICT plan, including the establishment of a statistical data warehouse for archiving all datasets and preservation, backup and recovery systems; (b) improving efficiency of all data collection; and (c) increasing connectivity between the BBS’s local offices and its headquarters. The Computer Wing of the BBS will take a lead for Subcomponent B.2 and coordinate with the other Wings as necessary. Component C. Improving the Coverage and Quality of Core Statistics Required for Policy (US$20 million), contributing specifically to implementation of priority area 1 of the NSDS 15. This component aims to improve the design, implementation, and information generated by high priority, core statistical operations identified in the NSDS. The core statistical operations that are expected to be improved include national accounts, price statistics, labor and industry statistics, social statistics, and agricultural statistics.5 Importantly, most of the core statistics are to a large extent being funded by the GOB. Thus, the proposed project will not fund data collection for the core surveys, except for supporting data collection for pilots or surveys needed to close specific data gaps to improve core statistics. Subcomponent C.1. Reviewing and Improving Methodologies for Core Statistics 16. Activities under this subcomponent will include, among others, (a) reviewing statistical activities, to identify gaps and redundancies and streamlining production; (b) making available technical assistance (TA) and piloting activities to fill data gaps or integrate information; (c) improving questionnaires and classifications; (d) improving sampling methodology; and (e) introducing Computer Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI)/Computer Assisted Field Entry (CAFE) data collection methods to improve survey efficiency and quality. The activities under this subcomponent will be led by four subject matter Wings (National Accounting, Industry and Labor, Health and Demography, and Agriculture) based on the core statistics they produce. Subcomponent C.2. Improving National Accounts 17. Specific activities will include, among others, (a) training on National Accounts compilation 5 In response, as part of the NSDS development, an Inter-Agency Expert Committee assessed all programs and identified core surveys. Following the NSDS, the proposed project will support the following core surveys: HIES, Labor Force Survey, Survey on Manufacturing Industries (SMI), Input Cost Survey, Agriculture Crop Production Survey, Agricultural Wage Survey, Land Use Survey, Livestock Survey, Health and Morbidity Status Survey (HMSS), Child and Mother Nutrition Survey, Price and Wage Rate Survey, and Literacy Survey. In addition, the proposed project will support the development of a business register to serve as the sampling frame for industry statistics. May 23, 2017 Page 7 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) according to latest international standards; (b) identifying data gaps and possible sources for the production and expenditure-based GDP; (c) receiving data for GDP compilation from source agencies; (d) improving inputs such as the QIIP, trade indices, and other relevant indices for quarterly GDP; (e) compiling annual and quarterly GDP using production and expenditure methods based on updated methods (i.e. System of National Accounts 2008); and (f) validating and releasing GDP data following a release calendar. The National Accounting Wing of the BBS will take a lead for Subcomponent C.2 and coordinate with the other Wings as necessary. Subcomponent C.3. Improving Price Statistics 18. The activities under this subcomponent will include, among others, (a) training on prices statistics using international standards and (b) reviewing and improving the main price indices which include CPI, PPI, and other relevant indices. The National Accounting Wing of the BBS will take a lead for Subcomponent C.3 and coordinate with the other Wings as necessary. Component D. Promoting and Strengthening Access to and the Use of Official Statistics (US$2 million), contributing specifically to implementation of priority area 4 of the NSDS 19. It is important, to make users aware of statistics, both in what is available and its use. To enable this, it is critical to produce statistics of good quality, release it on time, and with proper explanations of methods and procedures - metadata. Such activities will be supported by this component. The FA&MIS Wing of the BBS will take a lead for Component D and coordinate with the other Wings as necessary. Subcomponent D.1. Implementing an Effective and Clear Dissemination Policy 20. This subcomponent will support, among others, (a) introduction of a dissemination policy for core statistics, including communication materials that target different audiences; (b) preparation and follow-up of a ‘release calendar’ for core statistical operations and reports; (c) improvement of accessibility to microdata, metadata, publications, and other statistical products through the BBS website; and (d) improvement of user-producer dialogue. Subcomponent D.2. Documenting Statistical Activities and Providing Better Access to Metadata 21. This subcomponent will support, among others, (a) training of all relevant staff on preparing and maintaining metadata; (b) adhering to internationally accepted formats for metadata, such as the Data Documentation Initiative; (c) making available relevant metadata on the BBS website, as well as in printed form for core statistics; and (d) making available codes/syntaxes that produce core statistics for replication and to enhance transparency. Subcomponent D.3. Access to Microdata for Further Research and Analysis 22. Activities will include, among others, (a) TA and training on microdata anonymization; (b) implementation of anonymization of all microdata to ensure confidentiality following international best practices; (c) creation of a provision for users’ wide access, subject to a policy protecting confidentiality and security and preventing misuse; and (d) making microdata accessible through the BBS website. Component E. Project Management (US$5 million) May 23, 2017 Page 8 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) 23. This component will support the establishment of a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) at the BBS that will ensure day-to-day coordination, implementation, and management, in accordance with the Project Operations Manual (POM) including, fiduciary aspects, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting. In particular, the PIU will (a) prepare annual work plans and budgets, (b) carry out all disbursements and any FM and procurement-related