Www.stat.gov.lt 8–9 May 2008, Geneva PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN LITHUANIA Nadiezda Alejeva Head, Price Statistics Division Statistics

8–9 May 2008, Geneva

PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN LITHUANIA www.stat.gov.lt

PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN LITHUANIA

Nadiezda Alejeva

Head, Price Statistics Division

Statistics Lithuania



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PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE ANDITS DEVELOPMENT IN LITHUANIA

ORGANISATION OF WORK

PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE

INTRODUCTION OF HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

REORGANISATION OF THE PRICE DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE

THE ASSURANCE OF DATA QUALITY



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THE CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE CARRIES OUT THE PRODUCTION OF BOTH THE NATIONAL CPI AND THE HICP

BOTH THE LOCAL AND THE CENTRAL STAFF HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

10 CENTRAL STAFF MEMBERS WORKING ON THE CPI AND HICP

31 LOCAL STAFF MEMBERS – PRICE COLLECTORS – IN 5 REGIONAL STATISTICAL OFFICES CARRY OUT PRICE COLLECTION



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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CENTRAL STAFF

YEARLY WORKS OUT THE TIMETABLE FOR THE COLLECTION AND TRANSMISSION OF THE PRIMARY DATA ON PRICES FOR PRICE COLLECTORS

PREPARES AND ANNUALLY CARIES OUT REVIEW AND UPDATE OF THE ‘BASKET’ OF REPRESENTATIVE GOODS AND SERVICES

IS PARTIALLY INVOLVED IN THE PRICE COLLECTION PROCESS

CARRIES OUT THE SECONDARY VERIFICATION OF THE PRIMARY DATA RECEIVED FROM PRICE COLLECTORS

CARRIES OUT THE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS AND IMPUTATIONS IN CASES OF CHANGES IN QUALITY AND MISSING PRICES

PREPARES THE WEIGHTINGS SYSTEM AND PERFORMS THE CALCULATION OF THE CPI AND THE HICP

PREPARES PRESS RELEASES, PUBLICATIONS, OTHER STATISTICAL INFORMATION

ELABORATES METHODOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

ORGANISES TRAINING OF THE LOCAL STAFF AND INSPECTION OF THEIR WORK



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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LOCAL STAFF – PRICE COLLECTORS

TO SELECT THE OUTLETS WHERE PRICES OF CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES WILL BE COLLECTED

TO SELECT SPECIFIC VARIETIES OF REPRESENTATIVE PRODUCTS WITHIN AGREED DEFINITIONS IN THE OUTLETS

TO REGISTER PRICES THROUGH MONTHLY VISITS TO SELECTED OUTLETS

TO EXPLORE THE REASONS OF SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN PRICES

TO EVALUATE THE PRICE CHANGE DUE TO THE QUALITY CHANGE

TO SEND THE DATA AND INFORMATION ON THE DETAILS ON CHANGES IN CHARACTERISTICS OF GOODS AND SERVICES TO THE CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE

TO FOLLOW THE MARKET DEVELOPMENT



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THERE ARE TWO APPROACHES TOWARDS PRICE COLLECTION

PRICE COLLECTION BY THE CENTRAL STAFF (1608 PRICE QUOTATIONS (3 %) OF 27 PRODUCTS (3 %))

• FOR GOODS THAT ARE TECHNICALLY COMPLICATED

• FOR GOODS AND SERVICES FOR WHICH SPECIAL SUB-INDICES ARE CALCULATED

• PRICES ADMINISTRATED BY THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OR THE NATIONAL REGULATOR

• PRICES THAT ARE THE SAME ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY

PRICE COLLECTION BY PRICE COLLECTORS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL (59268 PRICE QUOTATIONS (97 %) OF 810 PRODUCTS (97 %))

• MARKET PRICES OF CONSUMER GOODS AND SERVICES

• PRICES ADMINISTRATED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT



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PRICE DATA SOURCES AND COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

PRICE DATA SOURCES

• REGISTRATION OF PRICES CARRIED OUT BY PRICE COLLECTORS THROUGH VISITING THE SELECTED OUTLETS

• LEGAL ACTS: GOVERNMENT DECREES, REGULATIONS AND ORDERS, DECISIONS OF THE NATIONAL REGULATOR, ETC.

