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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Minister of Planning and international Cooperation Imad N. Fakhoury met with the MEDSTAT (Euro- Med Statistics Program) team of international experts, composed of Mr. Richard Lux, Ms. Pilar Gozman and Ms. Rosemary Montgomery.

General Director of Department of Statistics (DOS) attended the meeting, which came at the end of a one-week visit to DOS. The visit aimed to evaluate the work of statistical offices in the EU and the South Mediterranean countries, by conducting a comprehensive review and evaluation based on the 16 principles of the statistical practices convention. The evaluation aims to assess the extent of statistical authorities' commitment to those principles.

The minister said that DOS looks for the results of the experts' final report so that it could maintain its commitment to continued improvement in a participatory way between all those concerned of producing or using statistical data. In this way, the national statistics are enhanced to detect changes in all fields based on national economic, social and demographic statistics, statistical awareness is strengthened and means of managing national statistical knowledge are developed.

The experts' team discussed with Fakhoury the preliminary results of their evaluation of DOS. The team held meetings with ministries, public and private institutions, CSOs and data users concerned with the national statistical system. It gave recommendations in a set of issues that would develop the work of Jordanian statistics department.

The team's mission included revision of the principles of independence and professionalism, agenda of collecting statistical data, sufficiency of financial and human resources, compliance by the data quality, confidentiality, transparency and objectivity, easy access to data and coordination and cooperation between data producers in the national statistical system.

The report on preliminary evaluation results, submitted to the minister, said Jordanian DOS enjoys high professionalism and independence and its employees have high confidence. The team praised the success of the population census in using modern technology in all its stages.

The report includes a number of recommendations, among which is updating the Public Statistics Law 12 of 2012 to organize statistics in Jordan and allow the application of the EU's standard law that guarantees the application of best practices in statistics. Recommendations also highlight using administrative registers for statistical purposes by linking producers' databases with DOS, activating the role of statistics Consultative Committee and issuing quality reports to users that indicate the quality of published data by calculating indices relevant to representation of survey samples. They also include increasing the sample of data receivers' satisfaction by including users of DOS website and raising statistical awareness of different segments of Jordanian society.

The minister stressed that DOS is committed to streamline those recommendations into its endeavours to draft the new national statistics strategy of 2017-2019, expected to be finalized this year.