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2. UIS APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY ON STATISTICAL CAPACITY
BUILDING
6. Measures to improve the capacities of existing education statistical services
need to be country specific. Even within a country, levels of development as well as
resources available in various units concerning education statistics may differ among
the education levels and the concerned departments and ministries. Therefore a
system-wide diagnostic is an essential part of the national capacity building process to
identify the capacity gaps as well as to develop appropriate activities and actions to fill
them. The project approach includes:
• the setting up of a National Technical Committee (NTC) which manages the
project. The main responsibility of the committee is to facilitate and ensure the
smooth and successful implementation of the sector-wide capacity building
activities;
• the carrying out of a full diagnostic study of the production and use of education
statistics in order to: (i) identify the areas that need strengthening, (ii) develop a
national action plan on and around the existing capacity and the efforts to be
pursued; and
• the implementation of the action plan, in collaboration and partnership with in-
country developmental agencies and other stakeholders who play critical roles in
building national capacities.

7. The crucial point for the successful implementation of the project is to attain
the necessary political support and commitment from the country. It is required to set up
a national body composed of members from various federal and provincial EMIS
officials as well as other producers and users of education statistics. During the first UIS
mission from 11 to 18 April 2004, the mission team discussed with concerned national
authorities the establishment, composition and Terms of Reference of the NTC. As a
result, the Bangladesh government has established an NTC. A letter of intent was
signed between UNESCO and both the MOE and MOPME to implement the project and
to make necessary preparations for the UIS technical team to conduct a diagnostic
mission. See Annex II for the members of the National Technical Committee.
8. The next step was to conduct the diagnostic study. The study was carried out
from 21 November to 3 December 2004. As part of the diagnostic study, in order to
have a comprehensive view and information on the collection, processing and use of
education statistics, the mission team has made more than 30 visits, meetings and
interviews during the mission. These include:
• Meetings with a national technical committee;
• Field trips (Dhaka and Chittagong Provinces);
• Meetings with provincial and district education and local administrative
authorities;
• Visits of pre-primary, primary, secondary (lower, upper and professional) schools,
technical schools, non-public schools and non-formal education centers;
• Meeting with concerned officials from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics;
• Meetings with UNESCO country director and education programme officers;

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