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.