The core programs and activities of the SNEC are determined by the mandate of the law that created the institution. Such core programs are the minimum that the SNEC must implement and achieve. The institutional characteristics of the SNEC must be so designed that it is able to carry out its mandate effectively and efficiently. First and foremost, the SNEC serves the requirements of the PM and the government in the area of preparing economic development strategy and policy. All of the SNEC's other programs and activities are complementary to, or subservient to this primary role.

The key document to reflect the socioeconomic development strategy and policy of the PM and government is the RS. The RS is coterminous with the mandate of the concerned elected legislature. It was first prepared in 2004 and revised in 2008. SNEC led and coordinated the preparation of both documents. SNEC should also be actively involved in the preparation of the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP), which is the key instrument to implement the RS, the Annual Review of the NSDP and activities of the Cambodia Development and Cooperation Forum which is the platform for external donors to review the economic development performance of Cambodia and pledge development assistance. SNEC is also responsible for preparing the Cambodia Economic Report on a regular basis. It also regularly organizes the Cambodia Economic Forum, which is a forum for exchanging views among stakeholders of Cambodia on concerns and issues of interest. SNEC also prepares sectoral studies and has contributed to the preparation of policies for health, education, agriculture, and other sectors. Moreover, SNEC maintains regular policy dialogue with key national government agencies and development partners in order to keep itself relevant and ensure being in the forefront of designing key socioeconomic policies. The activities of SNEC related to the performance of these functions are the core functions of SNEC.

SNEC has major roles and functions as below:

1. Policy Advice and Support to the PM and His Cabinet

The principal client of the SNEC is the PM. The SNEC thus acts according to the requirements of the PM in preparing and implementing economic development strategy and policy. The services and inputs of the SNEC to the PM are provided on demand and may include any and all of the following:

1.1. Speeches and statements

SNEC Secretariat is tasked to prepare or review speeches or statements of the PM and other high level dignitaries. This work is strategic, since the speeches and statements of the PM are often statements of government policy, ideology, instruction and directive. Such work ranges from providing comments on material that are referred to the SNEC by the Cabinet of the PM to drafting speeches and statements based on SNEC-researched material.

When the SNEC Chairperson or the SNEC Secretary General receives instructions from the PM or his Cabinet on the preparation of these speeches and statements, the work is usually assigned to SNEC secretariat and/or to a specific SNEC member who has the responsibility and/or expertise in the concerned field. The assigned SNEC Member is assisted in the performance of his/her task by concerned SNEC Secretariat staff.

1.2. Advice on economic strategy

SNEC Chairperson is a key participant in the weekly meetings of the Council of Ministers presided over by the PM. Other meetings and discussions also often take place at the PM's behest at other venues or as opportunities arise. The SNEC Chairperson is also often consulted by the PM himself or by the PM's key staff by telephone, memorandum or personal meeting on economic strategy and policy. Such discussions on strategy encompass the socio-political ramifications, context, timing and trade-offs of economic policy options and decisions.

1.3. Input into policy issues and concerns

SNEC Members have assignments that correspond to their sectoral or topical responsibility or expertise. These include such fields as: (a) international development finance, (b) agricultural development, (c) infrastructure, (d) deconcentration and decentralization, (e) international trade, (f) fiscal management, and (g) international and regional integration/relations. Inputs by SNEC Members are either solicited by the Office of the PM, or volunteered at the SNEC's initiative. Such inputs may be in the form of memoranda or reports and may require oral presentation to the PM.

1.4. Participation in policy processes

Policies of RGC are formulated, implemented and monitored through participatory processes that involve representatives of as many stakeholder groups as possible. Such processes have thus become increasingly the norm in Cambodian governance. As information and knowledge of the SNEC's role has spread through the structure of Cambodian governance, SNEC has become a key participant in a growing number of policymaking processes. The SNEC's participation is at the behest of the PM or upon the invitation of the organizers of the various processes, or upon the initiative of the SNEC itself.

2. Preparation of Cambodia Economic Report

By Royal Decree, the mandate of the SNEC includes the periodic assessment of the performance of the Cambodian economy. Such an assessment may be entitled the "Cambodia Economic Report" (CER). The Economic Report is designed to assess macroeconomic performance and prospects of the economy. It takes stock of economic growth and discusses issues in macroeconomic management as well as international trade. The objectives are to report economic progress, provide economic perspectives and offer policy responses on macroeconomic management for government leaders. The CER also includes an expert forecast of the future performance of the Cambodian economy for the next period.

The preparation of CER requires high-level economic analysis skills and experience, availability of and access to economic data, and resources and time for research and analysis. These prerequisites are only barely available in the SNEC at present. The CER should be analytical if it is a tool to aid macroeconomic management. In view of resource and absorptive capacity constraints the preparation of the CER is proceeding gradually from being descriptive to being a more issue and analytically oriented document. The CER is currently being prepared annually even though depending on requirements sometimes shorter updates are also prepared. As SNEC Secretariat gains more capacity the objective is to prepare an annual comprehensive CER and a mid year update on a regular basis. Depending on the quality of the report and demand the CER may be published in both Khmer and English. The publication requires approval of SNEC Management.

3. Strategic Assessment of the NSDP

SNEC is also mandated to assess the implementation and performance of the NSDP 2006-2010 from a strategic perspective. Its assessment does not duplicate the roles of the line Ministries and agencies tasked to implement the NSDP – such as the Ministry of Planning (MoP), the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and the Council for Social Development (CSD).

While reviewing the NSDP implementation, SNEC does not generate its own data but uses secondary data from agencies and ministries which have the main responsibility for NSDP implementation. The SNEC interprets these data in terms of economy wide aspects such as macroeconomic and political implications, international relations, timing, sequencing, cross-cutting concerns and other broad and strategic considerations. SNEC performs this assessment of the implementation of the NSDP annually. As its resources and skills grow, the assessment may be performed more often – say on a semester basis.

The results of the SNEC's assessment of NSDP implementation are presented to the PM. Upon the PM's clearance, the report may also be presented to other committees and groups, or published as appropriate.