EUROPEAN PROFILES S.A

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TITLE OF PROJECT

Building Capability and capacity for the routine production and publication of the quarterly "Syrian Economic Trends Bulletin"

Country:

Syria

Project Period:

03/2007-12/2008

Project Value:

€ 197.440

No of Staff Provided:

2

Origin of Funding:

EC MEDA

Name of Client/ Beneficiary:

State Planning Commission (SPC)

Description of Project:

The overall objective of this project is to provide a regular publication to interested parties, which will evaluate the progress of reforms and the economic evolution of Syria. The direct interested party is the State Planning Commission and the indirect interested parties are the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Syria and the Central Bureau of Statistics.

The specific objective of this activity is to develop the necessary skills within the State Planning Commission (SPC) and line ministries for continuing the production of a quarterly bulletin containing detailed economic analyses of the main sectors of the Syrian economy and updated statistical information on the most important economic indicators.


The final objective of the assignment is to hand over the Syrian Economic Trends Bulletin (SETB) publication to the Syrian authorities, at the end of the Institutional and Sector Modernisation Facility (ISMF) mandate, with an on-the-job training adapted to this end. By the end of the period of funding, the local experts constituted in a SETB Working Group should be in a position to take over the management and quality control of the bulletin, such that the publication will continue under local day-to-day management.


The project is aimed to build capability and capacity at the State Planning Commission (SPC) and line ministries to produce and publish regularly the "Syrian Economic Trends Bulletin" (SETB), which will include the up-to-date national data set on economic and social indicators required to monitor the country's development and provide the foundation for social and economic policy, as well as in depth analyses of the economic situation. The bulletin will equally serve as a monitoring tool for the implementation of the Five Years Plan and subsequent annual plans, as well as for evaluating the progress of reforms initiated by the government. In this respect, the project will closely cooperate with the Deputy Prime Minister office in charge of the economic reforms.


The SETB is to be a quarterly bulletin compiled and published by the SPC. An attractive and informative web-site is to be developed as a mean for both local and international publication. Regular "special features" will be included in the bulletins, providing analysis in key policy development areas. Quarterly "Round Table" seminars will also be held on key policy development issues. SPC staff members are to be trained in producing and publishing SETB, and in developing and maintaining mailing lists and other production aspects.

Services Provided:
  • Build capability and capacity at the State Planning Commission (SPC) and line ministries to produce and publish regularly the "Syrian Economic Trends Bulletin" (SETB)
  • Editing and Publication of three quarterly issues of the SETB, which will contain:
    • Analyses of the economic evolution of the country in the following areas: i) Macroeconomic sector and real economy; ii) Monetary sector, iii) Fiscal and Budgetary sector, iv) External Sector and v) Labour, Employment and Social policy
    • "Expert papers" : an in depth study of the main issue related to the economic reform programme
    • A Statistical Annex providing main economic indicators of the country
    • Other relevant subjects
  • Establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Working Group from line ministries responsible for elaborating the articles. The working group will consist of 2-3 persons from the interested parties.
  • Establishment of an Editorial Board in charge of the content of each forthcoming issue. The Board will involve well recognized economists belonging to the most prestigious institutions from Syria.
  • Design of a web page for the electronic dissemination of the publication.

Name of Partners:
  • DFC S.A.