I.   Definition

Research and Development refers to creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, and the use of this stock of knowledge to create new or improved products, processes, services or other applications. The basic criterion to distinguish R&D from related activities is the presence of an appreciable element of novelty and the resolution of problems and uncertainties using scientific or technological means. (Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developmetn (OECD))

II.   Principles

The following principles shall serve as basis for the R & D Policy:

1. The NSO recognizes the need for a continuous improvement in the operations of the office for world-class quality products and services through the conduct of studies/researches. These studies and researches may be methodological or non-methodological.

2. The NSO shall pursue a robust research and development program to maintain and sustain a culture of research.

3. The NSO recognizes that methodological researches have to be given priority. It shall institutionalize the Statistical Methodology Unit (SMU) to conduct purely methodological researches. It shall designate all other units of NSO to be responsible for researches and studies that are non-methodological.

4. The NSO recognizes the need for collaborative effort among NSO units especially on the provision of data and other related materials and external collaboration for the successful completion of the studies.

5. The NSO shall promote the development and enhancement of research capabilities and technical writing skills of its staff through training and/or advanced studies and other possible studies as a means of maintaining and sustaining a culture of research in the office.

6. The NSO shall seek to provide equal opportunities for promotion for all R&D personnel.

7. The NSO shall provide the infrastructure needed for the operation of SMU.

III.   Categories of Research

The studies undertaken in the office can be classified into the following categories:

1. Methodological - research that requires critical and exhaustive experimentation or simulations having for its aim the analysis of the principles or procedures of inquiry in a particular field; research that involves development or enhancement of existing survey and census methodologies.

2. Non-methodological - studies involving empirical or the practical applications of new or revised methods in analyzing existing data, systems and procedures, and all other studies that cannot be classified as methodological. This include the following:

• studies that make use of the rich NSO data to provide a numerical picture of the size and characteristics of the population and the changes, if any, that had taken place, and the factors explaining the change;

• studies which present experiences; best practices; issues and problems; those that address other concerns but not limited to data collection and processing; etc.; and

IV.   Guidelines

A.   Research Committee :

1. The Central MANCOM shall serve as Research Committee (RC) with General Administrative Department-Planning Management and Coordination Division (GAD-PMCD) as secretariat. Central MANCOM includes Administrator, Deputy Administrator, and all Central Office Directors.

2. The RC shall classify research topics as methodological or non-methodological.

3. The RC shall approve the annual research agenda based on priority requirements of the various units of NSO. If shall also approve plans, as the need arises, for research activities to be undertaken by NSO in collaboration with other agencies.

4. The RC shall serve as panel for the presentation of research proposals and research results. It shall also identify experts who shall serve as additional members of the panel.

B.   Research Agenda

1. The Departments, and Field Offices shall submit during the last quarter of the year their proposed annual research agenda for the next year to the Research Committee through its secretariat. Departments refer to the Household Statistics Department, Industry and Trade Statistics Department, Information Resources Department, General Administration Department, and Civil Registration Department.

2. The RC, through its secretariat shall provide the template for the research proposal.

3. The annual research agenda shall be approved by the RC based on priority requirements of various units of NSO.

C.  Statistical Methodology Unit (SMU)

1. The SMU is created with the following Terms of Reference:

• Implements the methodological research agenda as approved by the RC.

• Coordinates with the concerned NSO units for the resources needed for the implementation of the research agenda

• Collaborates with scientific advisers, research institutions, the academe, and other entities in conducting methodological studies.

• Coordinates with the GAD-HRMD on the dissemination of methodological research outputs.

• Actively participate in learning activities of NSO (as resource persons, instructional material developers, research advisers, statistical consultants, etc).

• Undertakes other duties assigned by the Administrator/Deputy Administrator.

2. The SMU shall undertake methodological researches that seek to enhance survey sampling and operations of NSO. It shall pursue at least two major studies as identified in the research agenda.

3. The SMU shall be part of the Office of the Administrator. It shall report the progress of its activities through the Deputy Administrator.

4. The number of personnel to be detailed in the SMU shall be a minimum of three for each major research topic. The staff shall be identified by the RC in coordination with the concerned units of NSO during the discussion of the research agenda. The Administrator shall issue an order designating selected personnel to compose the unit.

5. Each team shall be led by at least a Statistician III who have undertaken her own research and with postgraduate degree in Statistics or Economics or, Mathematics or related fields.

