EU project "Improving Regional Statistics in the Republic of Moldova"

The project started on November 10, 2014 with a duration of 24 consecutive months.

Project phases:

Initial phase: November 10, 2014 - January 10, 2015

Implementation phase: January 11, 2015 - September 10, 2016

Closing phase: September 11, 2016 - November 10, 2016

Total allocated budget - EUR 2 million

Project implementation:

GFA Consulting Group (GFA Germany) - consortium leader, DevStat (Spain), AAM (Hungary) and the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (OSRS).

Financial assistance for the project:

European Union

The European Commission actively supports the development of a successful socio-economic environment in the Republic of Moldova.

At the end of November 2013, the Republic of Moldova made a commitment to develop a national statistical system capable of providing reliable, objective and accurate data necessary for the development and reform process in the country. This includes regional development as one of the key policies in cooperation with the EU.

In this context, the European Commission (EC) has launched a new assistance project for the Republic of Moldova called "Improving Regional Statistics in the Republic of Moldova".The main objective of the project "Improving Regional Statistics in the Republic of Moldova" is to support the Republic of Moldova in promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion, with a focus on the development of the policy, legal and institutional framework for an effective development of the development regions through:

1. Improve regional statistics so that they are reliable, objective, accurate and in line with Eurostat standards;
2. Validate the capacity of relevant bodies to produce, disseminate and use regional statistics continuously and effectively;
3. Improving the system and sources for compiling regional accounts.

Design stage:

Component 1

Identify user needs for regional statistics. Identifying the production of regional statistics

Component 2

Gap analysis in regional statistics. Capacities to improve regional statistics

Development stage:

Component 3

Improving statistical infrastructure, operations and systems for regional statistics

Component 4

Improving the use of regional statistics for monitoring and evaluation policies

2015

• Reviewing the regional statistical indicators currently produced by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other authorities and assessing their conformity with Eurostat and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) practices);
• Detailed analysis of national regulations on statistics and regional development with a view to the production and use of regional statistics;
• Facilitating consultations between the NBS and the main users of regional statistics;
• Organizing a study visit to a country that has recently joined the European Union (EU);
• The realization of the exercise "Statistical Gaps" which will consist in comparing the set of regional statistics available in the Republic of Moldova with the set of indicators developed in accordance with Eurostat and OECD requirements;
• Assisting the NBS in compiling an optimal set of regional statistical indicators;
• Organization of a study visit to Eurostat on key indicators required from EU Member States at different NUTS levels;
• Assisting the NBS and the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction (MDRC) to optimally align statistical and development regions;
• Developing an action plan on improving regional statistics for the NBS and MRDC;
• Assessment of NBS capacities and training needs.

2016

• Developing a new framework for survey samples, based on new development regions;
• Organizing a study visit to an EU Member State -15 to analyze the organization of regional statistics;
• Introductory training sessions on the concepts and data needs for calculating regional accounts;
• Development of regional inventories for gross value added (GVA);
• Development of regional GVA estimates;
• Providing assistance to the NBS in the development of data relating to regional accounts;
• Review of statistical training programs in universities in the Republic of Moldova;
• Assistance in the development of an annual regional statistical publication;
• Review and update regional development strategies in line with recently produced statistics;
• Assisting Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in monitoring and evaluating regional development policy based on new available statistics;
• Creating training capacity in MRDC and NBS for regional data analysis;
• Development of a user-friendly application for the use and analysis of regional data;
• Training for software users in the field of developing regional analyses;
• Publication of the comparative analysis between the regions of the Republic of Moldova and the European Union.