Turkmenistan experts build up their knowledge of ESCAP tool on leaving no one behind

About 30 participants representing the line ministries of Turkmenistan and UN agencies learnt to use the LNOB analytical tool developed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The tool is used to improve the understanding of how various circumstances intersect and create inequalities in access to basic opportunities covered by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It uses data and statistics to identify groups left furthest behind and the circumstances holding them back.

During the training the participants learnt to:

• Understand the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) methodology and how it is used to identify the furthest behind.
• Understand the Dissimilarity Index (D-Index) and how it is calculated to provide a single numerical value that summarizes inequality in a particular development area.
• Have a thorough review of the 15 indicators covered in the UNESCAP LNOB tool.
• Understand all the graphs and charts included in the UNESCAP LNOB tool, as well as navigating through the tool.
• adapt country-specific analysis to best serve individual country requirements.

To better understand and use the tool, the participants used the data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys that were conducted by National Statistics Office with support of UNICEF and UNFPA in 2015 and 2019 in Turkmenistan. This training is a part of the broader strategy of UN and the Government of Turkmenistan to improve the data availability and access to statistics that will strengthen policy interventions for a more equal and inclusive Turkmenistan.