Meeting with World Bank Technical Mission Team held for Strengthening State Statistical System in Odisha

Bhubaneswar:4/4/25:A technical mission from the World Bank, led by Mr. Thomas Danielewitz, Senior Economist and Team Lead, along with other members have a detailed review meeting with the officers of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES) of Odisha on 3^rd and 4^th April 2025. The meeting focused on critical aspects of developing and strengthening the state’s statistical data ecosystem under the World Bank-supported Odisha State Capability and Resilient Growth Program.

The World Bank team met with Ms. Anu Garg, Development Commissioner -cum -Addl. Chief Secretary, Odisha to have a wrap-up discussion on the progress and way forward for the project in the conference hall of the Planning and Convergence Department on 4^th April 2025. Director, Economics, and Statistics Dr.B.B.Nanda along with other officers of DE&S, Odisha were present in the meeting.

The discussions emphasized the importance of adopting Generic Statistics Business Process modeling in the State Government in all its statistical processes and products with the help of international experts. Besides, fthe ocus was on building capacities among DES officials through exposure visits to front-runner States and countries, aiming to adopt international best practices and cutting-edge technologies to enhance statistical data systems in Odisha. The key focus was on creating the Odisha Integrated Statistical System (OISS), which is critically dependent on fostering greater cooperation and coordination among administrative departments, ensuring the timely and reliable provision of data for informed decision-making. This initiative is expected to significantly bolster the state’s statistical capabilities, contributing to more robust policymaking and governance.

The Development Commissioner appreciated the initiatives and advised to adopt latest technology in terms of hardware and software to have an efficient statistical system to promote evidence based decision making, planning and policy formulation.