VSS to implement strategies and use of VSS training tools 1

Topic of this lesson From national strategies to work plans and how to implement them. How to use the training tools of the VSS. 2

From strategy to plan When a strategy has been adopted a plan needs to be written about how to implement the VSS. This is mostly a multi-annual plan along with a detailed annual plan. Sometimes to be followed with detailed short term plans like quarterly plans. Planning leads to the design of implementation plans. To make implementation plans training of staff is needed. 3

Planning and Programming The statistical organization is advised to draw up a work plan. Best is to have a multi-annual work plan. This can be for a three or five year period. The plan should list by topic or sector all ongoing work that is relevant and leads to results. Also planned new work for that period part of the strategy and not part of the strategy. And mention what is financed and what not. 4

Yearly and quarterly work plans Yearly plan should only mention what actually will be done in that year: ongoing and new. By what unit of the organization/system. Under which conditions and timeframe. What (intermediate) results will be produced. How many staff are involved. Quarterly work plans are the quarterly versions of yearly plans. They describe progress. 5

Recommended info on the VSS The VSS has sections on management and organizational issues. The VSS has a training course on the management of statistical systems. The VSS has an eLearning course on the management if statistical projects. 6

From plan to implementation plan The work plan provides lists of tasks that the organization is involved in. These are: ongoing routine work, special tasks and new work and planning of new work. New task can be defined as “projects”, with a beginning, an end and specific deliverables. In principle all work can be defined as projects, as long as specific outputs at the end of the plan period are expected. This approach will lead to the definition of a lot of projects, which include regular work. 7

Implementation planning After a strategy and a work plan a project needs an implementation plan. An implementation plan is a technical project description about what technical and organizational steps will be made. 8

Types of statistical projects Some scholars think that only new and short activities can be called projects. Here we assume that all new activities can be called projects. In theory all activities that produce outputs can be called projects. A statistical project can be some type of survey, or part of that. Including data collection from administrations. ICT work, data analysis and even improving administrations can be considered projects. 9

More types of statistical projects Projects can be: – Covering all activities and themes of statistics. – New and short in duration. – New and long in duration. – Large. – Small. – Technically simple. – Technically very complex. 10

Using management tools Central in the management of projects are the units of management. That’s is about what has to be managed. In projects we use defined activities, staff and budget. Activities are defined by using the Work Breakdown Structure process approach(WBS). With a WBS process a project is broken down into separate WBS activities. A WBS activity is a complete and coherent set of actions for which we can allocate staff, budgets, responsibilities, accountabilities and information and training needs. 11

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) approach to define core activities Each project consist of a list of WBS activities. Each of these activities should be well defined in detail. The WBS core activities are the unit of management and analysis. It has a start and an end time. It has a defined set of inputs: staff and budget. It has a defined set of outputs (reports/products). It has a defined set of training needs that should be addressed. 12

Using Knowledge Projects can be split into two levels -The general level of the project. -The specific level for each of the defined core activities. This corresponds roughly with general knowledge about the project (objectives and activities) and specific knowledge needed at each core activity level. Clearly there may be an overlap between general knowledge and specific knowledge. 13

Getting knowledge you need Each project and each activity have their own sets of knowledge needs. Knowledge does not normally exists with workers but needs to be created and maintained. This is done by training events or self study. Training events: – Courses, workshops, classroom use of VSS e-Learning. – Can be Certified or Not Certified. – Self study: books, articles, VSS e-learning courses. Certified or not certified. The next slide is listing the available eLearning courses on the VSS. 14

VSS eLearning courses Courses on: -Management of Statistical Systems -Project Management of Statistical Surveys -GIS -Labor Market Statistics and Survey Design -Justice, Security and Crime Statistics -Quality Assurance of the Census. -Agriculture Statistics. -Business Statistics and Business Register. -System of National Accounts (basic and advanced). -Government Finance Statistics Forms: Presentations/ Power Point 20 lessons Presentations/ Power Point 24 lessons Power Point 6 lessons Power Point (voiced over) 20 lessons Power Point 20 lessons Power Point 10 lessons Power Point 20 lessons 15

eLearning 16

Twenty Animated Lessons 17 eLearning

Training of staff Organizing training events, using the VSS in different forms: -Following formal training courses (delivered by experts). -Following specific training events: courses and workshops; in-house or other. (delivered by own staff) -Following VSS e-Learning (future option). With different types of support: professional trainers/facilitators, in-house staff, other. With different duration and different costs. 18

Using VSS training tools Training events need a training plan and training curriculum. For general and specific stats topics. Define the stats project and the separate core activities and identify the training needs, A match can be made between staff and training needs. Training can be followed by staff according to their needs. This can be done in classroom situations (preferred), using distance learning (future option), or self paced (by individual staff members). For class room situations facilitators and trainers need to be trained first and made available. 19

Applying the VSS training received When knowledge has been absorbed: what to do with it? It needs to be applied. The best way to use trained skills is to apply it in concrete projects. Therefore staff to be trained should work in projects with specific activities for which training is needed. 20

Interactivity on the VSS portal Registered VSS users can communicate and contribute by: – Using the VSS Wiki and uploading their own documents. – Using the VSS discussion groups and starting or participating in discussions. – VSS Wiki and VSS discussions are organized by regions. 21