FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Report No: PAD4208 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION PROJECT APPRAISAL DOCUMENT ON A PROPOSED CREDIT IN THE AMOUNT OF US$50 MILLION TO THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN FOR STRENGTHENING THE STATISTICAL SYSTEM OF UZBEKISTAN January 26, 2022 Poverty And Equity Global Practice Europe And Central Asia Region This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (Exchange Rate Effective 12 January 2022) Currency Unit = Uzbekistan So’m (UZS) US$1 = 10,860 FISCAL YEAR January 1 - December 31 Regional Vice President: Anna Bjerde Country Director: Tatiana Proskuryakova Regional Director: Lalita M. Moorty Practice Manager: Salman Zaidi Task Team Leader(s): William Hutchins Seitz, Mustafa Dinc ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ASA Advisory Services and Analytics CPF Country Partnership Framework CPI Consumer Price Index DA Designated Account DFIL Disbursement and Financial Information Letter DP Development Partner DRM Domestic Revenue Mobilization ESF Environmental and Social Framework ESMP Environment and Social Management Plan Environmental and Social Standards (Labor and Working ESS2 Conditions) FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FM Financial Management GDP Gross Domestic Product GoU Government of Uzbekistan GRS Grievance Redress Service HBS Household Budget Survey HR Human Resources HRM Human Resource Management ICP International Comparisons Program ICT Information and Communication Technology IFR Interim Financial Report IMF International Monetary Fund IPSAS International Public Sector Accounting Standards ISO International Organization for Standardization IT Information Technology LMP Labor Management Procedure M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MOF Ministry of Finance NSDS National Strategy for Development of Statistics PDO Project Development Objective PMU Project Management Unit POM Project Operations Manual PPL Public Procurement Law PPSD Project Procurement Strategy for Development PRAMS Procurement Risk Assessment and Management System SCD Systematic Country Diagnostic SCI Statistical Capacity Indicators SCS State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics SDDS Special Data Dissemination Standard SDG Sustainable Development Goals SEEA System of Environmental-Economic Accounting SNA System of National Accounts SORT Systematic Operations Risk-Rating Tool SPI Statistical Performance Indicators TA Technical Assistance TFSCB Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building ToR Terms of Reference UN United Nations UNFPA United Nations Population Fund UNHCR UN High Commission for Refugees UNSD United Nations Statistics Division USAID United States Agency for International Development The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) TABLE OF CONTENTS DATASHEET............................................................................................................................. 1 I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT ......................................................................................................... 6 A. Country Context................................................................................................................................ 6 B. Sectoral and Institutional Context .................................................................................................... 7 C. Relevance to Higher Level Objectives............................................................................................. 10 II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION..................................................................................................... 11 A. Project Development Objective ..................................................................................................... 11 B. Project Components ....................................................................................................................... 11 C. Project Beneficiaries ....................................................................................................................... 22 D. Theory of Change ........................................................................................................................... 23 E. Rationale for Bank Involvement and Role of Partners ................................................................... 23 F. Lessons Learned and Reflected in the Project Design .................................................................... 24 III. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS ................................................................................. 24 A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements .......................................................................... 24 B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation Arrangements......................................................................... 25 C. Sustainability................................................................................................................................... 26 IV. PROJECT APPRAISAL SUMMARY........................................................................................ 26 A. Technical, Economic and Financial Analysis ................................................................................... 26 B. Fiduciary.......................................................................................................................................... 27 C. Legal Operational Policies ............................................................................................................... 31 D. Environmental and Social ............................................................................................................... 31 V. GRIEVANCE REDRESS SERVICES ......................................................................................... 31 VI. KEY RISKS....................................................................................................................... 32 VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING ......................................................................... 34 ANNEX 1: Implementation Arrangements and Support Plan.................................................. 48 ANNEX 2: Statistics Capacity Metrics.................................................................................. 50 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) DATASHEET BASIC INFORMATION BASIC INFO TABLE Country(ies) Project Name Uzbekistan Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan Project ID Financing Instrument Environmental and Social Risk Classification Investment Project P173450 Moderate Financing Financing & Implementation Modalities [ ] Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) [ ] Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC) [ ] Series of Projects (SOP) [ ] Fragile State(s) [ ] Performance-Based Conditions (PBCs) [ ] Small State(s) [ ] Financial Intermediaries (FI) [ ] Fragile within a non-fragile Country [ ] Project-Based Guarantee [ ] Conflict [ ] Deferred Drawdown [ ] Responding to Natural or Man-made Disaster [ ] Alternate Procurement Arrangements (APA) [ ] Hands-on Enhanced Implementation Support (HEIS) Expected Approval Date Expected Closing Date 16-Feb-2022 15-Jul-2027 Bank/IFC Collaboration No Proposed Development Objective(s) The PDO is to strengthen the capacity of Uzbekistan’s national statistical system to produce and disseminate statistics. Page 1 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Components Component Name Cost (US$, millions) Institutional Reform and Capacity 2.30 Data Production 30.00 Improving Equipment and Dissemination 15.70 Project Management 2.00 Organizations Borrower: The Ministry of Finance of Uzbekistan Implementing Agency: State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics PROJECT FINANCING DATA (US$, Millions) SUMMARY -NewFin1 Total Project Cost 50.00 Total Financing 50.00 of which IBRD/IDA 50.00 Financing Gap 0.00 DETAILS -NewFinEnh1 World Bank Group Financing International Development Association (IDA) 50.00 IDA Credit 50.00 IDA Resources (in US$, Millions) Credit Amount Grant Amount Guarantee Amount Total Amount Uzbekistan 50.00 0.00 0.00 50.00 National PBA 50.00 0.00 0.00 50.00 Page 2 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Total 50.00 0.00 0.00 50.00 Expected Disbursements (in US$, Millions) WB Fiscal Year 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Annual 1.89 12.75 8.37 9.48 9.36 8.16 Cumulative 1.89 14.64 23.01 32.48 41.84 50.00 INSTITUTIONAL DATA Practice Area (Lead) Contributing Practice Areas Poverty and Equity Macroeconomics, Trade and Investment Climate Change and Disaster Screening This operation has been screened for short and long-term climate change and disaster risks SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL (SORT) Risk Category Rating 1. Political and Governance  Moderate 2. Macroeconomic  Moderate 3. Sector Strategies and Policies  Low 4. Technical Design of Project or Program  Low 5. Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability  Substantial 6. Fiduciary  Substantial 7. Environment and Social  Moderate 8. Stakeholders  Moderate 9. Other 10. Overall  Moderate Page 3 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) COMPLIANCE Policy Does the project depart from the CPF in content or in other significant respects? [ ] Yes [✓] No Does the project require any waivers of Bank policies? [ ] Yes [✓] No Environmental and Social Standards Relevance Given its Context at the Time of Appraisal E & S Standards Relevance Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts Relevant Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure Relevant Labor and Working Conditions Relevant Resource Efficiency and Pollution Prevention and Management Relevant Community Health and Safety Relevant Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement Not Currently Relevant Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Living Natural Not Currently Relevant Resources Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Not Currently Relevant Local Communities Cultural Heritage Not Currently Relevant Financial Intermediaries Not Currently Relevant NOTE: For further information regarding the World Bank’s due diligence assessment of the Project’s potential environmental and social risks and impacts, please refer to the Project’s Appraisal Environmental and Social Review Summary (ESRS). Legal Covenants Sections and Description Page 4 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) The Annual Work and Budget Plan must be prepared on an annual basis by March 1 each year during project implementation Sections and Description Within 90 days from effectiveness, the PMU must install a fully functional accounting software to be used during project implementation for the project’s financial management and accounting Conditions Type Financing source Description Effectiveness IBRD/IDA The Project Implementing Agency has adopted POM satisfactory to the Association Type Financing source Description Effectiveness IBRD/IDA The Project Implementing Agency has established a PMU with staff, composition, terms of reference and resources acceptable to the Association Page 5 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT A. Country Context 1. Uzbekistan is a lower-middle-income, mineral-rich, landlocked country. With more than 34.5 million people as of 2021, it is the most populous of the Central Asian countries. It has maintained high and stable economic growth over the past two decades. Between 2000 and 2019, per capita gross domestic product rose at an average pace of 5 percent per year, climbing from US$ 2786 to 6999 (in terms of 2017 USD PPP). Official poverty estimates declined commensurably, from 27.5 percent in 2001 to 11 percent in 2019. 1 This progress was also accompanied by equity gains. Over the period from 2008 to 2019, the incomes of the poorest 40 percent of the population consistently grew faster than those of the upper 60 percent. However, Uzbekistan’s economic achievements have largely relied on a model driven by the state’s dominance in the economy, limited economic freedoms, and a restricted private sector. As a result, for decades the country has struggled to reach its full economic potential and generate full employment. 2. The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to economic growth in 2020, causing poverty and unemployment to rise. Real GDP is projected to have increased by just 0.6 percent in 2020, compared to 5.6 percent in 2019. Domestic market and export conditions weakened due to border restrictions, limits to mobility, and slowing regional economic activity. The share of households with at least one working member fell by more than 40 percentage points following stringent lockdown measures in April 2020. Although a swift employment recovery began in June 2020, World Bank estimates of the poverty rate rose to between 8.7 and 9.8 percent in 2020, compared with pre-crisis projections of 7.4 percent. As a result, up to 900,000 people at least temporarily fell into poverty, with many more facing considerable hardship and falling incomes. Social transfers launched under the government’s COVID-19 response only partially offset reduced labor incomes and remittances, and the downturn led to the most significant slowing in the pace of private consumption growth since independence. 3. Uzbekistan is in the process of transforming the foundations of its economy and social contract, but a world economy in deep turmoil following the outbreak of COVID-19 will serve as a major test for the transition process. The ambitious reform agenda entails three major shifts: from central planning to a market economy, from state to private ownership, and from isolation to economic integration. Uzbekistan has the necessary ingredients for a successful transition. The country is rich in endowments – with resourceful people and diverse natural capital. Ordinary citizens have seen a large expansion of their economic opportunities and freedoms. The state is more closely in touch with, and is more responsive to, the needs of citizens. But it is still early in the transition, success is not guaranteed, and many of the coming reforms are complex. Rising citizen aspirations risk overtaking the state’s ability to quickly deliver results, especially in the context of a highly uncertain global economic outlook due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 4. In February 2017, the Government of Uzbekistan (GoU) approved a five-year Development Strategy for 2017-2021 (the Strategy). At the core of the Strategy is a broad market-oriented reform policy in the country’s governance and all key areas of the economy. It represents a comprehensive, ambitious, and fast-paced national reform agenda, and emphasizes five governance related principles to accelerate sustainable development. These include i) improving state 1The official method used to estimate low-income status was based on a caloric measure of 2100 kilocalories per person per day. As of this writing, a new official measure of poverty is under revision with technical support from the World Bank. Page 6 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) and public administration, ii) further strengthening the role of the Oliy Majlis (parliament) iii) economic development and liberalization, iv) the development of the social sphere, and v) ensuring security, inter-ethnic harmony and religious tolerance via the implementation of a balanced, mutually beneficial, constructive foreign policy. The government has also adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and assumed 16 national SDG goals. 