The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 4, 2025
A high-level World Bank technical team, led by Senior Economist Thomas Danielewitz, visited Odisha this week to evaluate and support the state’s efforts to modernize its statistical ecosystem under the World Bank-assisted Odisha State Capability and Resilient Growth Program.
The team engaged in intensive consultations with officials of the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES) on Thursday and Friday, focusing on improving data governance to enable smarter, evidence-based policymaking. The review concluded with a wrap-up session chaired by Odisha’s Development Commissioner Anu Garg, where key stakeholders, including DES Director Dr. B.B. Nanda, discussed strategies to elevate the quality, timeliness, and integration of official statistics.
A foundation of the deliberations was the proposed adoption of the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) — an internationally recognized framework designed to standardize and streamline statistical processes. Guided by global experts, this shift is expected to enhance the credibility and utility of the state’s statistical outputs.
Central to the initiative is the development of the Odisha Integrated Statistical System (OISS), which aims to foster inter-departmental coordination and ensure the seamless flow of accurate and real-time data. The system will serve as a backbone for evidence-driven governance, helping the state align development priorities with measurable outcomes.
The discussions also emphasized capacity building within DES through exposure visits, adoption of global best practices, and the integration of advanced digital tools. Development Commissioner Garg underscored the importance of investing in both infrastructure and human resources to build a future-ready statistical system. She called for the adoption of cutting-edge hardware and software solutions to support robust and resilient data frameworks.