• INTERNET

• CATALOGUES, PRICE LISTS AND ADVERTISEMENTS

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

• HAND-HELD COMPUTER

• INTERNET

• TELEPHONE INQUIRIES

• ELECTRONIC QUESTIONNAIRE AND PAPER REPORT

• PAPER QUESTIONNAIRE



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SINCE OCTOBER 2006, A NEW TOOL – A HAND-HELD COMPUTER – HAS BEEN USED FOR PRICE COLLECTION

A PHASED APPROACH TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW TOOL IN THE PRICE COLLECTION PROCESS

TWO TRAINING SESSIONS FOR PRICE COLLECTORS

THREE PILOT SURVEYS

A SPECIAL QUESTIONNAIRE AFTER EACH PILOT PRICE SURVEY TO GET FEEDBACK FROM PRICE COLLECTORS

IMPROVEMENT OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND ORGANISATION OF A CONSUMER PRICE SURVEY

REGULAR MEETINGS WITH PRICE COLLECTORS AND PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FIELDWORK



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ADVANTAGES OF USING HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

MANUAL TASKS HAVE BEEN REDUCED

ERRORS OF TRANSCRIPTION OF THE DATA FROM A PAPER QUESTIONNAIRE INTO A PERSONAL COMPUTER HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED

INTERACTIVE DATA VALIDATION

INCREASED MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY FOR PRICE COLLECTORS

REDUCTION IN PAPER AND PRINTING COSTS

PRICE COLLECTORS PRESENT A BETTER IMAGE TO THE PUBLIC AND RETAILERS



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FUNCTIONS PROGRAMMED INTO HAND-HELD COMPUTER’S SOFTWARE

ORGANISATION OF CONVENIENT ROUTE AND TIMETABLE OF THE PRICE COLLECTION FOR THE PRICE COLLECTOR

CREATION OF A SEPARATE TEMPLATE FOR EACH OUTLET

EXECUTION OF THE QUALITY CHECKS OF INITIAL DATA SHOWING THE WARNING MESSAGES WHILE COLLECTING AND ENTERING PRICE DATA

SORTING OF SELECTED GOODS AND SERVICES

RECALCULATION OF THE PRICE OF THE MEASUREMENT UNIT OBSERVED INTO THE PRICE OF THE MEASUREMENT UNIT REQUIRED

USE OF DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS WHILE COLLECTING PRICES AND ENTERING PRODUCT’S DESCRIPTION

PROTECTION FROM MISSING OR DUPLICATION OF THE PRODUCT OR OUTLET

USE OF CODES FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF A PRODUCT OR OUTLET

DISPLAY OF HISTORY OF PRICES FOR EACH PRODUCT

TRANSMISSION OF THE ENTERED PRICE DATA TO THE CENTRAL DATABASE

INFORMATION ON OUTLETS, PRODUCTS SELECTED FOR THE PRICE SURVEY, VISITS TO OUTLETS



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‘M-PARTNER’ SYSTEM CREATES A POSSIBILITY OF BETTER VERIFICATION OF THE PRIMARY PRICE DATA IN THE CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE

TO GROUP THE OUTLETS ACCORDING TO THE ROUTES OF PRICE COLLECTION

TO CREATE REPORTS CONTAINING DIFFERENT INFORMATION

TO TRANSFORM TABLES TO MICROSOFT EXCEL FORMAT FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS

TO CONTROL PRICE COLLECTORS’ VISITS TO THE OUTLETS

TO ESTIMATE THE WORKLOAD OF PRICE COLLECTORS

TO SORT AND FILTER THE DATA



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DISADVANTAGES OF USING HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

IT IS NOT EASY TO READ UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS OF LIGHTING