5. Within the Strategy, Uzbekistan has set focused goals with respect to gender equality, climate, and the environment. However, many challenges remain. The population looking for work but unable to find it is heavily concentrated among women. Female labor force participation is 28 percentage points below that of men – nearly twice the average gap in high-income countries (15 pp) and much higher than in comparator countries such as Russia (10 pp) and neighboring Kazakhstan (12 pp). According to World Bank monitoring in the Listening to the Citizens of Uzbekistan project, an overwhelming majority of the population feels that generating employment among women is an urgent priority. Uzbekistan’s natural resources are used inefficiently and unsustainably. While more recent official estimates are unavailable, work done in recent years to estimate energy usage and environmental degradation suggest that Adjusted Net Savings 2 in Uzbekistan have remained negative. The impact of climate change on the economy is expected to be highest in agriculture, energy, and water resource management. Climate change could increase monthly maximum temperatures across Uzbekistan, heighten the variability of rainfall across different agroecological zones, and accelerate glacier melting, which is expected to reduce water availability and river flow in the long-term. 6. Uzbekistan is also vulnerable to natural disasters and climate-related events that cause significant economic losses: earthquakes, floods, landslides, extreme heat, and droughts. Estimated annual economic loss from natural disasters in Uzbekistan is US$92 million (the highest in Central Asia in absolute terms) or 0.20 percent of GDP. Earthquakes in Uzbekistan are a major threat. Seismic risks are concentrated in the eastern part of the country and the Bukhara region in the southwest of the country. Although only 14.6 percent of Uzbekistan’s territory is at very high seismic risk, over 50 percent of the population live in this area, and about 65 percent of GDP is generated there. Tashkent ranks first among nine cities in Central Asia and Caucasus in terms of earthquake hazard and the percentage of population exposed to seismic risk. B. Sectoral and Institutional Context 7. The named data producers in Uzbekistan’s law on national statistics include the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance, and the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics (SCS). The SCS is the authorized state body implements a unified state policy in the field of official statistics. The SCS operates under the authority of and reports to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan with updates to operations and procedures commonly issued through Presidential Resolutions. The Cabinet of Ministers ensures the implementation of a unified state policy in the field of official statistics; determines the priority directions for the development of official statistics; ensures the development, approval and implementation of statistical programs in the field of official statistics; takes measures to ensure the interconnection of the sphere of official statistics with targeted state programs. The SCS is led by the Chairman of the Board of the Committee. The Chairman also serves on the Statistical Council, a coordinating body for the national statistical system which represents the primary data producers and users, civil society, and trade unions. 2A measure of the true rate of saving in an economy after taking into account investments in human capital, depletion of natural resources and damages caused by pollution. Page 7 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Figure 1: Structure of the National Statistical Committee 8. Strengthening the national statistical system is at the core of the national reform agenda. The authorities presently struggle with crucial data gaps that disrupt the preparation, implementation, and monitoring of strategic development priorities. Implementing these activities will bring even greater responsibility to the SCS in the coming years and will require close coordination with other government institutions. Although the SCS maintains an elaborate data collection and reporting system – with about 2500 permanent staff – the methods, definitions, and approaches are often outdated, labor intensive, and not in compliance with international standards. International engagement and cooperation in matters of national statistics was severely limited until 2017, and many non-standard and incomparable approaches have been used in the interim. Thus, in many instances the information available to the authorities and the public is insufficient to assess the performance of the economy or the social outcomes of the population. The SCS has rapidly improved its standing in international rankings, but still performs only moderately well when benchmarked Page 8 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) against international standards, with a Statistical Capacity Indicators (SCI) score of 64.4 in 2019 and Statistical Performance Indicator (SPI) of 54.9 in the same year. 3 9. To address these challenges, a Presidential Decree to improve official statistics 4 was issued in July 2017, directing the SCS to comprehensively modernize its systems. With technical support from the World Bank, 5 the SCS developed a National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (NSDS) which was adopted in 2020 to meet this directive. The Strategy proposed activities to strengthen institutional and organizational framework through human capital, and technological resources development, adoption of advanced management practices, and use of international statistical standards. These activities are designed to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and image of the national statistical system of Uzbekistan in general, and particularly of the SCS. The NSDS defines the main strategic directions as the following: • Improved coverage of key national indicators that are relevant for policy and decision-making • A stronger quality management, monitoring, and evaluation framework • Clear data dissemination policy and practice, in line with the Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS), a legal framework for statistics to maintain integrity and independence • Satisfying demand for official statistical information, expanding capacity, contributing to an informed society, and improving statistical awareness among users. 10. The NSDS further identified both institutional and data gaps to be addressed. The main institutional gaps include (i) the lack of familiarity among staff regarding international best-practices, (ii) the lack of technical capacity for processing, analysis, and reporting using modern data management systems, (iii) the lack of independence in statistical production and reporting, and (iv) low salaries combined with high staff turnover. The NSDS further identified the main data gaps to reach a “standard package” of modern statistical system, including: (i) the lack of a population and housing census, (ii) outdated household, farm, and employment surveys, (iii) the lack of an agricultural census, and (iv) the lack of a complete business registry/census. Furthermore, improved survey data on consumption, employment, and income are needed to produce high-quality estimates of poverty and SDG indicators. 11. The SCS is the main official provider of statistics in Uzbekistan, but many activities require close cooperation with other agencies and data users. The statistical legal framework names the SCS alongside the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank as the official statistics producers in the country. There are several other institutions that are secondary data producers, including the State Committee on Geodesics, the Ministry of Labor and Employment Relations, the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Mahalla and Family Affairs, and the Ministry for the Development of Information Technologies and Communications. 12. The World Bank is the development partner providing the largest contribution to the modernization of the national statistical system of Uzbekistan, and the only partner engaged in comprehensive technical assistance across sectors. Most other development support is sector specific. The primary partners include: UNICEF which provides support to the SCS in preparing and implementing the Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey, UNFPA which supports the SCS’ program on vital statistics and the population census, the EU and USAID also provide focused technical support to the preparation 3 https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/statistical-performance-indicators 4 Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. PP-3165 5 Financing provided by the World Bank Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building. Page 9 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) for the census, alongside several bilateral donors. The IMF provides technical assistance on processes and data analysis feeding into national accounts and price surveys. Finally, the FAO provides technical assistance on agricultural statistics. Each of these activities are primarily grant-funded and focused on specific capacity building support projects of narrow scope. 13. The SCS’s openness to sharing data with the World Bank and other international partners has greatly increased since 2017. With support from the World Bank, 6 the official SCS website has quickly improved, and currently provides substantially more official statistical series than in previous years. However, public data dissemination remains limited and the SCS’s website does not include a micro-data library, limiting the use of high-quality data among policy makers, businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, development partners, and citizens. 14. Building the capacity of the statistical system in Uzbekistan will systematically affect the evidence generation process of the Uzbek government, which in turn is expected to bolster the quality of other reforms including those supported by the World Bank, with projects under implementation or in preparation. These linkages include better statistics and data infrastructure covered in components 2 and 3 of the project, which will support fiscal and investment management, sectoral development strategies, measuring the country’s progress in reducing poverty, and monitoring the country’s SDG indicators (while affecting the data environment for nearly every ongoing or pipeline World Bank lending operation). Improving national accounts will support responsible macro-fiscal management, and the proposed well-being monitoring system will contribute to the World Bank’s poverty monitoring, COVID-19 response, and social protection related activities. Sectoral statistics in agriculture, education, and health are central to effective implementation of World Bank-supported projects, while improving the population and demographic statistics in the country’s first comprehensive census will systematically improve the quality of the statistical system and the capacity of the state for effective resource allocation. C. Relevance to Higher Level Objectives 15. The project is aligned with the recently completed Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Uzbekistan 2016- 2021 (revised and extended through the 2018 Performance and Learning Review) and is expected to remain closely 7 aligned with the upcoming 2022-2026 CPF. Improved quality and accessibility of official data links and contributes to each of the CPF focus areas (sustainable transformation toward a market economy, reform of select state institutions, and citizen engagement). The CPF focus on governance relies heavily on reliable data and access, as these are fundamental to informed citizens engagement and evidence-based policy making. High quality information on the performance of the private sector, on job creation, and the quality of public services will all be strengthened in the context of the project, and the lack of these sources of information is identified as a key impediment in both the Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) and the CPF. 16. The project will also contribute to each of the priorities identified in the WBG COVID 19 Approach Paper. In particular, the project will support the pillars of “saving lives” and “protecting the poor and vulnerable” by improving the information available for health and social assistance performance and targeting. In the pillar of “ensuring sustainable business growth and job creation” the project will contribute to improving agricultural statistics and systematic data on 6 Technical assistance provided by the World Bank TFSCB 7 Report Number 126078-UZ, discussed by the Board in June 2018 Page 10 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) business activities. Finally, the project will directly and comprehensively support the objective of “strengthening policies, institutions, and investments for rebuilding better” through all components aimed at modernizing the statistical system. II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION A. Project Development Objective PDO Statement The project’s development objective (PDO) is to strengthen the capacity of Uzbekistan’s national statistical system to produce and disseminate statistics. PDO Level Indicators Key result indicators will include: i. World Bank Statistical Performance Index ii. Number of rounds of modern representative survey microdata published iii. Completed censuses and publication of comprehensive census reports iv. Results of web-based surveys of user satisfaction B. Project Components 17. The project will support the implementation of the national statistical development strategy and will be structured around four components: (i) Institutional Reform and Capacity, (ii) Data Production, (iii) Improving Equipment and Dissemination, and (iv) Project Management. The project activities will not include civil works. While the envisioned project activities will focus on the SCS – the sole implementing agency for the project – they will be carried out in close collaboration with other relevant institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank, the Ministry of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Mahalla and Family Affairs, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations. Cooperation with stakeholders and data producers other than the SCS will take place via the existing Statistics Council, supported by project funds for regular meetings, joint trainings, and other coordination activities. Improving the quality of data, coordination, and capacity both in the SCS and with partners is expected to strengthen the entire national statistical system. 18. The SCS will primarily undertake new data collection and modernization activities with the support of twinning arrangements with an advanced national statistics agency (or consortium of advanced statistical agencies). In addition, areas related to adopting new information and communication technologies (ICT), targeted trainings, and data processing and software development, will be augmented with support from expert consultants and consulting organizations. In specific sectors, complementary technical assistance is expected from international partners including the World Bank (e.g. international classification standards, welfare monitoring system, agricultural monitoring system), the IMF (national accounts, measuring informality, price statistics), UNFPA (the housing and population census, gender disaggregation in data collection), UNICEF (surveys on the welfare of children and nutrition), the FAO (agricultural statistics) among others. Page 11 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Component 1: Institutional Reform and Capacity (US$2.3 million) 19. The first project component will support preparations for revising the organizational structure of the national statistical system. If needed, the component will also support the revision of statistical legislation. A quality management program will be introduced and coordination through the existing Statistics Council will be improved. A human resources management policy review, including a training program will be developed and implemented. The sequencing of the human resources and institutional reviews will precede IT procurement described in component 3, to ensure alignment with revisions and priorities identified. Subcomponent 1.1 Institutional Reform 20. An institutional review will provide the foundation for institutional reform. The institutional review will include an analysis of the full organigram of the national statistical system, as well as a functional review and a human resources review. The project will support preparation of a change strategy for the SCS based on these results, and if needed, complementing statistics regulations. The review will provide the basis for reviewing existing laws and regulations, updating job descriptions, and matching with available skill sets. As a result of the exercise, it is expected that a re- deployment of staff to new activities will accommodate most phasing out of changing roles. However, the project risk assessment will be updated when the institutional review is completed to re-assess any risks associated with layoffs, if any, and if relevant give priority to natural attrition of the workforce through retirement. The client has also prepared Labor Management Procedures (LMP) to address labor deployment related issues as required under the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Standards (Labor and Working Conditions) or ESS2. The project will support an existing platform for statistical coordination among government institutions and development partners. These efforts will leverage the Statistics Council, which is currently composed of members from Government bodies, civil society, and trade unions. The platform will be used to discuss ongoing and planned activities related to statistics, as well as to engage stakeholders in continuous statistical capacity development as it pertains to their field and activity. Subcomponent 1.2: Human Capacity 21. Based on a training needs review, the project will identify training for the SCS’ staff and staff of other data producing ministries and agencies (to be fully implemented through the SCS). Trainings will include on-the-job-trainings with shadow assignments, workshops, short-term courses, certifications, and expected twinning arrangements with statistical offices in other countries. Given the currently limited availability of such trainings in Uzbekistan, the project will also use statistical schools abroad on an as-needed basis. 