PRISM Technical Assistance Mission

Thursday 22 February, 2008

This visit aims to introduce and train the OPS webmaster in the use of website design tools, revamp the OPS website, expand coverage of the PRISM core indicators and assist in uploading web pages to Palau test site at SPC.

Internet is becoming increasingly important as the main channel of dissemination in National Statistical Offices. This poses a challenge for Statistical Offices in the region (including Palau OPS) to consider shifting from traditional hard-copy publishing to soft-copy publishing.

It is therefore imperative for NSO webmasters to keep abreast with the latest technological updates, particularly in the area of website development and maintenance in order to provide effective services in disseminating statistical outputs in electronic form.

The Office of Planning and Statistics (OPS) was the first office in the region to have its national PRISM Internet website 'live' when PRISM became officially operational in late 2002. Since then it had not recieved further assistance until now.

OPS webmaster has been experiencing difficulty in uplaoding its web pages to its test site at SPC for checking before they are uploaded to live site. This was the major contributing factors to timely data from OPS on PRISM. The OPS webmaster is now able to upload its web pages to the test site - timely OPS data should be expected on PRISM from now onwards.

A key highlight for this two weeks mission was the inclusion of a number of reports produced by the 'Bureau of Budget and Planning'. This approach will be expanded to other government offices, in particular those who do not own a website and would like to have thier reports disseminated throught Internet.

Sustaining PRISM activities in Palau will be a priority by the OPS in its long term work plan, especially in ensuring that at least more than one staff is invloved is involved in the maintenance of the OPS PRISM Internet website. Currently there is one staff invloved.