1. Statistics Sweden Sida assistance activities in the Western Balkans
Fredrik Bood
Muhanad Sammar

2. Objectives - challenges
Provide decision-makers, users and the general public with independent and accurate statistics and provide them with the knowledge to understand the data.
Better donor coordination to avoid overlap in support.
Increased effectiveness.

3. Sida and Statistics Sweden
The Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) has a framework agreement with Statistics Sweden based on uniqueness, e.g., no one else in Sweden are considered to be able to provide the same services.
In short, this means that Sida is providing funds for Stats Sweden to give technical support to capacity building in the Western Balkans and elsewhere in the world.
This means that Stats Sweden doesn’t have to compete with others in public procurements, which guarantees long-term cooperation.

4. How we work
Our services are based on the idea of institutional cooperation by communicating know-how through colleagues working together.
We believe that partnerships between institutions and organisations provide the necessary preconditions for sustainable capacity building.
We work with different methodologies: long-term institutional cooperation, advisory services in statistical subject areas and international training courses.
We work on commission with funding from international development agencies and actors. Our main financier is Sida.

5. Beneficiary countries
Bilateral projects
Albania (2001 – 2017)
Kosovo (2001 – 2017)
Serbia (2004 – 2016)
Regional project (2004 – 2016)
Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Kosovo,
Macedonia
Montenegro
Serbia

6. Added value of the regional project
The added value of the regional project is the sharing of experience between NSIs with common problems and context.
We also encourage more devoleped NSIs in the region to support less developed NSIs through study visits and by participation of local experts in workshops.
Engaging the NSIs in the implemention of the regional project is key to sustainability and also an expected outcome of the project.

7. Some selected results
Developed competence to produce Environmental statistics (waste, water, environmental taxes)
Sustainable knowledge base in Survey methodology by training more than one hundred young statisticians.
The yearly Summer School have improved participants English skills. Participants write and defend scientific paper in plenum. High level on submitted papers.
Capacity to conduct Time Use Surveys.
Women and Men booklets produced regularly.
Sound knowledge base to conduct the Structure of Earnings Survey.
BiH conducts the Labour Cost Survey and submits data to ESTAT.
INSTAT is fully sustainable in calculating CPI. No more support needed.
INSTAT have implemented a Quality declaration template following ESMS standards.
SORS are submitting Material Flow Account data to ESTAT.
KAS has published and submitted data on water statistics to ESTAT.
Last year a time reporting system was introduced at KAS allowing the management to follow up and reallocate resources.

8. Thank you for your attention!