1. NSI's capacities are developing within legal, institutional, technologocal, economic and social country - specific frames and constrains. Development and transition of national statistical systems may be stimulated by implementation of properly adopted best practices and experiences of other countires. However the “transplantation” of best practices of highly developed NSS to the NSS of other countries, into different legal, institutional and social environment often is introducing the disintegration of national statistics.

2. Best practices of NSI's are complementary. The complementarity of experiences of NSI's should be taken into account for programs and projest of statistical capacity biulding and development. Having in mind the principle DOCENDO DISCIMUS, donors and assisting organizations are benefiting from cooperation with other NSIs enriching their own statistical experience and knowledge. Practical examples from the Central andn Eastern Europe region of collaboration and mutual assistance in transferring best pracices of NSIs are presented.

Keywords: Statistical capacity building

Biography: Jozef Olenski, professor of Warsaw University, Faculty of Economics, president of the Central Statistical Office of Poland (since 2006), advisor to the Governor of the National Bank of Poland (1996 – 2006), president of the Central Statistical Office of Poland (1992 – 1995) and the chairman of the United Nations Statistical Commission (1994-1995), member of the ISI Committee on Professional Ethics and the Irving Fisher Committee, director general of the Research and Development Center of Statistics of the CSO Poland (1974 – 1991). He was also responsible for development and co-ordination of national systems of scientific and technical information in the National Center of Scientific, Technical and Economic Information of Poland. Author of over 240 scientific publications (papers, research reports, books and handbooks) in information science, economics of information, econometrics and statistics.

E-mail addresses: j.olenski@stat.gov.pl, jolenski@wne.uw.edu.pl