PREFACE

The Strategic Plan for the Establishment of the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) aims to create preconditions for a sustainable development of ASEAN statistics. The first draft was presented at the AHSOM internal meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam 8 December 2010. The meeting noted some main issues to be considered during the finalisation of the Strategic Plan, including the reporting line of the envisioned ACSS Committee, the linkages with and roles of the concerned ASEAN bodies, and the need for gaining concrete support from the statistical system of the AMSs and from the ASEAN Secretariat top management. The Meeting in principle agreed with the proposed outline, including the three proposed broad strategies, and asked the Task Force on Strategic Planning to further work on the details for AHSOM’s endorsement. The Meeting also endorsed the proposed process/timeline toward the finalisation of the Strategic Plan by mid 2011. The Task Force further discussed and amended the Action Plan for 2011-2015 and the formulations of vision, mission and values.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN

The purpose of the strategic plan is to create preconditions for sustainable development of ASEAN statistics in order to better satisfy information needs concerning economic, social, ecological and security situation in the region. The sustainability also means that data has to be of high quality. They have thus to be timely, relevant, reliable, accessible and comparable. Adherence to and application of internationally‐recommended statistical principles, standards, and guidelines are also to be strengthened as specified in the AFCS.

VISION FOR THE ASEAN COMMUNITY STATISTICAL SYSTEM (ACSS) IN 2015

The vision is the guiding star for the development. It shows the direction of the development of the ASEAN Community Statistical System and what to be achieved. It is time‐referenced, and the first vision is for statistical system in 2015.

ASEAN MISSION FOR THE ASEAN COMMUNITY STATISTICAL SYSTEM (ACSS)

The mission statement expresses the purpose and the nature of the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS).

VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

In order to successfully work with the tasks and achieve the vision it is important to develop common attitude among all persons involved. The attitudes are also named values. These values are embodied in the following characteristics:

The values are in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics adopted by United Nations Statistical Commission in 1994.

PRIORITY AREAS

This Strategic Plan will address the production, dissemination, and communication of ASEAN statistics, i.e. the indicators and statistics in the ASI, including the enabling mechanisms defined in the Broad Framework for the Development of ASEAN Statistics.

THE MAIN STRATEGIES FOR THE PERIOD 2011‐2015

The strategies shall provide the framework for the production, dissemination and communication of ASEAN statistics, the main fields and the objectives of the actions envisaged for a period not exceeding five years. It shall be decided upon and monitored by the ACSS Committee.

The ASEAN strategies shall lay down priorities concerning the needs for information for the purpose of carrying out and monitoring of the activities of the Community. Those needs shall be weighed against the resources needed at regional and national level to provide the required statistics, and also against the response burden and the respondent's associated costs.

Strengthening institutional framework

- Setting up an ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS) for the production, dissemination and communication of ASEAN statistics.

- ACSS Committee is the highest regional policy‐making and coordinating body on ASEAN statistics.

- ACSS Committee is to be developed to a prominent high‐level regional body of statistics, building on the existing AHSOM process, with the main tasks of coordinating the regional efforts towards greater comparability of statistics, promotion of international standards and best practices, promotion of statistical capacity building and human resources, and coordinating the collection of regional statistics in support of the ASEAN Community. Separate Terms of Reference are developed for this body.

- The enabling mechanisms that are needed for effective functioning of the ACSS Committee and the ASEAN Community Statistical System will need to establish taking into account the existing mechanisms, working groups and task forces under AHSOM, starting 2011. The enabling mechanisms may include (1) mechanisms for promoting greater inter‐agency coordination at both national and regional levels; (2) the mechanisms for promoting usersproducers consultations, (3) mechanisms for supporting the decision making process at the ACSS Committee, (4) mechanisms for the conduct of the ACSS Committee meetings, among others.

- Different monitoring systems would be developed in order to monitor the establishment of the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS). They can be developed in stages covering two kinds of monitoring: (1) monitoring of output and/or compliance similar to the scorecard as used in the AEC pillar, and (2) monitoring of quality. A Key Performance Indicator‐type of tool is also to be considered.

The tools should be developed in two dimensions: (1) measuring the activities and progress at national level, and (2) measuring progress/activities at regional level.

Progress in the regular updating of the ASEAN Brief and ASI are examples of regional monitoring.

Strengthening ASEAN statistics

- Priority is already given to the development and harmonisation in four areas of regional statistics: National Accounts, International Merchandise Trade (IMT), relevant components of International Trade in Services (ITS), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This development has to continue.

- Broadening the coverage of ASEAN regional statistics in order to cover demands within the three ASEAN Communities (Pillars), as outlined in the Broad Framework.

- A new set of indicators has now to be developed for the monitoring of the development within the three ASEAN Communities (Pillars).

- Development and compilation of metadata. Creation of metadatabases.

- Management of an integrated ASEAN Statistics database. Development of databases for different statistics and indicators. Completed backend for integrated database to support updating of monthly statistics updates on the ASEANstats website. Eurotrace and REXDBS installed.

- Improved dissemination through the website and other means.

- Development of high profile statistical report with early warning system indicators upon clarification on the purpose and content of the report.

- Development of policy and framework for promoting dissemination and communication of statistics.

Narrowing the development gap

- Proactive coordination and facilitation of technical support on some key statistics in AMSs that are dependent on external assistance.

- All AMSs need assistance in various forms. The areas to be covered in capacity building should fall under the Broad framework. A gap analysis is needed for identifying the areas. Special capacity building in AMSs which are in general need of external assistance.