22. A particular focus will be paid to barriers to reaching gender equality in senior staff positions and closing gender gaps in the SCS’ staff composition. The project will address this disparity through HR development program, including support for training and job shadowing/on the job training opportunities, and firm targets included as intermediate project indicators. The program of HR development and capacity building will focus on gender sensitive employment and training policies to reduce gender disparity in existing SCS staff and new staff hired during the lifetime of the project. Under this subcomponent, the project will also support training on gender-relevant data collection methods that consider the local context, and social/cultural norms that may produce gender-based biases. Page 12 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) 23. Staff turnover was a key challenge raised by counterparts during preparation. To ensure greater resilience over time, the training needs review will focus on i) opportunities to build the professional reputations of employees ii) the capacity for the SCS to train new staff, and iii) greater built-in redundancy in staff technical skills. Follow-on activities during implementation may include training-of-trainers and supporting learning among staff in adjacent activities for broader competency. Finally, the review will recommend key areas where redundancy is particularly crucial, and the project will implement targeted training, learning rotations, and work shadowing accordingly. The PMU and project consultants will engage in the HR and institutional review immediately upon project effectiveness, to ensure sequenced alignment with other project components (particularly regarding IT procurement). 24. Under component 1, the SCS will develop a regular statistical training series for universities and students in all regions of Uzbekistan, with materials also made available to the public online. The training series will be delivered by SCS staff. Focus areas will include practical training on generating and using statistics, as well as the procedures and standards used in Uzbekistan’s national statistical system. These training exercises will introduce students to the data collected by the SCS, the methods used for processing and reporting national statistics, and provide examples of how data are used in practice in policy making. Component 2: Data Production (US$30 million) 25. This component focuses on closing the most important data gaps and modernization goals identified in the NSDS. The component will support improvements to three types of data collection systems: survey-based, administrative, and censuses. Statistical production will be improved by thoroughly updating national accounts, improving the well-being monitoring system, supporting the implementation of the first population and housing census, improving agricultural production statistics, systematically reporting environmental statistics, and improving statistical methods, standards, and registers. The resulting data will include new indicators to enable disaggregation among subpopulations including women/men, age groups, disability, and other groups. The project will support the expansion of existing indicators related to gender, as well as the development and introduction of new gender indicators. Although the project will primarily focus on closing core data gaps, where relevant it will also integrate modern technology to improve on the quality, timeliness, and availability of data projection, processing, and dissemination. This includes transitioning paper- based systems to electronic ones, modernizing software and IT systems, and digitizing legacy information. The use of advanced statistical offices through a twinning mechanism will be the default approach to provision of technical assistance for this component. Table 1 provides a full list of data collection activities either improved or launched with project support. Table 1: Improving Statistics Generation Activities Statistical platform or tool Subcomponent Survey of large enterprises 2.1 Survey of micro-enterprises with little or no net revenue 2.1 Survey of newly created micro-enterprises 2.1 Producer price survey 2.1 Residential housing survey 2.1 Business (enterprise) census 2.1 Regular sample survey of informal activities 2.1 Page 13 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Household budget survey 2.2 International Comparisons Program 2.2 Mahalla administrative data 2.2 Consumer price survey 2.2 Integrating education and health administrative data 2.2 Population and housing census 2.3 Agricultural survey 2.4 Integrating agriculture administrative sources 2.4 Agricultural census 2.4 Business register 2.1/2.5 Subcomponent 2.1: National Account Statistics and Business Census 26. Currently, national accounts are prepared based on incomplete information, missing informal sector data, and limited by quality concerns in some sectors. In addition, in-house technical capacity at the SCS for national accounts related activities is limited. Essential data are collected from producers by hand, international and ISO standards are not consistently applied, and comprehensive compilation of national accounts is conducted only biannually. National accounts are reported using a cumulative approach, rather than using discrete periods recommended by international standards. 27. The project will finance improvements of SCS’ capacity to produce high quality national account statistics, close the main data gaps, and implement 2008 System of National Accounts (SNA) and supporting statistics. The dual approach of building technical capacity and supporting data collection (including data exchange between entities) will improve the overall quality of statistics that contribute to national accounts, support the SCS to fully implement International Organization for Standards (ISO) standards, and increase to a quarterly reporting frequency with discrete periodic reporting. As described in the NSDS, the SCS expects key technical support – including technical consultations on price statistics in national accounts, SNA 2008, and discrete period accounting – from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This assistance is expected to complement the activities supported under this subcomponent. 28. The project subcomponent will support improvements and maintenance of the following data systems: i. Improving methods of the three ongoing business surveys (sampling design, questionnaires, and data exchange) and potential consolidation (large enterprises, micro-enterprises with little or no net revenue, newly created micro-enterprises). Data collection will be improved to systematically collect data on investment activities, ownership of the organization, including of state-owned enterprises. These data will also be used to improve the calibration and ongoing measurement of the producer price index. ii. Improving methods and adopting international standards for survey data collection related to the a) producer price index, and b) export and import price indexes. iii. Integration and data exchange of construction activity administrative data, with a focus on fully accounting for investment. iv. Streamlining the production and dissemination of environmental statistics produced by the multiple agencies involved in this process (Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, State Committee Page 14 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) on Ecology and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Energy, State Forestry Committee). v. Strengthening the reporting of administrative data for the capital account statistics, including investment in non-financial assets and sources of funds, and reporting detail/frequency from public and budget entities. Improvements to assess consumption of fixed capital will be improved. Improving data systems will include procedures to accurately estimate gross capital formation and net acquisition of non- produced non-financial assets from the rest of the world. Subthemes will include dwellings; other buildings and structures; machinery and equipment; transport equipment; cultivated assets (livestock, etc.); mineral exploration; computer software; entertainment, literary or artistic originals; and other intangible fixed assets. vi. Introduction of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEES) 2012 standard for understanding the interactions between the economy and the environment, and for describing stocks and changes in stocks of environmental assets. vii. Improving methods (sampling design, questionnaires, and data exchange) on existing residential housing survey. 29. Business (enterprise) censuses are vital information sources that contribute basic economic statistics throughout a statistical system. They are also commonly used to improve the quality (representativeness) of survey frames and statistical business registers, and account for business investment and asset depreciation. Outside of national statistical organizations, business census data are commonly used in the daily operations of Central Banks, Ministries of Finance and Investment, and a wide array of private sector stakeholders. The project will support preparations (but not implementation) for the SCS’ planned first national business census during the period 2024-5 The business census is expected to include details on business activities, geocoded location, number of employed (disaggregated by sex and hours of work), earnings, and ownership. The business census will be multi-modal, collecting data through i) online forms, or ii) direct enumeration (tablet based). The project will finance the preparation of questionnaires, training, data processing, and publication of results. 30. The project will support SCS preparations of a regular sample survey of informal activities. At this time, no such survey is conducted regularly by the SCS, though some aspects of informality are gathered in complementary surveys. Accurately measuring the size of the “shadow economy” is crucial for making effective and efficient economic policy decisions. There are several reasons for shadow economy to raise concerns. First, production and tax evasion under the shadow economy can create a negative spiral: individuals and firms go underground to escape taxes and social welfare contributions, eroding the tax bases and social security financing, causing increases in tax rates and/or budget deficits, pushing more production underground and ultimately weakening the sustainability of the fiscal system and government’s collective arrangements. Second, production in the shadow economy is perceived negatively, as operations tend to be low in productivity due to failures in accessing official resource markets (labor and capital) as well as reaping the benefits of economies of scale. Activities in the shadow economy are also viewed as having negative social dimensions. For example, since workers in the informal sector usually lack the protection of safety nets existing in the formal labor market, they are exposed to the risk of exploitation. Moreover, informality may produce unfair competition for formal companies. Finally, shadow activities distort official statistics such as GDP and other measures reported in national accounts. 31. Combined, these new and improved data sources will be used to strengthen national accounts and move to full compliance with SNA 2008 standards, regular reporting according to the IMF’s Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS), and the application of international standards to reconcile production and expenditure-based estimates of GDP. Page 15 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) The new data sources described above will close current data gaps on construction, trade, hotels and restaurants, education, healthcare, and other personal services (among other areas), and reduce the unobserved share of economic activity in national statistics. Subcomponent 2.2: Wellbeing Monitoring System 32. This subcomponent will support the implementation of a comprehensive well-being monitoring system. The relevant priority areas in the NSDS include modernization of demography, price, gender, poverty, and labor statistics. This will include transitioning existing surveys to electronic format, improving household survey designs, community administrative data (including education and health), consumer price statistics, producer price statistics, and participation in the International Comparisons Program (ICP). The component will support improving the relevant statistical systems to enable disaggregation by gender, disability, migration status, and similar subgroups according to international standards, and enhance data availability to close the gap in officially reported national indicators for the SDGs. 33. First, this subcomponent will finance a comprehensive modernization of the Household Budget Survey (HBS). At present, the SCS continuously collects consumption and expenditure data in the annual HBS, which is the primary data source of information on levels of monetary wellbeing. The survey sample is designed to provide valid representativeness every year. The envisioned changes supported by the project include transferring the mode of data collection to a computer assisted personal interview format, expanding the subject coverage to include additional measures of well- being and core SDG indicators, and increasing the size of the household sample. Adopting the tablet computer-based format is expected to considerably increase the speed of data collection and its quality. A new sample design will (i) optimize the spatial allocation of the new household sample, and (ii) increase the total sample size to be quarterly representative at the regional level. Topic coverage will be expanded to include Washington Group data on disability; household income, expenditure, and consumption; education levels and activities; healthcare needs and related expenditure; and allow for full gender and age disaggregation for relevant measures of wellbeing. Data related to household resilience, vulnerability, and risks related to climate change will be collected in survey and administrative data collection activities, where relevant. The project financing will enable the SCS to make the anonymized datasets publicly available to authorized users. The SCS will also publish the statistical analysis of the data on the official stat.uz website, complete with gender- and geographical-specific statistics for key indicators. 34. This subcomponent will also finance (i) improving local data management and integration systems for the “mahalla summary” database with the Ministry of Mahalla and Family Affairs and Ministry of Interior (ii) support to SCS training of local administrators for the timely and accurate collection of mahalla-level data, (iii) ensure the integration of mahalla level passport statistics with the SCS statistical reporting. Such reporting will include mahalla-level administrative information from the single social register. 35. Uzbekistan is one of few countries in the world that has not participated in recent ICP 8 rounds. This omission frequently leads questions on the validity of international comparisons of prices, GDP, and poverty, among other purchasing power parity-adjusted statistics. This project subcomponent will financially support the preparation and implementation of the first round of participation in the ICP process. 