Within the framework of the EU IPA 2017 Multi-beneficiary Statistical Cooperation programme, Statistics Lithuania extends support and hosts on-line study visits for specialists of national statistical institutions of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

On 29 September–1 October 2021, the on-line seminar will be devoted to commitment to quality as one of the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice (ESCoP). In a wider sense, this entailed taking stock of the existing initiatives, quality frameworks and quality management systems already set up or being built. In a narrower sense, experts from Statistics Lithuania presented their experience on quality management frameworks and models adopted, the coordination role of the NSI in the national statistical system, Quality Reporting (SMIS), and Process-oriented quality management (GSBPM). With this in view, additional information on user satisfaction surveys and employees’ satisfaction surveys was shared. Seminar participants exchanged practices and discussed the raised issues in order to identify possible best solutions for introduction and development of quality management systems in their NSIs.

The next on-line study visit within the project foreseen for 5–8 October 2021 concentrates on filling the gaps in compliance in view of the legal requirements of the Framework Regulation Integrating Business Statistics (FRIBS), in particular in relation to Services Producer Price Index (SPPI) development.

Experts of Statistics Lithuania share best practices and discussed various aspects of SPPI compilation in the NSI, starting with the history, legal basis, going into details on methodology and technicalities, production process, validation of results and quality characteristics and presenting alternative methods of compilation and future plans as well as dissemination practices. Current situation of the short-term price statistics is presented by the participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and discussions concentrate on actual contexts in their institutions and possible ways to approach problems in order to pursue the objectives in their national statistical plans.