INSUFFICIENT BATTERY LIFE

TOO SMALL SCREEN

SMALL KEYBOARD

CAPACITY IS LIMITED

REPLACEABILITY PROBLEM IN CASE OF ILLNESS OR HOLIDAY OF THE PRICE COLLECTOR

FAST OBSOLESCENCE OF HAND-HELD COMPUTER MODEL

RISK OF THEFT OR DAMAGE

COSTS OF PURCHASING AND MAINTENANCE HAND-HELD COMPUTERS, DEVELOPING TAILOR-MADE SOFTWARE, TRAINING OF PRICE COLLECTORS



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A NECESSITY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) NO 701/2006 OF 25 APRIL 2006 AS REGARDS THE TEMPORAL COVERAGE OF PRICE COLLECTION IN THE HICP

PRICE COLLECTION HAS TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS AT LEAST ONE WORKING WEEK PERIOD AT, OR NEAR, THE MIDDLE OF THE CALENDAR MONTH TO WHICH THE INDEX PERTAINS

WHERE PRODUCTS ARE KNOWN TO TYPICALLY SHOW SHARP AND IRREGULAR PRICE CHANGES WITHIN THE SAME MONTH, PRICE COLLECTION HAS TO TAKE PLACE OVER A PERIOD OF MORE THAN ONE WORKING WEEK

• THIS RULE HAS TO BE APPLIED IN PARTICULAR TO THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS:

ENERGY PRODUCTS

FRESH FOOD, SUCH AS FRUIT AND VEGETABLES



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SINCE DECEMBER 2007, THE NEW PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED

THE TIMETABLE OF THE PRICE DATA COLLECTION IN SELECTED OUTLETS IS SCHEDULED SEPARATELY FOR EACH TERRITORIAL UNIT

FIXED DAYS FOR THE PRICE COLLECTION PER EACH OUTLET ARE SET IN THE TIMETABLES

COLLECTION OF THE PRICE DATA COVERS FIRST THREE WORKING WEEKS OF THE MONTH

A SAMPLE OF OUTLETS IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED OVER THREE WEEKS

THE PRICE COLLECTOR SPREADS OUTLETS OVER THE DAYS OF THE WEEK AND AGREES WITH THE CENTRAL STAFF

ONE-THIRD OF ALL PRICE QUOTATIONS IS COLLECTED EACH FIVE DAYS

PRICES OF FUELS AND SEASONAL FOOD PRODUCTS ARE COLLECTED ADDITIONALLY DURING THE 15TH –19TH WORKING DAYS OF THE MONTH



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TIMETABLE OF THE NEW PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE

Monday 6 13 20 27

Tuesday 7 14 21 28

Wednesday 1 8 15 22 29

Thursday 2 9 16 23 30

Friday 3 10 17 24

Saturday 4 11 18 25

Sunday 5 12 19 26

Main price collectionAdditional price collection for fuels and seasonal food-products



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ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW PRICE DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE

OUTLETS ARE VISITED ONCE A MONTH

PRICES OF ALL REPRESENTATIVE PRODUCT’S VARIETIES, SELECTED IN A PARTICULAR OUTLET, ARE COLLECTED DURING THE VISIT

THE OUTLETS AND TIME FOR THE PRICE COLLECTION ARE DISTRIBUTED EVENLY

CONVENIENTLY ORGANIZED PRICE COLLECTION ROUTES

PRICE COLLECTORS TRANSMIT THE DATA TO THE CENTRAL DATABASE ON THE DAY WHEN THE DATA COLLECTION TAKES PLACE

MORE FREQUENT PROVISION OF THE PRICE DATA TO THE CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE ENABLES THE CENTRAL STAFF TO START THE PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE DATA AFTER THE FIRST OBSERVATION WEEK

THE CENTRAL STAFF HAS MORE TIME FOR THE DATA VERIFICATION AND EDITING

IT IS VISIBLE THAT THE USE OF THE WORKING TIME BY PRICE COLLECTORS AS WELL AS THE QUALITY OF THE PRICE DATA WILL BE IMPROVED



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THE QUALITY OF PRICE DATA IS THE CRUCIAL DETERMINANT ENSURING THE ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF THE CPI AND THE HICP

