Description: The course will concentrate on statistical methods already tested in FCS to establish a new GDP benchmark when comprehensive and reliable source data are lacking. The proposed method uses the supply and uses tables framework, offering a thorough analytical approach to identify and fill data gaps while enhancing the quality and consistency of GDP estimates
Target Audience: compilers of national accounts statistics.
Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, is intended to broaden participants' understanding on the scope, role and strategic issues associated with GDP rebasing, requirements for rebasing, backcasting methods of GDP series, and upcoming updates of 2025 SNA. The course covers the following topics: ¿ Overview of GDP rebasing. ¿ Set of national accounts to be compiled. ¿ Source data (statistical and administrative). ¿ Linking business accounts and administrative data with national accounts ¿ Choice of the base year. ¿ Supply and Use Tables as a consistency framework. ¿ GDP backcasting and extrapolation. ¿ Updates on the 2025 SNA. ¿ Dissemination and advocacy. ¿ Practical examples on GDP rebasing and backcasting. Training methods include a balanced mix of lectures and hands-on exercises. Emphasis is also placed on sharing country experiences among the participants.
Target Audience: Compilers of national accounts statistics employed by agencies responsible for official national accounts data.
Description: This course covers the fundamentals needed to compile and disseminate comprehensive public sector debt statistics (PSDS) that are useful for policy- and decision-makers, as well as other users. The course introduces the conceptual statistical framework for PSDS-as presented in the Public Sector Debt Statistics: Guide for Compilers and Users 2011 (PSDSG 2011)-in the context of the government finance statistics (GFS) framework, which is harmonized with other macroeconomic statistical frameworks. Basic concepts, definitions, and classifications are covered, along with the principal accounting rules (including valuation and consolidation) that are relevant for PSDS compilation. The course discusses the recommended instrument and institutional coverage for compiling comprehensive and internationally comparable PSDS. It also deals with the impact on PSDS of some debt-related issues such as debt assumption, debt forgiveness, on-lending, financial leases, and financial bailouts. Important PSDS compilation considerations-including what PSDS to compile and disseminate-and the IMF's guidelines and standards on disseminating PSDS are also covered.
Target Audience: Compilers and analysts of public sector debt statistics employed by Ministries/agencies responsible for official public sector debt.
Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, targets compilers with a certain degree of experience in the compilation and/or analysis of balance of payments and/or IIP. It aims to provide a deep understanding of the concepts, data sources and compilation techniques for balance of payments and IIP statistics and their application in addressing complex methodological issues. The course does not cover the basic balance of payments and IIP concepts. The intermediate level of the course presupposes participants' familiarity with the basic concepts. The course will also elaborate on the topics being addressed during the current update of BPM6. The course consists of a series of lectures and workshops analyzing country cases with a strong data component and is designed to allow peer learning and sharing of experiences. Recognizing the challenges in compiling data in emerging areas of user interest, the course emphasizes specific topics, such as estimating informal cross-border activities and the treatment of special purpose entities. The course examines themes and challenges emerging from developments in the global economy, and participants have the opportunity to discuss how these impact compilation work. Specific exercises are geared to integrate data compilation with Fund surveillance and policy advice; and to demonstrate the analytical uses of ESS.
Target Audience: Officials responsible for the compilation of external sector statistics (ESS) (balance of payments and/or international investment position (IIP) statistics), and who are familiar with the methodology of the
Description: The course will review concepts and definitions of key welfare indicators such as the consumption aggregate, poverty line and headcount rate, inequality, and shared prosperity measures. It will outline the key steps of household survey design and implementation, including sampling, survey instruments, and data quality monitoring. The training will also have a hands-on session using Stata, a statistical software for data management and analysis, to familiarize participants with its functionalities, including data importing, cleaning, and analysis. Through real-world examples, the course will cover how a consumption aggregate is calculated from food and non-food components of household expenditure, and the necessary imputations to capture rent, subsidized goods, and spatial differences in prices. Using these concepts, the course will enable participants to calculate welfare measures at national and sub-national levels. The training will also consist of interactive sessions among participants and trainers for focused country specific discussions on upcoming household surveys, labor force modules, and aspects of multi-dimensional poverty. The overarching goal would be to improve statistical capacity and create a basis for engagement on statistics that the Poverty team can build upon in future.
Target Audience: The training program on poverty measurement is specifically designed for officials and policymakers at the National Statistics Organizations (NSO), Ministries of Planning, Finance, Social and Labor Affairs, and related government think tanks of MENA countries. Countries where statistical capacity needs to be improved, and which are either in the early stages or in the process of implementing a household survey are especially encouraged to participate. This audience is targeted due to their roles in data management, analysis, and policy-making that require a deep understanding of household survey data and welfare measurement.
Description: This course, presented by the Statistics Department, is intended to broaden participants’ understanding of the concepts and methods of compiling CPIs. It provides an overview of the index number theory and its practical implications in terms of choosing the index number formula at lower and higher levels of aggregation. The course covers the sources and methods for developing weights and sampling areas, items, outlets, and varieties. New and emerging data sources as well as new collection technologies are discussed. Frontier issues including how to better measure the digital economy are included. Linkages to the 2008 SNA are highlighted, including the related principles of scope, coverage, and valuation. The course covers the following topics: calculating elementary and upper-level indexes; methods for handling temporarily and permanently missing prices; introducing new outlets, items, and varieties; adjusting prices for quality changes; chaining and linking indexes with updated weighting structures; and meeting data users’ needs to ensure relevancy. The course follows the principles and recommendations of the CPI Manual (2020).
