DoS, EU launch statistical data collection project

AMMAN — The Department of Statistics (DoS) and the EU on Tuesday launched a project to upgrade the department's statistical data collection, analysis and reporting capabilities in accordance with the best European and international practices.

DoS Assistant Director General for Technical Affairs Tayseer Miqdadi expressed optimism that the project would help transfer the expertise of participating European countries to the DoS, and enhance the department's ability to provide trustworthy economic and social statistical data to policy and decision makers and researchers.

Miqdadi added that the project is implemented under a twin business model, which is the most important know-how transfer tool used by the EU to source and localise expertise in partner countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

According to Patrick Lambrechts, Senior Adviser and Director of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in Jordan, the project primarily seeks to develop an integrated data development system by establishing statistical administrative records for business and improve the accuracy of population estimates. 

Carsten Ulrik Zangenberg, director of communication and sales at Statistics Denmark, said that there may be “many obstacles to achieving the project’s goal of knowledge sharing, which includes expertise, ideas, solutions and results. 

The main obstacle, Zangenberg said, is the necessity of accurate information.

He also referred to the "very important" role of institutions that produce official statistics, stressing the need for agencies specialised in statistics to be a credible and honest source of information, and to exchange expertise with experts from other countries.