8 A periodic data collection effort that allows for comparable estimates of GDP, poverty, and other key indicators across countries Page 16 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) 36. Finally, this subcomponent will finance competitively procured twinning with an advanced statistics agency (or consortium of agencies) to provide technical support in modernizing the collection of price statistics, including the continuous collection of national and regionally representative consumer and producer price statistics using electronic systems. These updates will include a review of the items included in the surveys, increasing the geographic and temporal coverage of the price surveys, updating data processing, and revising the techniques used to calculate appropriate index weights. These measures are expected to improve the quality and timeliness of price statistics available to the SCS, other actors in the national statistical system, and other stakeholders. These estimates are vital in administering social programs (including wages, social assistance, and pensions) as well as calibrating broadly appropriate fiscal and monetary policy. Subcomponent 2.3: Population and Housing Census 37. This project subcomponent will support preparation and implementation of the upcoming population and housing census, to be conducted for the first time since Uzbekistan’s independence. The census will be a cornerstone of the statistical system, providing detailed information on the demographic, social, economic, and housing conditions of the country. The census will also substantially contribute to the assessment of fixed assets in the economy, and thus investment activity especially in dwellings and structures which is currently unaccounted for. The census was authorized in November 2020 by Council of Ministers Resolution 710. A pilot of the national census will be conducted in November 2021, and full enumeration of the population is scheduled for 2023. While a complete and detailed costing is currently in preparation, the expected total census budget (as of February 2021) is approximately $70 million, covering the cost of the following activities: Table 2: Approximate cost breakdown of 2023 Housing and Population Census Item (in Millions USD) Enumerator recruitment and compensation $35.0 Census mapping $8.0 Dwelling numbering and household listing $8.0 Piloting activities $3.0 Data processing and publication $3.0 Developing and printing census forms $7.0 Tabulation and related equipment $3.5 Training activities $1.5 Miscellaneous costs $1.0 $70 million 38. State resources were allocated in 2020 to purchase example equipment for testing, and the 2021 national budget includes the projected costs of planned piloting activities. However, budget allocations for census activities in 2022 and 2023 have not yet been prepared. The project will coordinate activities with development partners, including UNFPA, the US Census Bureau and USAID, the Embassy of Russia in Uzbekistan, the Embassy of Switzerland in Uzbekistan, The Embassy of France in Uzbekistan, and others. A preliminary list of donor and bilateral support to the census includes technical support from the Embassy of Russia with an annual amount of approximately $200,000. The Embassy of Switzerland plans to contribute funding in 2021 in the amount of $148,000 and UNHCR allocated $30,000 in 2020 to Page 17 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) support data collection on statelessness within the census. These contributions are complementary and there is no financing gap for the activities to be carried out under the Project. The possibility of the Statistical Council serving as the host for donor coordination will be explored. The Project will coordinate with the World Bank Group’s efforts for the adoption of 2008 SNA standards for national accounts to ensure coordination and complementarity of activities. 39. The subcomponent will provide financing for the following census activities: i. Prepare materials and conduct trainings for the operational staff of the census (interviewers, supervisors, clerical staff). ii. Finance procurement of necessary equipment for conducting the census. iii. Design dissemination materials that will be used to promote the participation of the population. iv. Develop a pilot and experimental census activities, test the material that will be used in the census, and make necessary adjustments. v. Support costs related to transportation and coordination of mapping, dwelling listing, and numbering. vi. Support data processing, analysis of the results, and production of reports and related materials. Subcomponent 2.4: Agricultural Production Monitoring System 40. Despite the importance of the agricultural sector in Uzbekistan, which accounts for approximately one third of the country’s workforce, there are many gaps in statistics for agricultural production. No nationally representative comprehensive agricultural survey has been conducted since independence in 1991. Current administrative statistics focus on agricultural production, while indicators on productivity and farm incomes are missing. To close this data gap, the project will support the rollout of an agricultural production monitoring system consisting of three components: (i) a continuous agricultural survey, (ii) continuous monitoring of agriculture statistics derived from administrative sources 9 and (iii) a comprehensive agricultural census. Where relevant, the project will ensure alignment with environmental data collection efforts of other agencies to avoid duplication of efforts and conflict in methods and expanding the data available to be used to inform planning or impact of climate change on agriculture. The agricultural census will use data from the Population Census as a sampling frame and complete enumeration of all commercial farmers. Based on census data, follow-up sample surveys will monitor agricultural production and provide more detailed data on selected subsectors including horticulture, wheat, and cotton. The Ministry of Agriculture will be closely involved in the design of the monitoring system and indicators’ methodology to align with in-country systems and ensure complementarity with existing routine data collection efforts and available administrative data. 41. The agricultural census of Uzbekistan is expected in 2024 or later and is the subject of a government draft resolution currently under preparation. The project will support efforts to prepare for the agriculture census, including organizational aspects, legal basis, budgetary needs, technical support, equipment, staff development, methodology for agricultural census and questionnaire preparation, interviewer needs, introduction of new technologies, outreach campaigns to promote the census, training of staff, personnel and interviewers for the census. Special attention will be paid to collecting data required to adequately account for agricultural investment and more accurate statistics on plot- level productivity. 9And inclusion of new statistical indicators that are the part of the recently approved Strategy for Agricultural Development 2020-2030 (which includes more than 50 indicators) Page 18 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Subcomponent 2.5: Methods, Standards, and Registers 42. This subcomponent will improve registers, standards, classifications, frameworks, and metadata repositories in line with international standards (including SDDS). These include updating relevant systems to international standard classifications as defined by UNSD and other pertinent international organizations, harmonizing standards across national systems within the national statistical system, and compliance with measurement principles for the SDGs. The activities will ensure that definitions are comprehensive and up to date. Classification and standards will be revised and modified to align with international best practices. Metadata management practices, regulations and current state will be reviewed and updated. Questionnaire design and sampling methods will be improved. A review will be conducted on the relevance and scope of gender disaggregation in official statistics, the selection of gender relevant topics, data source identification, a gender-focused review of definitions and concepts, and development or updates on survey instruments with respect to gender. Data management capacity for time series analysis, measuring investment and depreciation of assets, managing/using spatial data, and seasonal adjustment methods will be introduced. The project will also work with agencies that produce environmental data to streamline the production and dissemination of environmental statistics through the inclusion of detailed environmental satellite accounts described in Component 2. Component 3: Improving Equipment and Dissemination (US$15.7 million) 43. The project will fund an assessment and an upgrade of information and ICT infrastructure to ensure efficient data collection, processing workflows, analysis, data archiving, and dissemination including the micro-data library. Dissemination practices will be improved by collecting user feedback, supporting open data access, implementing an open micro-data library, and producing analytical reports, and ensuring compliance with the SDDS. Subcomponent 3.1: Data Processing and Equipment 44. The objective of this subcomponent is to finance upgrades to the SCS’ data center, allowing for data recovery in the event of climate disasters, and to establish an integrated data processing system covering the complete data collection cycle. This process includes developing an integrated suite of software for creating survey frames, selecting samples, collecting data using digital devices, editing, imputing, aggregating, and disseminating data in line with SDDS. The information systems of the SCS will be further integrated with the databases of other data collecting agencies. Equipment and systems for digitizing paper-based archives will be procured, and the use of computer assisted personal interviews, computer assisted telephone interviews, computer assisted web interviews, and other modern data collection methods will be introduced. Licensed statistical data processing software will also be procured under this component. 45. This subcomponent also aims to assist the SCS in modernizing statistical infrastructure in the territorial offices. The SCS aims to replace all office equipment through 2025. With a total of about 2,500 staff in HQ and throughout the country, the project will partially finance approximately 500 personal computers every year (20 percent per year) to replace all personal computers in the system by 2025. The project will also procure an additional 500 tablets for the purposes of survey data collection, to complement the existing 200 tablets already in use. Some office network facilities will be improved, and outdated equipment will be replaced where required, which will improve efficiency and save Page 19 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) energy. However, no civil works will be conducted within the project. The project will review existing IT infrastructure upgrade plans to ensure they are in line with the functional and human resource reviews that will be conducted under Component 1; this will ensure that the investments in IT infrastructure are consistent with expected changes in the work environment of SCS and ensure a higher return. The project procurement plan will allow for flexibility to adapt to potential adjustments. Subcomponent 3.2: Analysis and Dissemination 46. This subcomponent will support additional analytical activities in the form of a data note for each monitoring system, and support for improving the Annual Statistical Yearbook with data produced and improved through the project activities. Based on the modernized data collection approaches, the SCS will regularly produce and monitor key indicators of well-being, including poverty measures, relevant gender disaggregated indicators, indicators related to climate and the environment, and other SDG indicators. This subcomponent will finance SCS contributions to updated national measures of poverty, the labor market, consumption, and incomes, and will support the process and workflow to report these statistics on the SCS’ website on a quarterly basis throughout the life of the project. In addition, led by the relevant ministries, well-being data will be used to prepare an annual report on poverty and well-being in Uzbekistan. 47. This subcomponent will also support enhancements to the official Stat.uz website, including a focus on further developing webpages devoted to gender-disaggregated survey and administrative data, information on vulnerable groups, a data release calendar, and other improvements. The project will further support improvements to the webpage focused on sex-disaggregated statistics and will be supplemented with information on unpaid care work, property rights, educational sex-segregation, employment data in energy and infrastructure, and on decision-making processes and institutions (including mahalla, district, and regional leadership, activities, and performance), among others. 48. Finally, open access policies for anonymized microdata will be adopted. Open access to micro-data contributes to transparency, supports evidence-based policy analysis, and creates user demand for high-quality statistics. In turn, this helps statistics producers justify government budget allocations to sustain a modern statistical system. This subcomponent will support the implementation and maintenance of a new micro-data library to enable open access to data users through the stats.uz website. Component 4: Project Management (US$2 million) 49. Project planning and management will be through technical advisory services, training, operation costs, and the acquisition of goods. Successful implementation of the project requires a dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) staffed with a project coordinator as well as specialists in financial management (FM), procurement, ICT, human resources, and monitoring and evaluation. This project component will provide funding for those functions and their implementation. The unit will be established at the soonest following the project negotiations and shall be supported by international consultants, if needed, with a focus on building the capacity of the unit over the initial phase of the project. 50. Citizen engagement. This subcomponent will support activities to improve communications and solicit feedback from users and providers. There is no well-established tradition in Uzbekistan in determining user needs for statistics, especially the requirements of non-government users. The project will also support technical improvements to the basic Page 20 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) user feedback mechanism currently available on the SCS website. These changes will ensure the interface to lodge complaints and feedback related to the project and other SCS activities is simple-to-use, and that actions taken to resolve complaints are publicly reported through annual citizen report cards. The project will rely on this platform to directly engage with citizens in the process of the strategic planning, implementation, monitoring of statistics and related activities. As described in subcomponent 3, dissemination practices will also be improved with regular press releases and media conferences. Finally, through the National Statistics Council, consultations will be held with a diverse and inclusive group of citizens representing the socio-economic picture of the country including CSOs, businesses, and other relevant groups. 51. In summary, the following will be developed or improved in the context of the project: i. Strengthening the online “virtual reception” system to increase user-dialogue and feedback between the SCS, citizens, and other users. ii. Annual online citizen report cards published on the SCS website to summarize feedback received and relevant actions taken. Key dimensions of statistical data services will include relevance and accessibility of statistical products and services, transparency of the SCS, and the effectiveness of the SCS engagement with users. iii. Regular National Statistics Council consultations. iv. Annual public townhalls disseminating information on project progress. These consultations will be complemented with targeted focus groups with stakeholders as needed. v. Maintenance of an advance statistical release calendar. 52. The SCS will make project-supported statistical data publicly available, improving transparency and accountability, and encouraging the use of data in the public debate on economic, financial, and social issues. Dissemination practices will be improved with regular press releases and media conferences. 53. Gender. The NSDS gives special attention to the role of gender statistics. However, gender data is presently either fragmented or completely missing in some key areas of the official statistics, including health, economic participation, empowerment and political participation, time use, and education. Under the project, the SCS in close cooperation with key partners will determine the list of gender indicators in accordance with the decisions of the United Nations Statistical Commission in its 44th Session in 2013 (E/CN.3/2013/33), will collect and produce and disseminate those indicators in order to monitor and properly assess implementation of the SDGs with support from the project. Improved sub-national and sub-provincial statistics will also provide policy makers with gender disaggregated data. The SCS has recently developed a dedicated website to systematically publish gender statistics. This system will be improved with support from the project. 