Project Fact Sheet

The Context:
Reliable population data are crucial for effective national policy development as well as for monitoring progress of development programmes. Yet, there is a scarcity of reliable data in Lao PDR. The National Statistics Centre (NSC), under the Committee for Planning and Investment (CPI), is responsible for collecting, analysing and disseminating various demographic and socio-economic data. With UNFPA support, the availability of sex-disaggregated data on population and reproductive health has improved considerably in the past decade, such as census of 1995 and the reproductive health survey of 2000. However, NSC still lacks financial and human resource capacities to deal with all the data requirements expected of the centre. Continued support for capacity development in technical as well as managerial areas is needed to further improve the quality of data. This would contribute to evidence-based development planning and advocacy.

The Project:
The project aims at strengthening of the capacity of the NSC staff in collecting, processing, analyzing and disseminating demographic, health and social and economic data; and increasing the availability and utilization of such data disaggregated by sex at the national and provincial levels. Major activities include:
· Provincial data analysis and in-depth mortality analysis of Lao Reproductive Health Survey (LRHS) 2000;
· Baseline and end-line reproductive health situation analyses in three southern provinces of Saravane, Sekong and Attapeu;
· Mid-year population count for 2002;
· Overseas training of staff in preparation and analysis of Census 2005;
· Lao Reproductive Health Survey 2005; and
· Establishment of a database for major indicators that are required to monitor the Millennium Development Goals, National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy, International Conference on Population and Development and other national programmes
Achievements to date:
· The RH provincial data analysis report was completed in 2003 and copies were disseminated to Government offices and development partners.
· The baseline survey on the RH situation in Saravane, Sekong and Attapeu was conducted in November 2002 and the analysis was completed in 2003. The report provided information on physical and supply conditions of health facilities, capacity of health staff, TBAs and volunteers, and knowledge of male and female villagers on reproductive health
· The mid-year population count of 2003 provided an update on key population data.
· The in-depth mortality analysis of the RH survey was completed in mid-2004 and the report was disseminated in January 2005
. Conducting baseline and end-of-project surveys in the three selected provinces in the South: Sekon, Attapeu and Saravane.
· The NSC staff received training in data analysis and report writing from the UNFPA Technical Team in Bangkok. Their capacity to conduct Census 2005 was also enhanced through training in data quality control at the US Census Bureau and visits to national statistics centres in Thailand and Indonesia
· The questionnaire for the 2005 RH Survey was reviewed and training of provincial staff conducted in August 2005. The Survey starts in November 2005.