PRICE COLLECTORS PLAY THE KEY ROLE IN THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE ADEQUATE QUALITY OF PRICE DATA, THE EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS SOME CERTAIN FEATURES OF PRICE COLLECTORS ARE NEEDED

PRICE COLLECTORS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS, TO BE COMPUTER LITERATE

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE QUALIFIED AND WELL-TRAINED PRICE COLLECTORS



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THE ASSURANCE OF DATA QUALITY CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO PRICE COLLECTORS’

TRAINING

TWO- OR THREE-DAY MEETINGS HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED FOR PRICE COLLECTORS YEARLY SINCE 2000

A PROGRAMME HAS BEEN DESIGNED TAKING INTO ACCOUNT PRICE COLLECTORS’ WISHES AND QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

PRICE COLLECTORS ARE INSTRUCTED ON:

• THE REQUIREMENTS POSED FOR THE PRIMARY DATA OF PRICES

• THE TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE USED FOR THE REGISTRATION OF PRICES

• THE SELECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF OUTLETS AND VARIETIES OF PRODUCTS

• AN UPDATED LIST OF REPRESENTATIVE PRODUCTS

• COMMON AND FREQUENTLY OCCURRING MISTAKES

CERTAIN SPECIAL SUBJECTS ARE CHOSEN AND EXPERTS ARE INVITED TO ASSIST AND TO EXPLAIN THE CHOSEN SUBJECT THOROUGHLY

A SPECIAL TOPIC ON THE USE OF HAND-HELD COMPUTER HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAMME OF THE MEETING



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THE ASSURANCE OF DATA QUALITY OTHER FORMS OF TRAINING OF PRICE COLLECTORS

EVERY YEAR – A ONE-DAY ZONAL SEMINAR IN ONE OF THE FIVE REGIONAL STATISTICAL OFFICES

EVERY QUARTER – A SHORT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE MISSION OF THE CENTRAL STAFF TO ONE TERRITORIAL UNIT

A MANUAL FOR PRICE COLLECTORS HAS BEEN PREPARED; THE MANUAL PROVIDES PRICE COLLECTORS WITH REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AS REGARDS THE PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE

PRICE COLLECTORS ARE EQUIPPED WITH AN ‘M-PATNER’ SYSTEM USERS MANUAL

PRICE COLLECTORS AND THE CENTRAL STAFF COMMUNICATE BY TELEPHONE AND EMAIL ON DIFFERENT ISSUES



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CHECKS AGAINST ERRORS AND MISTAKES

SOME CHECKING FUNCTIONS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE HAND-HELD COMPUTER SOFTWARE

PRICE COLLECTORS HAVE ACCESS TO THE CENTRAL DATABASE AND CAN CHECK THE TRANSMITTED DATA

THE CENTRAL STAFF CARRIES OUT THE VERIFICATION OF THE DATA RECEIVED USING THE DATA CONTROL SOFTWARE

PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS PAID TO QUALITY CHANGES AND PRICES THAT DO NOT CHANGE FOR A VERY LONG TIME

THE PRELIMINARY INDEX RESULTS OF THE NATIONAL CPI AND HICP ARE DISCUSSED, CROSSCHECKED AGAINST THE PRODUCER PRICE INDEX AND INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS



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FURTHER MEASURES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF PRICE DATA QUALITY

IT IS FORESEEN TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT NEW SOFTWARE TO BETTER MANAGE THE ANALYSIS OF THE PRIMARY DATA AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL DURING THE 2008–2012 STRATEGIC PERIOD

ACQUISITION OF NEW HAND-HELD COMPUTERS FOR THE PRICE COLLECTION

FURTHER OPTIMISATION WORK AS REGARDS THE NUMBER OF PRICES REQUIRED WITHIN EACH ELEMENTARY AGGREGATE

CONSIDERATION OF THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT OF THE USE OF ‘SCANNER DATA’ FROM SUPERMARKETS

Documents

Www.stat.gov.lt 8–9 May 2008, Geneva PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN LITHUANIA Nadiezda Alejeva Head, Price Statistics Division Statistics