Breakout session: Towards guidelines for implementation Soft skills

The main issue Focus on Soft Skills The main issue resulting from the capacity development 4.0 survey focused on the « lack of tailored capacity assistance with a country-led focus ». Focus on Soft Skills While 54% of NSOs consider that technical skills are the most important to develop in their employees, the development of other types of skills is increasingly needed. For example, strategic planning and work ethic and self-motivation came out as the most important skills to develop in Latin America, while strategic planning, management and leadership skills emerged as important in Africa.

Soft Skills solutions (agreements) Possible solutions Marina Gandolfo (National Institute for Statistics, Italy) Mark Hereward (UNICEF) How might we design and implement programmes that help build soft skills? Soft Skills solutions (agreements) DEMAND SIDE 1. Plan the capacity development Comprehensive capacity development assessment to decide the needed training support Institutional monitoring, evaluation of targets, results-based assessment of the results and behavioural changes (re-organization/restructuring of human resources management for soft skills) Avoid one-size fits all solution; consider local culture and context Dedicated leadership empowered with high technical managerial skills Take initiative plus plan Only train in what we can do Training plan on specific soft skills Soft skills-centric NSDS and annual work plan Evaluate needs re-coordinate and go forward

Soft Skills solutions (agreements) Possible solutions Marina Gandolfo (National Institute for Statistics, Italy) Mark Hereward (UNICEF) How might we design and implement programmes that help build soft skills? Soft Skills solutions (agreements) SUPPLY SIDE Partnerships - with academia - with leading organizations on specific topics - with business schools - with private sector 2. Learning from each other in person - mentorship linked with assessment of outcomes - secondments of statisticians in other ministries - transfer management and leadership knowledge - coaching

Soft Skills solutions (agreements) Possible solutions Marina Gandolfo (National Institute for Statistics, Italy) Mark Hereward (UNICEF) How might we design and implement programmes that help build soft skills? Soft Skills solutions (agreements) SUPPLY SIDE 3. Sharing/exchange experience Platform for sharing expertise and providing materials Exchange good practices for soft skills between NSOs Select champion NSO an announce during UNSC and document best practice Encourage bilateral agreements between NSOs on long-term support programs 4. Technical cooperation Sending of consultant to NSO Develop generic curriculum for training soft skills for statisticians Organize hands-on workshop with mandatory certificate for all statistician work in the statistical units within the NSS Leadership and management training

Breakout Group Objective Consultation alignment w/national development plans (country demand) Philipp Schönrock (CEPEI) Tale Kvalvaag (NORAD) New (soft) skills Marina Gandolfo (National Institute for Statistics, Italy), Mark Hereward (UNICEF) Costing of activities (absorptive capacity) Papa Seck (UN Women) Cristina Pereira de Sa (Eurostat) GT BB RR CM FF YT