Nadiezda Alejeva

1
PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN
LITHUANIA

• Nadiezda Alejeva
• Head, Price Statistics Division
• Statistics Lithuania

2
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

3
ORGANISATION OF WORK

• 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

4
ORGANISATION OF WORK

• 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

5
ORGANISATION OF WORK

• 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

6
PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE

• 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

7
PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE

• 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

8
INTRODUCTION OF HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

• 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

9
INTRODUCTION OF HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

• 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

10
INTRODUCTION OF HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

• FUNCTIONS PROGRAMMED INTO HAND-HELD COMPUTERS
  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 PRODUCTS 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

11
INTRODUCTION OF HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

• 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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INTRODUCTION OF HAND-HELD COMPUTERS

• 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

13
REORGANISATION OF THE PRICE DATA COLLECTION
PROCEDURE

• 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

14
REORGANISATION OF THE PRICE DATA COLLECTION
PROCEDURE

• 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

15
TIMETABLE OF THE NEW PRICE COLLECTION PROCEDURE
Main price collection Additional price collection
for fuels and seasonal food-products
16
REORGANISATION OF THE PRICE DATA COLLECTION
PROCEDURE

• ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW PRICE DATA COLLECTION
  PROCEDURE
• OUTLETS ARE VISITED ONCE A MONTH
• PRICES OF ALL REPRESENTATIVE PRODUCTS 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

17
THE ASSURANCE OF DATA QUALITY

• 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

18
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

20
THE ASSURANCE OF DATA QUALITY

• 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

21
THE ASSURANCE OF DATA QUALITY

• 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
  20082012 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