Area-focused training course in collection and analysis of official economic statistics for central Asian and Caucasus countries was held from 22 July to 22 September 2008 in Chiba, Japan. This was part of the Tokyo-based regular programme jointly organized by the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).  Five participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the two-month course.
The course was designed principally to train statisticians in government statistical offices who deal with data collection and data analysis in economic statistics and compilation of system of national accounts in their respected offices. The course was conducted in Russian through interpretation from English. In countries of central Asia and Caucasus, official statisticians’ experience and skills are not always sufficient to handle statistical data collection and analysis in a market-oriented economy. This training course aimed to strengthen human resources in statistical data collection and data analysis in the field of economic statistics including the system of national accounts and survey methodology as part of the development of official statistics in these countries.
About 44% of the total taught sessions were accounted for the 1993 system of national account (SNA) and survey methodology. Subjects covered within the 1993 SNA included supply and use tables, input-output tables, current and accumulation accounts, methods of GDP estimation and quarterly GDP estimation. Sampling frame and basics of sampling, planning of statistical surveys, questionnaire design, data collection and field operation, survey data processing its management and dissemination of survey data were subjects taught within the framework of survey methodology. The statistical analytical techniques ranged from descriptive statistics to regression, statistical inference and time series analysis. Moreover, economic and enterprise statistics and their surveys in Japan, statistical classification systems, Japanese statistical system, MDG indicators were taught as introductory subjects. STATA software was taught as a tool to use it for statistical data analysis. Participants also gained experience in training techniques, so that they would be able to train other staff members in their organizations upon completion of the training.
In addition to the subject matter, each participant carried out small-scale project work on topics related to economic statistics under the guidance of a supervisor. The participants selected variety of topics such as description of methodology on conduction of informal sector survey, time series analysis of domestic trade output and benchmarking, analysis of GDP dynamics, empirical analysis of CPI and analysis of dynamics of output in real economy which would encourage each participant to continue working on the selected topic to make it useful for their organization. Each participant presented the completed project work at the end of the course to SIAP faculties.
At the closing ceremony, course participants had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Hiroshi Kurakata, Deputy Director General for Administration, JICA Tokyo International Centre, Mr Akihiro Kimoto, Director for International Statistical Affairs, Office of Director-General for Policy Planning (Statistical Standards), Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, and many other distinguished officials representing the Government of Japan and JICA.