54. Component 4 will place particular emphasis on supervision and implementation of the activities described in component 1, relating to closing the gender gap in senior and total staff counts at the SCS. A rapid assessment of gender disparities at SCS shows that in regional offices only about 31 percent of all staff are women (631 women and 1673 men), and at SCS headquarters only 33 percent of staff are women (114 women and 228 men). The project will address this disparity through HR development program, including support for training and job shadowing/on the job training opportunities, and firm targets included as intermediate project indicators. The program of HR development and capacity Page 21 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) building will focus on gender sensitive employment and training policies to reduce gender disparity in existing SCS staff and new staff hired during the lifetime of the project. In addition, gender-relevant data collection methods that consider the local context, and social/cultural norms that may produce gender-based biases will be reviewed and relevant training will be provided to SCS staff. 55. Climate. The project will generate climate co-benefits by supporting the introduction of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA). These satellite accounts will provide detailed information to frame the government’s environmental policies and enable the government to take data-informed policy decisions and report to the citizens on the environmental outcomes of the implemented policies. Improvements in climate and spatial data provide a form of early warning system that is intended to inform adaptation measures in urban and rural development. 56. Supporting further transition of the SCS operations from paper to electronic data collection and dissemination, digitalization of older records and on-line document management will also result in environmental benefits due to considerable paper use reduction and energy savings due to decreased printing and copying. In terms of adaptation, the project will include activities to ensure data recovery and backup to prevent data loss in the event of natural disasters. Moreover, upgraded IT infrastructure at the SCS would, in general, be more energy efficient, contributing to a reduced carbon footprint. C. Project Beneficiaries 57. The SCS is the direct beneficiary of the project. Users of the statistics produced by the project will be indirect beneficiaries and include (i) planners and policy makers; (ii) the public, (iii) business and the private sector, (iv) researchers, associations, and academia; and (v) development partners. Page 22 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) D. Theory of Change E. Rationale for Bank Involvement and Role of Partners 58. High-quality official statistics are a classic “public good” that are often under-produced in the absence of public sector participation. The World Bank team has deep and extensive experience in the production, use, and dissemination of statistics. In Uzbekistan, many standard statistical tools are missing, or antiquated, and statistical systems require a high degree of specialized knowledge regarding international practice. Beyond project financing, the World Bank’s involvement will ensure greater value and less risk in reaching the SCS’ goal of introducing modern systems. 59. The World Bank is a leading source for knowledge and analysis of development issues. It provides countries with a range of knowledge service products to support the country's specific development needs and to help build capacity. These include production, analysis, and dissemination of statistics as well as statistical standards, methods, and trainings. As such, the World Bank’s involvement in supervising the implementation of the Project by Uzbekistan is expected to allow Uzbekistan to benefit from the considerable experience for such project activities across many countries. It will facilitate access to up-to-date knowledge on best practices and approaches that minimize costs for given outputs, considering specific country conditions. Page 23 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) F. Lessons Learned and Reflected in the Project Design 60. Direct technical support in modernizing survey implementation and designs can lead to rapid improvements in the technical capacity of the SCS. Through the World Bank team’s engagement during appraisal, the SCS successfully piloted and launched a modern Household Budget Survey design using tablet computers and automated database technology. The resulting data are already in use in several applications in policy making (including establishing a poverty line and measuring food consumption). Such multi-purpose data platforms are a focus area of the project, and their modernization sorely needed to inform a quickly evolving policy agenda. 61. Data access limitations undermine transparency and reduce the effective use of evidence in policymaking. Data quality and timeliness are high priorities at the center of Government. The project includes provisions for public publishing data files and results and will also improve the flow of information within government, and through training and the introduction of modern systems, improve the SCS’ ability to quickly respond to the demands of data users. 62. Integrating project activities into the work of the country team, and in other projects. Ongoing engagement on reform priorities, including governance of State-Owned Enterprises, agricultural production, land use, poverty thresholds, and others highlights the centrality of a high-quality statistical system in development practice. Outdated systems, widespread informality and data gaps undermine timely policymaking and project engagement. Within the World Bank, sector experts have detailed knowledge of data gaps and have assisted in the design of the project accordingly. 63. Another important lesson is the appetite for twinning with advanced statistical agencies. Experience from related statistical capacity building projects implemented in other countries showed that a twinning arrangement between SCS and an advanced national statistical office (or a consortium of such offices) could be a better approach instead of hiring a large number of consulting firms or individual consultants: NSOs have extensive expertise and are directly engaged in government statistical activities, while the latter group would lack these. In the long-term this could allow building lasting partnership that can go beyond the project cycle. The use of advanced statistical offices through a twinning mechanism will be the default approach to technical assistance in implementation and will help reduce the implementation risk of the project that could otherwise be constrained by the lack of expertise in provision of such technical assistance. III. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 64. The SCS, reporting to the Cabinet of Ministers, will be responsible of the project over a five-year period. By project effectiveness, a project management unit (PMU) will be established within SCS to coordinate, monitor, and support the overall implementation of the project. The PMU will report to the Chairperson of the SCS. In addition to coordinating the implementation and monitoring of the Project activities, the PMU will also manage reporting and audit activities, and ensure compliance with procurement, payment, and financial management policies and procedures. The PMU will hire a full-time Director and Project Coordinator. The PMU Director will report directly to the SCS Chairperson. The PMU Director will be responsible for overseeing all project activities, the annual work plan and annual report, leading the PMU team, ensuring timely submission of required reports, organizing project audits, and preparing supervision missions. The exact scope and terms of reference of the PMU, including physical location, will be detailed in the Project Operations Manual and is expected to include specialists from the related areas of specialization: coordination, monitoring and evaluation, procurement, accounting and financial management, and secretarial/translation staff. Page 24 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Figure 2: Planned PMU Structure 65. The use of advanced statistical offices through a twinning mechanism will be the default approach to technical assistance. Twinning provides necessary technical expertise in a “one-stop-shop” for the development of modern and efficient statistical systems with the structures, human resources and management skills needed to produce and disseminate statistics that are in line with the internationally accepted standards. The SCS may select a twinning partner (a well-established statistical agency or a consortium of agencies) through competitive bidding to carry out most of the consulting, technical assistance and training activities based on the detailed TORs prepared by SCS to acquire the best possible expertise in a single package. Twinning arrangements will also help proper sequencing of project activities and timely implementation of such comprehensive and complex projects. B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation Arrangements 66. The PMU will be responsible for reporting and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). An annual work program and an annual report will monitor and report on project progress, and the project will be reviewed during periodic World Bank supervision missions. The work program will include a detailed list of activities for each subcomponent, including their implementation schedule and planned, estimated, and actual costs and intermediate and final outputs. The work program must be approved before the start of a project year by the chairperson of the SCS with the no objection of the World Bank task team leader. The annual report will document progress of the project at the activity level. It will include progress toward meeting the agreed targets for each indicator of the results framework accompanied by an explanation. A comprehensive mid-term review will be completed. The PMU must submit the annual report approved by the chairperson of the SCS to the World Bank within 60 days of the end of a project year. The PMU will provide additional updates on the status of activities and indicators as requested and necessary. 67. Regarding financial reporting and auditing, the World Bank standard requirements for Investment Policy Lending apply. SCS will provide interim unaudited financial statements as per the form and substance acceptable to the World Page 25 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Bank, covering the periods indicated in the financing agreement. The SCS will also organize an external independent review of project resource management in accordance with audit standards acceptable to the World Bank during the periods specified in the financing agreement. Audits will be conducted at the expense of the project. C. Sustainability 68. The Government and especially SCS have strong ownership of the project and of its planned activities. The project has been designed based on the NSDS developed by the SCS and in close consultations with the Government. The Government has demonstrated strong leadership and ownership of the project by identifying statistics as a key priority sector in the country’s medium-term development and by adopting a comprehensive and integrated strategy for the statistics sector. Formal adoption of the NSDS before project preparation further cements the official endorsement of achieving and maintaining the project’s objectives. Multiple stakeholders from inside and outside the Government were consulted in the design phase of the project, and the SCS has chaired many of these discussions. The PMU integrated with the SCS will naturally continue the SCS’ leadership and ownership for statistics in Uzbekistan upon completion of the project. 69. The long-term sustainability of these efforts depends on a continued flow of resources to the statistical system. The project aims to provide a solid statistical infrastructure that can be maintained with limited resources after project closure. Some activities, including the census activities, have been allocated significant government resources beyond project resources. Given their periodic nature (most census activities are completed on a 10-year cycle), reduces the scope of “sustainability” risks as they by their nature are not fully continuous processes. The project will further contribute to sustainability by creating user demand for statistics in Uzbekistan within and outside the Government. The increased user demand will help justify additional funding from the Government and development partners to sustain funding of statistics beyond the end of the project. IV. PROJECT APPRAISAL SUMMARY A. Technical, Economic and Financial Analysis 70. The SCS maintains an extensive data collection and reporting system. Existing infrastructure and trained staff can perform the main functions of a national data producer and custodian of the national statistical system. Though still less comprehensive than best-practice examples, the SCS’ public reporting practices are quickly improving. 71. However, many methods, standards, and vital components of the national statistical system are outdated or missing. The current system of national accounts does not use the most up-to-date standards, and relies on incomplete inputs, while many data sources are not automated, are not fully digitized, and lack comprehensive coverage. National surveys (including those focused on households, prices, enterprises, and agriculture) use paper-based approaches, and lack comprehensive subject and population coverage, sampling frames, and weighting approaches. Data management systems and analysis software are basic, limiting the speed of data processing, as well as the versatility of the SCS to use available data to novel purposes. Staff are specialized in their current tasks and assignments and modernizing systems and introducing new data collection techniques will require expertise that the SCS does not currently possess. 72. The country has not yet completed a national housing and population census, an agriculture census, or a business Page 26 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) (enterprise) census. As these usually form the backbone of a country’s statistical system, they are important gaps that systematically affect the quality of most statistical measures. The SCS does not field an informal sector survey and has not participated in the International Comparisons Program. 73. Provision of statistical data is a public good typically financed by the public sector. Statistics users include the private sector, civil society, development partners, the Government, and the public at large. A stronger statistical system would provide large but diffuse benefits to economic agents that are not directly related to its implementation and improve governance outcomes through access to higher quality evidence on which to base policy. 74. The project will strengthen the capacity of the SCS to address these challenges. The project will support the SCS to implement its NSDS, which aims to improve the coverage, timeliness, and quality of data throughout the system. This includes national accounts, census data, poverty and wellbeing statistics, agricultural production statistics, business activity and other key statistical information that is currently lacking. The project will also support implementation of the country’s first censuses and help to close many other key data gaps. These activities will be a critical step forward for the availability and use of high-quality statistics in Uzbekistan. Evidence-based policymaking heavily relies on the timeliness, quality, and availability of high-quality statistics. The project support will result in much more comprehensive monitoring of the SDGs – including information on gender equality and climate change – and support the formulation of better targeted evidence-based policies. These new and modernized data systems will also close many gaps that are currently unmeasured “shadow” activities, which can distort official statistics such as GDP. 75. The technical design of the project relied on a review of needs, direct consultations, and international best practices. The selected project components are based on a careful study of the objectives, gaps, and needs outlined in the NSDS and intensive consultations with staff and management of SCS, as well as the main users of statistics including the Government, and other stakeholders. The core World Bank team has been augmented with staff and consultants who can lead the dialogue on components of importance. The World Bank has a unique comparative advantage in supporting national statistics. It provides countries with a range of knowledge service products to support the country’s specific development needs and to help build capacity. These knowledge service products include production, analysis, and dissemination of statistics as well as statistical standards, methodologies, and trainings. Full implementation of project activities will result in a stronger, better coordinated, and more responsive statistical system with a broader and deeper suite of statistical products and services. 