Since 1993, I have been providing consulting services in the area of survey automation working for a number of international aid agencies (UN, ADB, World Bank, DFID.) I have worked with the statistical offices in the Maldives, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Iraq and Pakistan. The work involves designing, developing and transferring technology for the data entry and tabulation of surveys (household, agriculture, small and large enterprise) using both desktop computers and PDAs (hand-held computers.)
Willem van den Andel (Andel Consultants) and I have
developed the PRIMA price
index management system. PRIMA is a set of flexible price index tools that can
be used for a variety of index systems including consumer and wholesale
price indices. It can also be used for the preparation of production indices for
industry, agriculture, etc.
It is being used at the Ghana Statistical
Service, Bank of Ghana, Maldives Ministry of Planning and Development, and
Malawi National Statistical Office. Recently PRIMA was chosen by ECOWAS to be
implemented in four West African states (Nigeria, Senegal,
The Gambia, and Togo) as part of a pilot project.