NSCB Resolution No. 10
Series of 2007

APPROVING THE BUDGETARY THRUSTS
OF THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICAL SYSTEM FOR CY 2008

WHEREAS, the overall mission of the Philippine Statistical System (PSS) is to provide adequate, relevant, reliable, timely and accessible statistical information and services to the public;

WHEREAS, there is a need to undertake continuing improvements for the PSS to deliver more quality statistical products and services;

WHEREAS, there is a need to define a common framework and direction for the PSS in order to attain its goals and objectives;

WHEREAS, the President issued Proclamation No. 1140 Adopting the Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP) 2005-2010;

WHEREAS, the Proclamation enjoins all agencies in the government to fully implement the statistical programs and activities in accordance with the three-year budgeting cycle;

WHEREAS, the Proclamation likewise instructs the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to include a budgetary provision for the PSS in the annual appropriations based on the budgetary requirements of the PSDP in support of its implementation and monitoring;

WHEREAS, the DBM issued National Budget Memorandum No. 100 dated May 4, 2007 reiterating the annual requirement that budget proposals for CY 2008 for the conduct of designated statistical activities pursuant to EO 352 shall require the endorsement of the NSCB;

WHEREAS, the PSS recognizes the importance of ensuring a linkage between planning and budgeting and as such, there is a need to define the budgetary thrusts for the PSS for CY 2008;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED that the Board approve the following budgetary thrusts by key result area (KRA) of the PSS for CY 2008:

KRA 1.  Effective statistical policies and coordination mechanisms to address the statistical development challenges in the PSS.

• Formulation of legal framework, statistical policies that promote the a) extensive data sharing among government agencies; b) establishment of new and strengthening of existing statistical units in the government that will undertake the generation and dissemination of reliable and useful statistical information for public use; c) rationalization of the conduct of statistical surveys, and d) entrepreneurial thrust in the PSS.

KRA 2.  Relevant and verifiable socio-economic, environmental and other statistics and indicators that address the information demands of data users and stakeholders at the local, national and international levels.

• Generation of relevant statistics and information on industries/sectors that have significant contributions to the Philippine economy as well as information on sectors/areas of concern that affect and impact on the country’s socio-economic development; e.g., generation of statistics and indicators on emerging industries, on hunger, on peace and order, on education and health, on infrastructure, an science and technology, and on the informal sector.
• Dissemination of the 2007 Census of Population results.
• Preparations for the conduct of the 2010 Census of Population and Housing.

KRA 3.  Strong and effective subnational statistical system able to generate and disseminate relevant local statistics necessary for planning of development programs and for decision-making and effective governance at the subnational level. 

• Generation of statistics at the provincial, city and municipal levels as a collaborative effort between the national and local governments, especially through cost-sharing.

KRA 4.  Maximized use of information technology in data collection, processing, analysis, dissemination and archiving to enable faster and wider utilization of data and promote transparency, information sharing and user confidence on official statistics.

• Establishment of websites and development of statistical information systems that would enable government agencies to upload/share statistical information available.

KRA 5.  Improved availability and dissemination of statistics in the PSS thru stronger adoption of the Government Statistics Accessibility Program (GSAP) and the General Standards on Statistical Information Dissemination (GSSID) and strict compliance of the standards in the release of official statistics in the PSS. 

• Promotion of advocacy programs and users’ fora for greater support and appreciation of statistical products and services
• Promotion of the adoption of the concept of public good among government agencies as well as the Pricing Policy of the PSS.
• Promotion of credibility of official statistics.

KRA 6.  Enhanced capacity development within the PSS, including improvement in the quality of human statistical manpower, to generate and disseminate quality official statistics. 

• Implementation of the Scientific Career System for Statisticians.
• Retaining good quality of government statisticians through incentives, e.g. increased salary grades.
• Provision of more training opportunities for those involved in statistics.

KRA 7.  Maximized use and improved quality of administrative reports as official source of statistical data and information in the PSS. 

• Development of standards and methodologies in processing administrative forms to generate more relevant data and indicators, such as on good governance.

KRA 8.  Improved methodology and framework of censuses/surveys and administrative reporting to generate relevant, timely, reliable, and accessible statistical information and indicators at the micro and macro levels, for effective national and local governance.

• Strengthening statistical research and development within the PSS, specifically on updating existing methodologies and frameworks to be more responsive to the current state of affairs in the local, national and international fronts.

KRA 9.  Strong and more active participation in international statistics

• Providing the required statistical indicators to monitor the progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• Enhanced collaboration with international organizations on the improvement of statistical methodologie

BE IT RESOLVED FURTHER, that all PSS member agencies be enjoined to incorporate in their agency budget proposals for CY 2008 the requirements to achieve the above thrusts based on the statistical programs/projects/activities identified in the PSDP, and to submit same to NSCB.  The NSCB Technical Staff shall evaluate the budget proposals.  Due to time constraints, the recommendations will be submitted for Board approval thru referendum.  Subsequently, the PSS budget will be endorsed to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), copy furnished the agencies.

Approved this 16th day of May 2007, in Pasig City.

Attested by:

ROMULO A. VIROLA
Secretary General