76. ESF disclosures have been completed. The SCS disclosed in-country drafts of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) in March 2021, and again on September 28, 2021. The Labor Management Procedures (LMP) was disclosed in- country on September 28th, 2021. The negotiation ESCP was adjusted to require disclosure of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) and E-Waste Management Plan, and disclosure was completed by October 10th, 2021. In-country consultations on the draft ESMF were conducted in parallel. The final ESMF, E-Waste management plan, LMP, and SEP were disclosed publicly through the Bank’s Imagebank system. B. Fiduciary 77. The SCS will be responsible for implementing the project and will also bear the ultimate fiduciary responsibility for implementing the project, together with the recipient. The SCS will set up the Project Management Unit (PMU) on the terms of references acceptable to the Bank and which is a condition of effectiveness. The PMU will be located at SCS and will manage and carry out all fiduciary and implementation activities of the project (procurement and financial management, monitoring and safeguarding, overall administration, coordination, management, and control over Page 27 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) project). The PMU will be adequately staffed and will include, as a minimum, a PMU Coordinator, Financial Management specialist, Procurement Specialist and a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, all hired on the terms of references acceptable to the Bank. The records management (mainly projections, types of cash transfers, allocations per region, and consolidation of reports) will likewise be fully implemented by the PMU. The SCS will ultimately be responsible for the funds flow management, including monitoring of and reporting on the use of the funds. (i) Financial Management 78. The assessment of the FM arrangements showed that SCS’ financial management is generally acceptable for implementation of the project. Considering that this is the first time SCS will be implementing the WB Project and thus the SCS will need to build on the FM capacity to ensure due financial management control over funds utilization. With this respect, the Project Operations Manual (POM) to be implemented by SCS will need to be adopted before project effectiveness. The POM will include the chapter on the FM arrangements in terms project planning, budgeting, financial reporting and accounting, internal controls, and audit and etc. and which will be an effectiveness condition. The PMU will also need to install a fully functional accounting software which will be utilized during the project implementation for project’s financial management and accounting (legal covenant – within 90 days from effectiveness). The residual FM risk for project implementation is assessed to be Moderate provided the risks mitigation actions are duly and timely addressed by the SCS. 79. The project accounting will be conducted according to International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) (cash basis) and the project accounting records will provide necessary details on each transaction made from the project funds. The PMU will submit a quarterly unaudited interim financial report (IFR) to the World Bank within 45 days following the reporting quarter. The IFR reports format and contents will be agreed with Bank and will be Annexed to the POM. The independent external audit of the project financial statements will be carried out for each financial year and at the closing of the project by an eligible audit firm, in accordance with the terms of reference, agreed with the World Bank. The audit will be financed from the credit proceeds, and the project audit report will be publicly disclosed by the PMU and the World Bank on their respective websites. 80. The disbursements will be carried out in accordance with the World Bank Disbursement Guidelines for IPF (dated May 2017) using the four disbursement methods: direct payments, advances to the Designated Account (DA), reimbursements, and special commitments. The minimum application size and the DA ceiling will be specified in the Disbursement and Financial Information Letter (DFIL). The PMU will open a DA (in US dollars) in a financial institution acceptable to the World Bank and a transit account in Uzbek So’m, as may be necessary. Both accounts will be used only for the inflow of the project funds and payment of eligible expenditures. (ii) Procurement 81. Applicable procurement framework. The PIU would oversee planning, managing, and conducting the project procurement activities in line with the PPSD and approved Procurement Plans. All procurement activities shall be conducted through the procedures as specified in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers: Procurement in Investment Project Financing Goods, Works, Non-Consulting, and Consulting Services, dated November 2020. The procurement and contract management processes will be conducted and tracked through the Systematic Tracking of Exchange in Procurement (STEP) system, as approved in the Procurement Plan. 82. Summary of the PPSD and Procurement Plan. The PPSD has been developed, based on which the Procurement Page 28 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Plan for the first 18 months of project implementation was developed at appraisal. The PPSD includes a detailed procurement risk analysis and actions to mitigate the risks. If followed properly, and the risks are mitigated, a lower risk rating might be assessed during project implementation. Market analysis for large-value packages shall be conducted to confirm that the market is competitive enough having decent number of consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, and so on. Examples of large-value packages are mainly to support the census and that specific procurement packages shall be further checked in the market, so the market conditions are well considered and to secure the successful procurement. • Preparation of materials for census and conducting trainings for surveyors • Renewal of IT and office equipment of central apparatus and regional offices of the NSC • Data base and the software development 83. The procurement activities, including the TA are straightforward and aimed to support the large resource needs for country wide censuses, improving the methodology and providing material and logistical support for the related activities. The largest contract is aimed for provision of data collection system, materials, forms, questionnaires, guidance and instructions, in hard copy and also training for the personnel and operational staff of the NSC who shall conduct the surveys and censuses. Mainly the open international approach would be required, even though certain goods and consultancy is available within the country. 84. The project activities do not include the civil work contracts. The Procurement Plan will be updated at least annually, or as required, to reflect the actual project implementation needs and improvements in institutional capacity. 85. Use of national procurement procedures. All contracts for goods, works, and consultancy services following national market approach shall use the procedures set out in the Public Procurement Law (PPL), dated March 2021. The provisions of the PPL are mainly consistent with the World Bank Procurement Regulations Section V - Paragraph 5.4. The National Procurement Procedures are subject to a few conditions specified in the PPSD. To promote transparency, efficiency, and value for money under the new country public procurement system, the draft PPL provides for a gradual introduction of an e-procurement system. The new e-procurement system shall be assessed by the World Bank’s procurement team. If found acceptable, the project may use it for procurement of simple goods. 86. Procurement supervision and ex post review. Routine procurement reviews and supervisions will be provided by the WB procurement specialist based in the country office. In addition, two supervision missions are expected to take place per year, during which ex post reviews will be conducted for the contracts that are not subject to the World Bank’s prior review on a sample basis (20 percent out of the number of contracts subject to review). One ex-post review report will be prepared per fiscal year, including findings of physical inspections for not less than 10 percent of the contracts awarded during the review period. 87. Procurement risks assessment. Procurement capacity assessment has been performed using the PRAMS is Substantial. The key risks concerning procurement for implementation of the project include systemic weaknesses in the following areas : (a) procurement capacity at the national level; (b) accountability of procurement decision-making in the NSC; (c) technical expertise in preparing the specifications for equipment; and (d) potential risk of delays in the implementation of the project due to the complexity of procurement processes and decision-making, which involves a large number of government officials. Preliminary risk mitigation measures are (a) providing technical specifications for preparation of capacity building at the STC; (b) providing training for new and current staff on the World Bank Procurement Regulations; (c) updating the POM with a detailed chapter on procurement, including description of Page 29 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) decision-making processes and accountability for procurement decisions; and (d) putting in place an efficient contract management mechanism. 88. Procurement Risk Management Plan. The PPSD addresses how procurement activities will support the PDO and deliver best value for money under a risk-based approach. Based on the procurement risk analysis, which is part of the PPSD, the risk management plan (table 1.1) is prepared to inform a procurement approach that considers the ability of the recipient to manage identified risks Table 1.1. Risk Management Plan Identified Risk Risk Description Description of Proposed Mitigation Risk Owner Procurement Process Stage through Procurement Process Implementation Less experience on the new • Providing intensive trainings, Recipient Preparation of procurement risks World Bank Procurement seminars, and pre-bidding documents Regulations as well local conferences on the procurement supplier’s low performance process for the staff of STC, during bid preparation, PIU/RSPIU, and bidders submitting bank guarantees, and quality assurance process Technical Limited expertise of the • Qualified consultants will be hired Recipient Preparation of procurement specifications are recipient to develop to support the recipient in documents inadequate technical specifications preparation of technical specifications including IT procurement • Conducting market survey before preparation of technical specifications Contract At the contract • Implement timely implementation Recipient Contract management management risks management stage, more contract progress monitoring, attention to timely carefully check the duration of the implementation of contract performance guarantee and duties, suppliers provide applicable form performance security on proper time and form Procurement and There is a risk of • Implement timely project progress Recipient Preparation of procurement implementation procurement and monitoring and evaluation tools documents, bid evaluation, delays implementation delay, • Clear roles and responsibilities of and contract management which is manageable by concerned parties and implementing the stakeholders appropriate mitigation • Hire an international IT measures procurement consultant Staff turnover High level of staff turnover • Introducing financial and social Recipient Project implementation affects the capacity of the incentives to retain trained and project implementing team qualified staff throughout the project period 89. The Procurement Plan has been prepared and would be revised as needed to include new procurement activities and revise the current activities as required, due to the change of the pro market or project needs. It would be highly recommendable to start the procurement process of the key project activities as soon as the negotiations conducted, so to expedite the overall project implementation. Page 30 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) 90. Oversight and monitoring by the World Bank. All contracts not covered under prior review by the World Bank will be subject to post review during implementation support missions, including missions by consultants hired by the World Bank or through supreme audit institutions as part of the financial audit. The World Bank may, at any time, conduct independent procurement reviews of all the contracts financed under the credit. .C. Legal Operational Policies . Triggered? Projects on International Waterways OP 7.50 No Projects in Disputed Areas OP 7.60 No . D. Environmental and Social 91. The project’s Environmental Risk and Social Risks are both rated Moderate. The risks are identified and managed under the following Standards: ESS1, ESS 2, ESS 3, ESS 4, and ESS 10.The project will have mostly positive benefits as the interventions will set up a robust statistical system in the country which thence will result in, among others, correct estimates of poverty, gender and vulnerability assessments, and SDG indicators. The project does not support any civil works and environmental risks are confined to small rehabilitation issues for the installation of new equipment, and disposal/recycling of electronic waste when equipment is replaced. These are easily mitigable with a waste management plan and an ESMP checklist, respectively. The client has prepared these during the preparation. 92. On the social front, key issues relate to collection and collation of data; ensuring its accuracy; meaningful analysis and interpretation; sharing of the data/information; and data privacy safeguards. Data collection and generation should allow for disaggregation by gender and among vulnerable groups, significantly closing data gaps. These risks will need to be addressed as a part of the overall project design. One mitigation approach could include publishing anonymized micro-data and administrative data files to allow third-party analysis and verification. These risks can be managed through a comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), a draft of which is already prepared and disclosed by the client. In addition, the client has also prepared the LMP to address labor deployment related issues as required under ESS2. V. GRIEVANCE REDRESS SERVICES Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by a World Bank (WB) supported project may submit complaints to existing project-level grievance redress mechanisms or the WB’s Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The GRS ensures that complaints received are promptly reviewed in order to address project-related concerns. Project affected communities and individuals may submit their complaint to the WB’s independent Inspection Panel which determines whether harm occurred, or could occur, as a result of WB non-compliance with its policies and procedures. Complaints may be submitted at any time after concerns have been brought directly to the World Bank's attention, and Bank Management has been given an opportunity to respond. For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank’s corporate Grievance Redress Service (GRS), please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/grievance-redress-service. Page 31 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) For information on how to submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org. VI. KEY RISKS 93. The overall project risk is rated Moderate. The macroeconomic risk is rated Moderate based on an assessment of the impact of the outbreak of COVID-19 and global economic environment on the project. The Moderate rating of macroeconomic risk results from the fact that the government maintains a substantial fiscal buffer, and several of the activities presented in this project will be fully financed by the World Bank loan. Environmental and social risk is rated Moderate. Project FM risk is defined to be Moderate. The project is subject to Moderate political and governance risks. Finally, the fiduciary risk is rated Moderate. 