Strategic Plan for Agricultural and Rural Statistics (SPARS) 2016 – 2025. Country/Territory Lao, People's Dem. Rep. Document type Date 2016 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Agricultural & rural development, Livestock, Fisheries, Forestry Keyword Data collection/reporting Crops/grasses Sustainable development Geographical area Asia, ASIA AND THE PACIFIC, Landlocked Developing Countries, Least Developed Countries, South-Eastern Asia Entry into force notes 2016 - 2025. Abstract This Strategic Plan for Agricultural and Rural Statistics is a 10-year nationwide sectoral document aiming at implementing a system that provides comprehensive, timely, transparent and reliable data using up-to-date methods for the collection, processing and dissemination of statistics that meets international standards, supporting informed decision making in the agricultural sector. To achieve the aim, the Plan sets out 3 strategic goals as follows (1) improve regulation and institutional frameworks for agricultural and rural statistics; (2) develop statistical infrastructure for agricultural and rural statistics; and (3) manage and develop agricultural and rural statistics. It is a long-term strategy to gradually introduce new methodologies and improve data quality. Through the implementation of the SPARS, the Government will achieve the following (i) evaluate the existing agricultural and rural statistics system; (ii) assess data quality; (iii) identify data gaps; (iv) determine programs and interventions needed to improve statistics; (v) collect information for coordinating and financing agricultural and rural statistics development activities; (vi) contribute more information on integrating agricultural statistics into the national statistics system, the cost of implementing the plan, sources of funding, and technical aspects of statistics improvement work. Full text English