National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria (NSI)

The NSS development for the 2013–2017 period is founded on the vision that the National Statistical System produces and provides to all user groups high quality statistical products and services, produced based on harmonized European methodologies and standards and observes the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice. The main objective for NSS development for the 2013 – 2017 period is to improve the development, production and dissemination of quality statistical information about all user groups according to their information needs. The official statistical information – product of NSS – is intended for analyses and scientific studies, planning, prognosis and making managerial decisions at micro and macro level. The statistical information products and services are directed to the: Bodies of state administration and local authorities; Business sector and non-government organizations; Scientific and academic society; Mass media; EC, UN, IMF and other international organizations; Individual citizens. The vision of NSS development implies observance of the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and the principles laid down in the European Statistics Code of Practice. The following principles play a leading role in the system‘s activity for the 2013–2017 period: Professional independence; Impartiality and objectivity; Commitment for high quality; Strictly observing the statistical confidentiality; Adequacy of resources; Cost effectiveness; Active cooperation and coordination within NSS and ESS.   MAIN OBJECTIVES: The development of NSS in the period 2013-2017 imposes the implementation of the following main objectives: Provision of objective, timely and reliable statistical information on the economic, social and demographic development and environment at national and regional level. Implementation of new data sources and instruments for improving the production and increasing the quality of statistical products and services. Enhencing the professional and organizational capacity of NSS. Implementation of innovative and effective information and communication tehnologies and e-services. The information needs undergo constant changes. The statistical science regularly develops the methodology of statistical surveys. Everyday information and communication technologies provide new opportunities for speeding up and making easier the processing and analysis of statistical data. All this necessitates constant extension of the contents of the existing statistical surveys and implementation of new surveys and indicators in conformity with users’ needs. During the 2013–2017 period, the Bulgarian statistics will fulfill the engagements stemming from the Community Statistical Programme, 2013–2017 and the newly adopted EC Regulations relevant to conducting pilot statistical surveys within the Community and improving the statistical methodology in concrete thematic domains. Production of statistical information is impossible without the timely and quality provision of primary data from the business, households and citizens. From the view point of society, an effective NSS is the system, which produces useful and important information about management on micro and macro level at the lowest costs possible. Crucial condition for the successful dissemination of statistical information is its provision in a form easy to interpret and convenient to access. Under the present-day conditions of utmost importance attached to the information about management and everyday life, NSI is also facing the necessity of providing additional statistical products and services, differentiated by user groups. All this puts in the foreground of NSS development the objective for the improvement of all stages of production of statistical information – from the methods, forms and organization of primary data collection, through the methods of data processing and data storage, and compilation of concrete statistical indicators up to the contents, coverage and ways of dissemination of produced statistical products and services. The NSS sustainable development is impossible without an appropriate legal framework and functional environment. More effective cooperation with Eurostat and the national statistical systems of the other Member States is a crucial condition for full integration of the national statistics within ESS. Well-trained and motivated human resources are the key factor of carrying out the NSS mission and achieving the main development objective, laid down in the Strategy for the 2013-2017 period. The implementation of an appropriate information infrastructure and e-services needed for the production and dissemination of statistical information is also an important condition. The main objectives of NSS development are predetermined by the following: users' needs; priorities of the Community Statistical Programme, 2013–2017; importance of the results of statistical surveys for development, application and monitoring of different policies; degree of response burden; costs for conducting surveys.   PRIORITIES Priorities of NSS development, important for implementation of the main objectives for the 2013– 2017 period, are as follows: Provision of statistical indicators for development, monitoring and evaluation of European, national and regional policies. Updating the existing ones and development of indicators for surveys on new phenomena and processes. Extending the scope of provided statistical products and services. Establishing conditions for production and integration of spatial (georeferenced) information with statistical information. Expanding the use of administrative registers and information systems for statistical purposes. Using innovative ICT and instruments for collection of primary data. Implementing a systematic approach for quality management and control in NSS. Establishing a motivating work environment and development of professional capacity of the employees in NSS. Adapting the organisation of work in NSS towards contemporary information and communication technologies. Cooperation and partnership between institutions of NSS and users. Establishment of the NSS as an active member of the European Statistical System and the international statistical community. Active cooperation with the academic society in the development of new statistical methods, products and services. Development of information systems and e-services in order to reduce the respondents’ burden, increase the quality of statistical information and improve the methods of its dissemination. Implementation of unified European IT tools, products and standards in order to ensure conditions for integration and harmonisation of statistical production process in the framework of ESS. Increasing the effectiveness and allocation of resources in the data center by implementation of best practice and technologies for infrastructure management. Development and upgrading of server and communication infrastructure and personal equipment in order to ensure the ICT development and provision of new services. Along with the general horizontal priorities, the NSS  has specific priorities for development that are related to the methodology development, enrichment of the contents of the existing surveys, implementation of ad-hoc modules and enlargement of the existing surveys, implementation of new surveys and indicators in the following domains: Demographic and social statistics; Macroeconomic statistics; Business statistics; Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery statistics Multi-domain statistics; Statistical infrastructure.