94. Project preparation identified institutional capacity as a substantial risk. No PMU presently exists to be assessed (and for this reason, the launch of a PMU is an effectiveness condition of the project). However, known risk factors include the SCS’ limited implementation capacity due to a lack of World Bank projects experience. Therefore, the project management component includes funds to ensure that the head of the PMU has sufficient support to manage the project successfully. Uncertain sustainability of the project results after project closure also contributes to this rating. The risk is mitigated by project activities to strengthen user demand for statistics in Uzbekistan to support requests for government funding for statistics. 95. The Project does not include the financing of activities that would lead to lay-offs. Layoffs are not an objective of the project and re-deployment of staff to new activities is expected to accommodate most phasing out of any redundant roles. However, the project risk assessment will be updated when the institutional review described in Component 1 is completed to re-assess any risks associated with any potential layoffs. If these concerns materialize, an approach to mitigating expected negative impacts from layoffs will be developed as needed, and if relevant give priority to natural attrition of the workforce through retirement. The client has also prepared the LMP to address labor deployment related issues as required under ESS2. 96. While the preparation of the housing and population census and some piloting costs will be funded through the project, the actual conduct of the population census is intended to be financed by the Government of Uzbekistan, as per a Cabinet of Ministers Decision taken in November 2020. Full commitment has been repeatedly expressed for the conduct of the population census. However, there is a moderate risk that the census may be delayed due to the considerable amount of financing that it requires – US $70 mln. 97. The project’s Environmental Risk is rated Low, Social Risk rated Moderate, and overall E&S risk as Moderate. The project does not support any civil works and environmental risks are confined to small rehabilitation issues for the installation of new equipment, and disposal/recycling of electronic waste when equipment is replaced. These are easily mitigatable with a waste management plan and an environmental and social management plan checklist, respectively. On the social front, key issues relate to collection and collation of data; ensuring its accuracy; meaningful analysis and interpretation; sharing of the data/information; and data privacy safeguards. Data collection and generation should allow for disaggregation by gender and among vulnerable groups, significantly closing data gaps. These risks will need Page 32 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) to be addressed as a part of the overall project design and the POM. One mitigation approach could include publishing anonymized micro-data and administrative data files to allow third-party analysis and verification. The LMP already prepared by the SCS will be included in the POM as required under ESS2. 98. Known moderate risks include little prior experience in managing World Bank funds. These risks can be mitigated by an early recruitment of a qualified and experienced procurement specialist in the project preparation phase. Furthermore, the risk will be mitigated by the preparation of the Financial Procedures Manual (and included in the POM), simplified guidelines, installation of automated accounting software, hiring of internal auditors to verify project expenditures; and remedial actions for any irregularities observed. The combined procurement and financial management risk are assessed as substantial. . Page 33 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) VII. RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING Results Framework COUNTRY: Uzbekistan Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan Project Development Objectives(s) The PDO is to strengthen the capacity of Uzbekistan’s national statistical system to produce and disseminate statistics. Project Development Objective Indicators RESULT_FRAME_TBL_ PD O Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 2 3 4 Strengthen Capacity Increase in the Statistical Performance Indicators (SPI) 54.90 60.00 65.00 68.00 70.00 72.00 score (Number) Improved Statistical Production Number of rounds of modern survey micro-data published 0.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 7.00 (Number) Completed censuses and publication of census reports 0.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 2.00 (Number) Dissemination Increased user satisfaction 0.00 3.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 (Percentage) Page 34 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) PDO Table SPACE Intermediate Results Indicators by Components RESULT_FRAME_TBL_ IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 2 3 4 Institutional Reform and Capacity Institutional review (Text) No institutional review An institutional review An institutional review An institutional review An institutional review An institutional review has been completed. has been completed has been completed has been completed has been completed has been completed. Training needs assessment and No training needs Training needs Training needs Training needs Training needs Training needs training plan (Text) assessment completed. assessment completed. assessment completed. assessment completed. assessment completed. assessment completed. Staff training (Percentage) 0.00 25.00 50.00 75.00 90.00 100.00 Share of women among SCS senior technical and TBD 2 percent increase 2 percent increase 2 percent increase 2 percent increase TBD managerial staff (Text) Share of women in total number of SCS staff 31.30 32.00 33.00 35.00 37.00 40.00 (Percentage) Data Production Rounds of modernized household budget survey 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 6.00 published online (Number) SNA 2008 has not been SNA 2008 has not been SNA 2008 has not been SNA 2008 has not been SNA 2008 has been fully SNA 2008 has been fully Adopt 2008 SNA (Text) adopted adopted adopted adopted adopted adopted Mahalla-level Mahalla-level Mahalla-level Mahalla-level Mahalla-level Mahalla-level Conduct cartography for cartographic data for all housing and population census cartographic data to cartographic data to cartographic data to cartographic data to cartographic data to mahallas in Uzbekistan conduct the census does conduct the census does conduct the census conduct the census conduct the census (Text) have been collected and not exist. not exist. exists. exists. exists. digitized. Rounds of modernized agriculture survey micro-data 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.00 3.00 published online (Number) Page 35 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_ IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 2 3 4 Uzbekistan has not Uzbekistan has not Uzbekistan has Uzbekistan has Uzbekistan has Uzbekistan has Participation in International participated in the participated in the participated in the participated in the participated in the participated in one round Comparisons Program (Text) International International International International International of the International Comparisons Program Comparisons Program Comparisons Program Comparisons Program Comparisons Program Comparisons Program (ICP) (ICP) (ICP) (ICP) (ICP) (ICP) Pilot national Complete agriculture census No agricultural census has No national agricultural No national agricultural First national agricultural First national agricultural fieldwork (Text) agricultural census been completed. census completed census completed census completed census completed completed Full national housing and Full national housing and Full national housing and Census questionnaire Complete housing and No housing and A national housing and population census population census population census population census fieldwork prepared and population census has population census has completed and report completed and report on completed and report on enumerator training (Text) been completed been completed on results has been results has been results has been completed published published published All project-funded surveys and censuses collect relevant sex- 0.00 25.00 50.00 75.00 90.00 100.00 disaggregated data (Percentage) The SEEA satellite The SEEA satellite The SEEA satellite system The SEEA satellite The SEEA satellite Implement the system of system to national system to national The SEEA satellite Environmental-Economic to national accounts is accounts are reported accounts are reported accounts is not reported accounts is not reported accounts are reported on not reported on the SCS on the public SCS on the public SCS Accounting (SEEA) (Text) on the SCS public on the SCS public the public SCS website. public website. website. website. website. website. Improving Equipment and Dissemination Purchasing personal 0.00 500.00 1,000.00 1,500.00 2,000.00 2,500.00 computers/tablets (Number) SDG indicators published 45.60 52.00 55.00 60.00 65.00 70.00 (Percentage) Open Data format (Percentage) 75.00 85.00 90.00 95.00 97.00 100.00 Subscription to Special Data Official statistics not Official statistics not Official statistics Official statistics Official statistics Official statistics reported Dissemination Standard (SDDS) reported according to reported according to reported according to reported according to reported according to according to SDDS (Text) SDDS standards SDDS standards SDDS standards SDDS standards SDDS standards standards Page 36 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) RESULT_FRAME_TBL_ IO Indicator Name PBC Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target 1 2 3 4 Sex disaggregated micro-data files published (Number) 0.00 1.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 Project Management No staff satisfaction and Staff satisfaction and Staff satisfaction and Staff satisfaction and Staff satisfaction and Staff satisfaction and Employee satisfaction survey (Text) feedback survey feedback survey not feedback survey feedback survey feedback survey feedback survey conducted conducted conducted conducted conducted conducted Employee satisfaction 0.00 0.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 increases (Percentage) PMU established and PMU is not established or PMU is established and PMU is established and PMU is established and PMU is established and PMU is established and functional (Text) functional functional functional functional functional functional Statistics Council meetings held 0.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 10.00 (Number) Government's annual budget allocates at least 100% of pre- project financing to support 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 ongoing SCS operations (Percentage) The first user The first user The second user The second user A total of two user Conduct a user satisfaction No user satisfaction survey (Text) satisfaction survey has satisfaction survey has satisfaction survey has satisfaction survey has satisfaction surveys have survey is conducted. been conducted been conducted been conducted been conducted been conducted Increase in the share of beneficiaries who report that the project has established Initial value of 5 percentage point 5 percentage point 5 percentage point 5 percentage point TBD stakeholder survey increase increase increase increase effective engagement processes (Text) IO Table SPACE UL Table SPACE Page 37 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: PDO Indicators Methodology for Data Responsibility for Data Indicator Name Definition/Description Frequency Datasource Collection Collection The SPI framework focuses on five key dimensions of a country’s statistical performance: (i) data use, (ii) data services, (iii) data products, (iv) data sources, and (v) data infrastructure, to offer a forward-looking The National Statistical framework, to measure all Committee of statistical systems – from Publicly Relevant data will be Uzbekistan. The SPI is less mature to highly available collected from the data calculated by the World advanced, to cover the data The SPI is bases of international Bank. Details are entire national statistical and methodo Increase in the Statistical Performance calculated organizations and available system - not just the logical Indicators (SPI) score annually. national statistical here: https://www.worl National Statistical Office documents offices that are publicly dbank.org/en/program (NSO), and to provide of the accessible. s/statistical- countries incentives to build country. performance- modern statistical systems. indicators/Framework SPI helps countries identify the strengths and weaknesses of their national statistical system, can be a guide to decisions about priorities for investment and can help identify partner countries from which they might learn. Number of rounds of modern survey Number of rounds of Annual. SCS Website Presence/absence of The SCS will annually Page 38 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) micro-data published modern representative survey microdata for provide notice tot he survey microdata published download by qualified World Bank TTL of for public open access for users. posting public use qualified users which enable mircodata online. disaggregation by gender. Censuses are will be collected once per decade in Uzbekistan. The first round of each of the The SCS will three census provide Completion of activities will notice at the comprehensive population, be completion The SCS will provide housing, agricultural, and completed of each Administrative data and details on census Completed censuses and publication of business censuses which within the census direct report. implementation to the census reports enable disaggregation of implementati activity, and World Bank project TTL. core statistics by gender, on period of at the time of and publication of reports the project. full report detailing full results. The indicator publication. will be considered achieved when the data have been fully collected, processed, and the Page 39 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) comprehensi ve results report has been published for open access in Uzbek and Russian langu ages. Percentage point increase in Data from an the share of users stating User Every two official web-based they are "satisfied" or "very satisfaction PMU/SCS Increased user satisfaction years representative statistics satisfied" overall with the survey user survey. services provided by the SCS. ME PDO Table SPACE Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Intermediate Results Indicators Methodology for Data Responsibility for Data Indicator Name Definition/Description Frequency Datasource Collection Collection The indicator will measure the completion status Presence/abs (complete/incomplete) of a The review ence comprehensive institutional will be recorded in Presence/absence of review report. The review SCS/PMU Institutional review completed World Bank report. will provide the foundation once. mission for institutional reform. The report. institutional review will include an analysis of the organigram, a functional Page 40 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) review, and a human resources review. The HR review will include an assessment of barriers to achieving a gender-balanced workforce in the SCS. A comprehensive needs assessment will be completed to identify i) opportunities to build the professional reputations of employees ii) the capacity for the NSC to train new World Bank Training needs assessment and training staff, and iii) greater built-in One-time mission Presence or absence SCS/PMU plan redundancy in staff reports. technical skills. The needs assessment will be linked to the findings of the HR section of the institutional review, and include a focus on training needs to close gender gaps in SCS staffing. Percentage of staff from baseline year with identified Human resources WB Mission training needs who have Annual administrative data SCS/PMU Staff training Reports completed all identified reporting training or are no longer in the relevant position. Increase in women in senior Annual. Human resources WB Mission Share of women among SCS senior management and technical The administrative data SCS/PMU Reports technical and managerial staff positions as a share of the baseline reporting total, aimed at reduction in indicator is Page 41 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) the current gender disparity TBD as it is in senior positions. embedded in the HR review in component 1 of the project. Measures the increase in the share of women in the total number of SCS staff, Human resources including all directly WB Mission Share of women in total number of SCS Annual administrative data SCS/PMU employed staff members Reports staff reporting. (HQ/field, professional, administrative, etc.) not on a temporary (i.e., short term consulting) contract . This subcomponent will finance a comprehensive