activity, (c) prepare and consolidate periodic progress reports, and (d) monitor and evaluate project activities. E. Implementation Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 24. The BBS will be the project’s main implementing agency, responsible for overall management and implementation, consistent with the implementation arrangement for the NSDS. The BBS’ work is guided by the Statistics and Informatics Division (SID), responsible for formulation and revision of policy on statistics and informatics. The BBS, led by a Director General, comprises five subject matter wings and three service wings, each headed by a Director. The PIU will be headed by a Project Director (staff of BBS) under the overall guidance of the Director General of the BBS. The PIU will be supported by two Deputy Project Directors (staff of the BBS) who will coordinate the project’s activities, manage reporting and auditing activities, and ensure compliance with the World Bank’s procurement, disbursement, and FM procedures, in particular. In addition, staff from the BBS will lead the procurement and FM activities, with the support of consultants. The PIU will also comprise technical experts both staff from the BBS and consultants on statistics, economics, and ICT. 25. A Project Steering Committee (PSC), including representatives from the Ministry of Finance and membership from SID and the BBS will be established to ensure that project implementation follows both Government and World Bank rules and procedures and provide overall policy guidance. The PSC is expected to meet at least every six months, or more often if needed. 26. A POM, to be adopted by project effectiveness, will set out the framework by which the PIU will manage project implementation, especially with respect to World Bank procedures and guidelines for FM and procurement. The POM will include clearly defined roles and responsibilities of the PIU, detailed definitions for the Results Framework indicators, and reporting arrangements for monitoring progress. 27. To ensure that the BBS has the right expertise available in a coordinated and timely fashion, a twinning (partnership) arrangement will be established between the BBS and one (or under a consortium, by two or more) of the well-established statistical offices from a developed country or countries. This arrangement will cover part of the project-financed transversal consulting and training activities, and be formalized under a contract for all activities that the twinning partner will carry out, with detailed terms of reference for each of the individual consulting and training activities. Support to core statistics that requires a more tailored approach will not rely on these arrangements. . May 23, 2017 Page 9 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) F. Project location and Salient physical characteristics relevant to the safeguard analysis (if known) G. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists on the Team Sabah Moyeen,Iqbal Ahmed SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered? Explanation (Optional) Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 No Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 No Forests OP/BP 4.36 No Pest Management OP 4.09 No Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 No Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 No Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 No Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 No Projects on International Waterways No OP/BP 7.50 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No KEY SAFEGUARD POLICY ISSUES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT A. Summary of Key Safeguard Issues 1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts: There are no safeguard issues and impacts emanating from the proposed project. 2. Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area: No indirect or long term impacts are envisaged. 3. Describe any project alternatives (if relevant) considered to help avoid or minimize adverse impacts. Not applicable May 23, 2017 Page 10 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) 4. Describe measures taken by the borrower to address safeguard policy issues. Provide an assessment of borrower capacity to plan and implement the measures described. No social safeguards policies are triggered by this project. The project does not involve land acquisition leading to economic or physical displacement and, while the data gathering may include information about different ethnic groups, the project is not financing activities that affect Indigenous Peoples. 5. Identify the key stakeholders and describe the mechanisms for consultation and disclosure on safeguard policies, with an emphasis on potentially affected people. Key stakeholders in the government have been consulted with. B. Disclosure Requirements C. Compliance Monitoring Indicators at the Corporate Level (to be filled in when the ISDS is finalized by the project decision meeting) OPS_ PDI_ COMP_TA BLE The World Bank Policy on Disclosure of Information Have relevant safeguard policies documents been sent to the World Bank's Infoshop? NA Have relevant documents been disclosed in-country in a public place in a form and language that are understandable and accessible to project-affected groups and local NGOs? NA All Safeguard Policies Have satisfactory calendar, budget and clear institutional responsibilities been prepared for the implementation of measures related to safeguard policies? NA Have costs related to safeguard policy measures been included in the project cost? NA Does the Monitoring and Evaluation system of the project include the monitoring of safeguard impacts and measures related to safeguard policies? NA Have satisfactory implementation arrangements been agreed with the borrower and the same been adequately reflected in the project legal documents? NA May 23, 2017 Page 11 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) CONTACT POINT World Bank Maria Eugenia Genoni Senior Economist Borrower/Client/Recipient Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance Implementing Agencies Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics Dilder Hossain Project Director dilderbbsbd@yahoo.com FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 473-1000 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/projects APPROVAL Task Team Leader(s): Maria Eugenia Genoni Approved By Safeguards Advisor: Practice Manager/Manager: Benu Bidani 20-Jun-2017 Country Director: Rajashree S. Paralkar 21-Jun-2017 May 23, 2017 Page 12 of 13 The World Bank National Strategy for Development of Statistics Implementation Support (P157987) May 23, 2017 Page 13 of 13