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Learn about how Kenya National Bureau of Statistics uses mobile technology to collect, validate, and transmit retail prices for Consumer Price Indices compilation. Discover the advantages, such as geo-referencing, item specification consistency, and data transmission efficiency.
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USE OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN THE COLLECTION, VALIDATION AND TRANSMISSION OF RETAIL PRICES FOR USE IN THE COMPILATION OF CONSUMER PRICE INDICES KNBS Presented by Mr. Evans Munene– Kenya
Background • Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) is a Semi-Autonomous Government Agency established under the Statistics Act No. 4 of 2006. Its role includes coordinating the National Statistical System (NSS) and; developing and maintaining a socio-economic data base to serve users both locally and internationally. • Among key statistical outputs of the Bureau, Consumer Price Indices (CPI) and corresponding inflation statistics are compiled and disseminated every month. The Collection of retail prices to be used in the compilation of the CPI is currently carried out every month in 25 data collection zones located in 13 urban centres. Each of these 25 zones is manned by a price collector while the County Statistical Officers (CSOs) and some headquarter staff do supervision. Nationally, a total of over 12,000 price observations are made every month from a sample of over 4,000 outlets.
Background cont.. • Prior to February 2009, prices collected from the outlets were written on paper questionnaires and posted to the CPI office at the KNBS headquarters. This process was discontinued because it not only involved spending money on courier services, but also as a common phenomenon, every month some field returns were not received on time. For the current CPI series, price collectors key in the prices in an Excel data collection sheet and send the same to the headquarters through Email. The CPI there after disseminated to various stakeholders.
Background cont.. • CPI figures have a number of uses. These include: • Deflation of monetary values. • Indicator macroeconomic performance, • Determination of supplier/debtor price variations, • determination of employer/employee wage negotiations and • Indexation of pension benefits. • In view of the foregoing, it is essential to put in place a more efficient tool to collect, transmit, validate, analyse, disseminate and store the data in a cost effective manner while utilising scalable and suitable technologies.
Piloting of mobile technology • Market Price data collectors were trained to use the mobile technology to collect data from the field. The collected data is edited, saved offline on the device and later submitted when the device is connected to the internet. • To enable testing of the use of technology, parallel data collection using PAPI and CAPI was carried out. • These devices needed to have internet connection at certain time of the project to submit the collected data. Thus we needed to study and understand the coverage and services provided by telcos operating in Kenya • Mobile Network Connectivity
Advantages of using mobile technology in CPI data collection • 1. Geo-referencing • Geo-referencing coupled with a record of actual time periods when prices are observed was very instrumental in instilling professionalism on the part of price collectors in that they all have to visit outlets assigned to them and make actual observations. • 2. Consistency in item specifications • Using mobile technology, pictures of items to be priced is loaded into the system in a way that the same appears on the screen at the time the enumerator makes the price observations. Similarly substituted item varieties are photographed and put into the system. This greatly enhance comparison of like with like in the CPI compilation.
Advantages of using mobile technology in CPI data collection • 3. Conversion to Standard units of measure • Instead of the price collector having to move around with calculators, the system is programmed to do the computations and thereby give the equivalent prices for standard units of measure. This has not only been convenient to the price collector, but has also minimize possible calculation errors. • 4. Transmission and merger of data • The system transmits raw data to the supervisors and then to a centralized server through the internet. This has greatly assisted the price statisticians at the head office, supervisors and coordinators to know exactly how, where and when prices’ data are being collected.
Advantages of using mobile technology in CPI data collection • 5. Publication of Reliable average prices • There is an assurance that item specifications are applied correctly and consistently. The Bureau therefore is able to add average prices as well as a corresponding picture gallery as two other outputs which could be displayed at the website in addition to the CPI and inflation numbers. • 6. Reduction of data entry errors • Once correctness of item specifications is fixed, it is possible to pre-determine an acceptable range of prices for every price observation even with seasonal adjustments. If an enumerator inadvertently enters the wrong price, the system is set to prompt the officer to confirm or correct the price entry. This ensures correct price relatives which in turn ensure correct elementary and higher level indices.
Advantages of using mobile technology in CPI data collection • 7. Substitution of obsolete item varieties and closed down outlets • Increased online interaction between field data collectors, supervisors and the price statisticians has been enhanced through use of mobile technologies. The system has made it possible for the supervisor to promptly effect the substitutions and to confirm outlet geo-referenced coordinates for the substitutes. • Once these substitutions are reported from the field, the price statistician is able to promptly carry out the appropriate adjustments for quality change which could affect the weight.
Advantages of using mobile technology in CPI data collection • 8. Cost reduction • The overall cost of conducting the survey is reduced, this is attributed to very minimal printing done, transportation cost is reduced due to data transmission via the net and no hiring of warehouses for questionnaire storage. • 9. Authentication • The system assigns unique code for enumerators, supervisors and coordinators. The data collection point are also uniquely mapped .
Challenges • Time constraint • It’s often the case that there is no sufficient time to test the devices due to project timelines. It’s often necessary to conduct updating of the system during the first month of data collection. Keeping track of the CAPI system versions is very necessary when the software is updated. This enables reformatting the data because of the new changes. Updating CAPI system to new versions need be done systematically otherwise enumerators will be using different versions of the system and there will be data mismatch.
Challenges • 2. Sometimes enumerators loose data due to mishandling of devices and at times the system stops working interrupting data entry process. It happens for those who did not master the training on use of the device. Devices breakdown in the process and reserve devices are often required for replacements and migrating the data from a defective device. • 3. Some areas of data collection often have no internet coverage and data cannot be transmitted. CAPI system is created in two different modes; the offline and online mode. It makes it possible to store the data in a local device and synchronize the data when internet is available.
Challenges • 4. Screen resolution could hamper the data collection especially when the interview is done in a place where there no shade. Questions are not very visible and enumerators would strain. • 5. Few cases of device theft attempt reported and especially in some urban areas. • 6. Battery life. This was mitigated by use of power bank.
Device choice • Selecting which mobile device to use was an issue, we had to take into consideration several concerns: • The screen size(since it’s a touch screen device), • The battery life (since it will be used in the rural area where electricity is an issue) • The body of the device (the device will be expose to rain, dust, mud and sand) • The Operating system that best works with the system, among other things.
Way forward • Switching our CPI data collection rom PAPI to CAPI • The technology has been adopted in on-going KIHBS survey • Adding more modules to roll out other regular surveys e.g. partial market survey • Adopted a policy of use of the new technology in the upcoming ad hoc surveys ..MSE • Sensitize data producers on the new technology
