National Bureau of Statistics

CONSULTANCY ON NATIONAL INCOME ACCOUNTS AND CAPACITY BUILDING

WORLD BANK TRUST FUND FOR STATISTICAL CAPACITY BUILDING TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY ON NATIONAL INCOME ACCOUNTS AND CAPACITY BUILDING 1. BACKGROUND Seychelles with the assistance of the IMF embarked on a MacroeconomicReform Programme towards the end of 2008 to address the macroeconomicimbalances and its unsustainable debt burden. As part of the reform processes, strong emphasis was placed on addressing the deficiencies inkey macroeconomic data which limit their usefulness for surveillance,economic analysis and policy formulation. International and regional development partners have endorsed the Reform Programme and are lending their support through various forms. In response to the request by the Seychelles government for technical support to the Government's statistical unit, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the World Bank is making available to the NBS, a grant under the Trust Fund Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB) to address the deficiencies in Seychelles macroeconomic statistics and strengthen the country's ability to develop evidence-based policies. The grant will be used for various identified projects, one of which is the improvement in the compilation of National Income Accounts and building of capacity in that area. 2. OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCY The UN System of National Accounts (SNA) provides a comprehensive framework for the compilation of statistics on economic activity. The system enables international comparability and provides a wide range of information for policy, and monitoring, through a sequence of accounts that includes Gross Domestic Product, by Industry and Institutional Sector, as well as the Uses (Expenditure) and Distribution of Income accounts. The Seychelles National Accounts that were developed before the reform programs were implemented did not provide sufficient information formonitoring and policy making, and also did not keep up with the rapiddevelopments in the Seychelles economy. Additionally there have been staff changes that have undermined sustainability. This is not an uncommon challenge in small island states. The consultancy will need to find a balance between assisting the NBSto meet urgent economic data needs, and deepening the scope and coverage of the accounts to better meet user demands, and addressing sustainability issues. The transfer of skills and knowledge within the framework of building capacity for long term sustainability is also a critical component of the consultancy. 2 | P a g e   3. SCOPE OF WORK In close consultation with NBS management, develop an achievable planfor the NIA consultancy during the first two weeks in country. This plan will guide the work of the consultant and NBS counterpart staff, and is likely to contain the following elements: 1) Improve on the coverage, scope, and compilation of the national accounts, including improving constant price GDP and implementing SNA2008 recommendations where possible 2) Liaise with data supplying authorities, in particular the Seychelles Revenue Commission to ensure utilization of data from their new "Client Management System" 3) Review the existing computerized data systems, improving on these where possible/necessary, with an emphasis on enabling sustainability 4) Provide training to available NBS staff in basic national accountsprinciples and the compilation of the Seychelles National Accounts 5) Develop and document the national accounts update processes, including a structured framework of tasks/duties that can be assigned across team members to ensure their involvement in the chain of processes leading to the compilation of national accounts statistics 6) Liaise with TSA consultants to ensure integration of their outputswithin the National Accounts 7) Co-ordinate the production of a new set of National Accounts including estimates for 2011 8) Perform any other tasks related to National Accounts as may be requested by the CEO of the NBS 4. OUTPUTS 1) A new set of National accounts compiled and published, including 2011 estimates 2) Improved coverage and scope of the national accounts, including constant price GDP, and GDP expenditure 3) Processes to utilize administrative data from Seychelles Revenue Commission's "Client Management System" 4) Improved sustainability of the Seychelles National Accounts, especially through documentation of compilation processes 3 | P a g e   5. DURATION AND TIMING OF THE CONSULTANCY The consultancy is a short tem one spanning over a period of 100 working days between the months of April to October 2012. 6. INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS During the assignment, the Consultant will be provided with office space and equipment, and will be based at the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in Caravelle House, Victoria. The Consultant will report to the Chief Executive Officer. 7. QUALIFICATION The Consultant should have an advance degree in Statistics and /or Economics and have at least 10 years experience in compiling National Accounts/Economic Statistics and have a sound knowledge of the UN Systemof National Accounts (SNA). The Consultant should also have very goodIT and report writing skills and be conversant with MS Office software. 8. COMPENSATION The Consultant will be provided with travel and will be paid USD 500 per working day. The Consultant will also be provided with accommodation (USD 250 per day) and a per diem of USD 110