6. Research teams shall be composed of persons with interdisciplinary background. Minimum requirements are university or postgraduate degree in Statistics, or Mathematics or Economics or and related fields, good written communication skills, interest in research, and practical experience in planning and implementation of censuses and surveys.

7. The duration of detail in the SMU shall depend on the complexity of the research topic.

8. The SMU shall work closely with the Departments in the conduct of research.

D.  Department Research Team

1. The Departments shall pursue at least three non-methodological studies annually.

2. The Director, based on the recommendation of the Division Chiefs shall organize the Department Research Team. The workplan and composition of the Department Research Team shall be submitted to the RC for consideration.

3. The Directors shall be responsible for the direction and strategies of their own research team.

4. NSO personnel who are preparing their postgraduate thesis or dissertation may request to be detailed at the Office of the Director for the conduct of their study. Their research topic should be in line with the research agenda of the office as approved by RC.

E.  Regional Office Research Team

1. Each region shall produce at least one non-methodological study annually.

2. The Regional Directors, based on the recommendation of the Provincial Statistics Officers, shall organize the Regional Research Team. The workplan and composition of the Regional Research Team shall be submitted to the RC for consideration.

3. The Regional Directors shall be responsible for the direction and strategies of their own regional research team.

4. 4. Regional and provincial staff with appropriate knowledge and expertise shall be tapped to conduct or provide technical assistance in the conduct of approved research agenda.

F.  Data Requirements

1. The Information Resources Department (IRD) shall provide a system that will enable and maintain datafile- sharing for easy access of data. The system shall ensure that access to data shall be limited to those concerned.

2. The head of SMU or the Regional Research Team shall request from the concerned department Directors for the use of data thru email.

3. The Department concerned through subject matter specialists shall provide technical assistance to SMU and Regional Research Team on the use of the data.

4. SMU shall be provided with data either preliminary, final, revised, and its corresponding meta data for use in its exploratory research. The SMU shall make proper adjustments in the results of the study whenever necessary.

5. The SMU and Department/Regional Research Team shall uphold the requirements of confidentiality in the use of the data.

G.  Personnel Development

1. The NSO shall provide training and opportunities for advance studies for SMU and Department/Regional Research Team personnel to enhance their capabilities in existing, new, and evolving methodologies.

2. The NSO shall provide funds to support the attendance of SMU and Department/Regional Research Team personnel to relevant trainings, conferences or workshops.

3. The NSO shall engage SMU and Department/Regional Research Team personnel in relevant office projects that can enhance their knowledge on the subject of their research.

4. The NSO shall ensure that equal opportunities for promotion as provided by the Merit Selection Plan of the office are given to personnel detailed at SMU.

H.  Technical Papers and Dissemination

1. The output of research shall be published as part of NSO technical paper series. It shall follow NSO procedures on publications.

2. Research results shall be disseminated during the NSO anniversary, National Statistics Month and other related fora.

3. The GAD-Human Resource Management Division (GAD-HRMD) shall organize seminars for the presentation of research proposals and preliminary and final research results.

4. Authorship/citation for the researches in the research agenda shall be credited to NSO with proper acknowledgement of the members of the research team. Authorship/citation for researches, studies, papers, etc., which are an outcome of further processing and/or further analysis of census, survey and administrative records results and which do not form part of the scheduled research papers, reports and dissemination materials of the office, shall be credited to the research proponent(s).

I.  Monitoring

1. The SMU and Department/Regional Research Team shall submit a quarterly accomplishment report, draft and finals outputs of the research study for review of the RC through the Deputy Administrator.

J.  Others

1. The NSO shall engage the services of scientific advisers as deemed necessary during the conduct of research.

2. The NSO shall source out resources to support the conduct of research.

3. The NSO shall support R & D through research materials such as books, journals, monographs, and other related materials.

4. The NSO shall allow the joint partnership between non-NSO individuals or institutions and SMU/Department/Regional Research Team in the conduct of methodological researches using NSO data in exchange of the technology that will be transferred to SMU staff. The use of NSO data shall be free of charge.

5. The NSO shall allow its employees to conduct research activities outside of office premises and beyond regular office hours as deemed necessary. The employee shall submit a written workplan and expected output for the off-site research activity. At the end of the off-site research period, the research staff shall submit a research output. The supervisor shall assess if the submitted output is satisfactory.

6. For the SMU, the Deputy Administrator shall serve as the approving officer for requests for travel or permission to work outside of office premises and of regular working hours in connection with the research to be conducted outside of office for a period of at least two days but not exceeding one week.