modernization of the Household Budget Survey (HBS). At present, the SCS The survey continuously collects will be The PMU will report consumption and implement WB Mission data having been Rounds of modernized household budget SCS/PMU expenditure data in the ed Reports posted to the SCS survey published online annual HBS, which is the continuous website. primary data source of ly. information on levels of monetary wellbeing. The survey sample is designed to provide valid representativeness every Page 42 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) year. Expert assessment Expert assessment of Adopt 2008 SNA standard One time. of data published national SCS/PMU Adopt 2008 SNA for national accounts. reported on accounts data. SCS website. Data files from Cartography complete for the cartographic Cartography Conduct cartography for housing and the implementation of the One time survey. They will be SCS/PMU data files. population census housing and population subjected to expert census. assessment. Stat.uz Notification by The SCS will publish micro- website or PMU when micro-data Rounds of modernized agriculture survey data files on the official Annual SCS/PMU authorized published on website or micro-data published online stat.uz website or portal for data portal. portal. qualified users. The indicator will monitor Uzbekistan's participation in at least one round of the International Comparison PMU to report WB Mission Participation in International Comparisons Program. The ICP is a global One-time participation and SCS/PMU Reports Program effort to produce purchasing completion to WB TL. power parities and comparable price level indexes for participating economies. This indicator will measure if WB Mission Evaluation of evidence One-time SCS/PMU Complete agriculture census fieldwork a national agricultural Reports of agriculture census census has been completed. fieldwork (including Page 43 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) field visits) and SCS completion reports. Review of evidence of This indicator will measure having conducted a whether the SCS has WB Mission national census, Complete housing and population census One-time SCS/PMU completed a national Reports mission review and fieldwork housing and population field visit during the census. census fieldwork. World Bank Review of micro-data All project funded surveys All project-funded surveys and censuses Annual mission files and survey SCS/PMU collect relevant sex collect relevant sex-disaggregated data reports questionnaires disaggregated data. The indicator will evaluate the reporting status Website review by WB (complete/incomplete) of The SCS expert on SEEA Implement the system of Environmental- the System of Annual SCS/PMU website compliance, complete Economic Accounting (SEEA) Environmental-Economic or incomplete. Accounting (SEEA) is a satellite system to national accounts. The The project will finance the indicator Purchase Expert procurement procurement of computers will be SCS/PMU Purchasing personal computers/tablets invoices review. for staff use in HQ and monitored regional offices. annually. Number of national SDG Review of A review of the national indicators (including SDG 5 Annual the stat.uz commitments for SDG SCS/PMU SDG indicators published and SDG 13 on gender and website monitoring and climate) reported on the reporting, combined Page 44 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) stat.uz website as a share of with a website review SDG indicators to confirm the presence commitments. or absence of indicators. The presence or absence of each nationally defined SDG Share of publicly available Official Annual indicator available on SCS/PMU Open Data format indicators disclosed in open SCS website. the stat.uz website in data format established open data format. Official subscription to the IMF's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). This standard was established by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to guide members that have, or World Bank TTL might seek, access to IMF SDDS confirmation of official Subscription to Special Data One-time SCS/PMU international capital dashboard subscription of Dissemination Standard (SDDS) markets in the provision of Uzbekistan in SDDS. their economic and financial data to the public. Both the General Data Dissemination System (GDDS) and the SDDS are expected to enhance the availability of timely and comprehensive statistics and therefore Page 45 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) contribute to the pursuit of sound macroeconomic policies; the SDDS is also expected to contribute to the improved functioning of financial markets. The availability of relevant sex disaggregation of indicators in project Stat.uz Sex disaggregated micro-data files Annual SCS Website SCS/PMU supported micro-data files website published published for authorized users on official SCS website. The PMU will supervise the implementation of an Presence/abs annual staff satisfaction and ence of Direct reporting to Annual SCS/PMU Employee satisfaction survey feedback survey, and the survey World Bank TTL presence or absence of results results from the survey will be evaluated The increase in the share of Representative web- employees responding that based survey of Employee they are "satisfied" or "very Annual employees (in both the PMU and SCS HR Employee satisfaction increases survey satisfied" with the regions and conditions of their current headquarters). work assignment. TL review of existence The establishment of a the TL One-time and functionality of SCS/PMU PMU established and functional PMU, certified by World assessment PMU. Bank TL. Regular meetings of the Annual World Bank Review of minutes and SCS/PMU Statistics Council meetings held statistics council, with mission attendance list of Page 46 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) representatives of the reports statistics council Central Bank, the Ministry of meetings Finance, and the SCS in attendance. Official Budget allocation remains at annual Government's annual budget allocates at or above current level after Annual national WB Mission reports SCS/PMU least 100% of pre-project financing to adjusting for inflation (100% budget of support ongoing SCS operations of baseline value, or above). Uzbekistan. The indicator will measure whether the SCS conducts a The PMU will standard comprehensive provide the survey Every two WB Mission user satisfaction survey, completion report to SCS/PMU Conduct a user satisfaction survey years reports including public the World Bank project participation and other team. relevant stakeholders (complete/incomplete). This indicator focuses on the User quality and effectiveness of satisfaction Increase in the share of beneficiaries who the Citizens Engagement Annual survey Standard survey SCS/PMU report that the project has established processes (how conducted by effective engagement processes beneficiaries have SCS. experienced the CE processes) ME IO Table SPACE Page 47 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) ANNEX 1: Implementation Arrangements and Support Plan COUNTRY: Uzbekistan Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan 1. The implementation support plan was developed to account for three primary considerations: (a) existing SCS capacity in the planned activity areas, (b) the nature of planned activities, and (c) the risk factors noted in the risk assessment. The plan will be reviewed regularly and when required, revised during implementation. Implementation support will be provided by at least two missions per year, in addition to local (and remote) on-demand support. Areas of specific implementation support will include technical, procurement, FM, and project management. Support will be advisory in nature to ensure that project ownership remains with SCS and internal capacity is strengthened. 2. The SCS will be responsible for the implementation of the project, and a project management unit (PMU) will be established within SCS to coordinate, monitor, and support the overall implementation of the project. The PMU will report to the Chairperson of the SCS. Establishment of the PMU is included as a project effectiveness condition. A competitively selected PMU Director will act as a focal point for communication with the World Bank team on project- related issues. The PMU Director will oversee strategic milestones and implementation of the project, monitor progress, and ensure timely completion of the project activities. To guide implementation of FM, procurement, and other activities, the SCS will adopt a POM acceptable to the World Bank as a condition of effectiveness. The PMU will regularly report implementation progress, results achieved, and issues that impede progress. The exact scope and terms of reference of the PMU will be subject to further discussion and will tentatively include specialists from the related areas of specialization: coordination, monitoring and evaluation, procurement, accounting and financial management, and secretarial/translation staff. The M&E function will use the project’s Results Framework and progress will be made public on the World Bank’s external website. The project will be subject to regular implementation support missions conducted by the World Bank. 3. Technical support will be provided in the design and implementation of data production activities. While the SCS has extensive experience in data collection, many of the planned activities are new (censuses, electronic data collection, automated reporting systems, new database management ecosystems, etc.). As the project activities include technical support from expert consultants (including from advanced statistical offices) World Bank technical support will focus on areas of unique expertise and just-in-time technical advice. 4. Financial management. The project will be supervised regularly using a risk-based approach that will review audit reports and IUFRs and advise the task team on FM issues. Because the risk assessment is moderate, the project will be supervised at least twice a year, including one support mission when the project becomes effective to ensure project readiness. The Implementation Status and Results Report will include an FM rating of the project. Mixed on-site supervision missions will be undertaken with World Bank colleagues specializing in procurement, M&E, and disbursement. 5. Procurement. The capacity assessment of the implementing agency has recommended a supervision mission every six months and at least one annual post-procurement review. Missions in the first 18 months will include a World Bank procurement specialist or a specialized procurement consultant. Page 48 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Time Focus Skills required Resources (est.) Partner’s Role Project Management and team Knowledge of World Bank policy, 12 weeks leadership experience in supervising operations 3 missions Operational support Drafting ToRs, concept notes, plans, and 12 weeks budgets, reporting, and general project management skills Procurement WB procurement policy 4 weeks Participate in First 12 Macro statistics specialist National accounts and contributing data 4 weeks technical months sources 1 mission discussions and field visits Micro statistics specialist Survey support, sampling, questionnaire, 4 weeks CAPI systems, design, and data analysis 1 mission Population and Housing Census Census budgeting, management, 4 weeks specialist cartography, and design 1 mission Agriculture statistics specialist Sampling, questionnaire design, and 4 weeks survey planning 1 mission Project Management and team Knowledge of World Bank policy, 8 weeks leadership experience in supervising operations 2 missions Operational support Drafting ToRs, concept notes, plans and 8 weeks budgets, reporting, and general project management skills Procurement WB procurement protocol 4 weeks Participate in 12-48 Macro statistics specialist National accounts and contributing data 2 weeks technical months sources 1 mission discussions and Micro statistics specialist Survey support, sampling, questionnaire, 2 weeks field visits CAPI systems, design, and data analysis 1 mission Population and Housing Census Census budgeting, management, 2 weeks specialist cartography, and design 1 mission Agriculture statistics specialist Sampling, questionnaire design, and 2 weeks survey planning 1 mission Page 49 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) ANNEX 2: Statistics Capacity Metrics COUNTRY: Uzbekistan Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan 1 Uzbekistan SPI overview Uzbekistan received a score of 54.9 out of 100 for 2019 on the World Bank’s SPI overall score, which measures a country’s statistical performance around 5 pillars. These 5 pillars are described below. 1.1 Pillar 1: Data use The data use (outcome) pillar is segmented by five types of users: (i) the legislature, (ii) the executive branch, (iii) civil society (including sub-national actors), (iv) academia and (v) international bodies. Each dimension would have associated indicators to measure performance. A mature system would score well across all dimensions whereas a less mature one would have weaker scores along certain dimensions. The gaps would give insights into prioritization among user groups and help answer questions as to why the existing services are not resulting in higher use of national statistics in a particular segment. Uzbekistan received a score of 70 out of 100 for 2019 on the World Bank’s SPI Pillar 1 score. 1.2 Pillar 2: Data services The data services (output) pillar is segmented by four service types: (i) the quality of data releases, (ii) the richness and openness of online access, (iii) the effectiveness of advisory and analytical services related to statistics, and (iv) the availability and use of data access services such as secure microdata access. Advisory and analytical services might incorporate elements related to data stewardship services including input to national data strategies, advice on data ethics and calling out misuse of data in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics. Uzbekistan received a score of 56 out of 100 for 2019 on the World Bank’s SPI Pillar 2 score. 1.3 Pillar 3: Data products The data products (internal process) pillar is segmented by four topics and organized into (i) social, (ii) economic, (iii) environmental, and (iv) institutional dimensions using the typology of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This approach anchors the national statistical system’s performance around the essential data required to support the achievement of the 2030 global goals, and enables comparisons across countries so that a global view can be generated while enabling country specific emphasis to reflect the user needs of that country. Uzbekistan received a score of 50.1 out of 100 for 2019 on the World Bank’s SPI Pillar 3 score. 1.4 Pillar 4: Data sources The data sources (input) pillar is segmented by four types of sources generated by (i) the statistical office (censuses and surveys), and sources accessed from elsewhere such as (ii) administrative data, (iii) geospatial data, and (iv) private sector data and citizen generated data. The appropriate balance between these source types will vary depending on a country’s institutional setting and the maturity of its statistical system. High scores should reflect the extent to which the sources being utilized enable the necessary statistical indicators to be generated. For example, a low score on environment statistics (in the data production pillar) may reflect a lack of use of (and low score for) geospatial data (in the data sources pillar). This type of linkage is inherent in the data cycle approach Page 50 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) and can help highlight areas for investment required if country needs are to be met. Uzbekistan received a score of 33.4 out of 100 for 2019 on the World Bank’s SPI Pillar 4 score. 1.5 Pillar 5: Data infrastructure The data infrastructure (capability) pillar includes hard and soft infrastructure segments, itemizing essential cross cutting requirements for an effective statistical system. The segments are: (i) legislation and governance covering the existence of laws and a functioning institutional framework for the statistical system; (ii) standards and methods addressing compliance with recognized frameworks and concepts; (iii) skills including level of skills within the statistical system and among users (statistical literacy); (iv) partnerships reflecting the need for the statistical system to be inclusive and coherent; and (v) finance mobilized both domestically and from donors. Uzbekistan received a score of 65 out of 100 for 2019 on the World Bank’s SPI Pillar 5 score. Page 51 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) Page 52 The World Bank Strengthening the Statistical System of Uzbekistan (P173450) By Indicator Page 53