Introduction:

First stage: Scope

Second stage: Design

3.7.   Calculation equations:

1. Reviewing the work zone of the field researcher (survey sample).
2. Reaching the sample (establishment) using the map on the tablet device.
3. Completing data of high quality using data check rules and navigation (to automatically detect input errors and illogical inputs while the completion of the data is underway).
4. Establishing communication between supervising entities by exchanging comments with field researchers

7.   Coverage:

7.1.   Spatial coverage:

Commodity and services average prices bulletin  covers data related to finance and insurance activity in all 13 administrative regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which are:  (Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Qassim, Eastern Region, Asir, Tabuk, Hail, Northern Borders, Jazan, Najran, Al-Baha, and Al-Jouf). Prices are collected through field visits to specific points of sale.

7.2.   Temporal coverage:

Commodity and services prices basket are collected on a monthly basis.

8.    Statistical framework of Commodity and Services Average Prices:

• The updated 2015 census of the 2010 Establishment Census was used as a list containing all population items
• The lists, maps and analytical standards of the units were set to choose data providers (establishments).
• The required descriptive data were identified in order to create the statistical framework, create the test framework, verify them, and use them for the current survey round.

9.    Sample design:

Commodities and services are selected based on its importance to households. As for main constructional goods in building dwellings of households and government contracts.

Points of sales were selected based on:

1. Framework of (points of sale) was used for the consumer price index.
2. A number of factors are available at the selected points of sale such as: (continuity and frequency)
3. The spread of points of sale at the level of the city was considered.
4. The variety of points of sale (hyper market, super market, grocery, specialized shop, and services shop) was also considered.

It is the final preparation stage and precedes data collection. In this stage, the required workflow procedures are established for preparing Commodity and Services Average Prices, starting with the collection stage and ending with the assessment stage and the organization and grouping of those procedures. The optimal sequence of those procedures is chosen to arrive at a methodology that achieves the goals of the statistical product. A review was made in this stage of the procedures that were taken upon the preparation of the previous version of the survey to develop the work procedures in the current version. Those procedures were also described and documented to facilitate any updates in future rounds. The statistical workflow procedures were tested and examined to ensure their compliance with the requirements of preparing Commodity and Services Average Prices, approve the procedures of the statistical workflow, and develop a roadmap for implementation.

Testing the efficiency of input systems and the process of transmitting, synchronizing and reviewing data through either the tablet or office system of the survey are the main procedures in this stage.

First: The sample of the survey was selected by identifying (a minimum of four points of sale) for each commodity at the level of  city of the targeted selling points as a  chosen  sample representing the survey community in the Kingdom and distributed to all 13 regions of Saudi Arabia.

Second: the nominated workers were selected as field researchers who visited the establishments (points of sale) to collect data (average prices of goods and services) based on several practical and objective criteria related to the nature of the work, such as:

• Educational level.
• Fieldwork experience.
•  Personal attributes, such as: good conduct, evidence of senses and physical and psychological fitness.
• Candidate’s success in the training program of the finance and insurance survey.
• The candidate shall not be under the age of 20.

Third: All candidates (GaStat staff and collaborators from some government entities) were qualified and trained through special training programs as follows:

• A training program was held for expert staff members in GaStat’s headquarters for one week.
• Similar training programs were held for collaborating inspectors, observers, and researchers from all the regions of Saudi Arabia. 

Fourth: The method of direct contact with the establishment (point of sale)   was adopted in the process of completing the survey questionnaire and data collection. The field researchers visited the establishments (point of sales) located within the survey sample after arriving at it using the coordinates recorded on the tablets and the guiding maps and introducing themselves and showing official documents proving their statistical identity. They also clarified the aim of their visit, and presented an overview of the survey and its objectives. The  electronic questionnaire was then completed orally through direct contact with the owner of the establishment (point of sale)or any official who is familiar with its affairs

Fifth: All field researchers used tablet devices to collect the survey questionnaire data according to a number of criteria:

1. Adhere to the approved pricing plan in the specifications manual for each program item.
2. Approving the price of the visit day to the point of sale according to the approved pricing plan for the item.
3. Follow the specific specifications of each item.

Sixth: Field researchers at all work locations in the Kingdom used the “synchronization” feature available on the tablet devices to download and transfer the completed data of the establishments directly to the database linked to them at GaStat’s headquarters where they are stored in a specific way to be reviewed and processed at a later stage.

Seventh: Electronic check rules were applied to guarantee the accuracy, consistency, and rationality of the data entered in the finance and insurance survey questionnaire. They are electronic rules that identify contradictions and they were designed by using a logical link between the answers of the questionnaire and its variables to help field researchers directly identify any errors upon completing the survey data with the official in charge of data provision. Those programmed rules don’t allow any mistakes to go through when an answer contradicts with another piece of information or another answer in the questionnaire.

Eighth: The collected data were verified through being reviewed by the field researcher, their inspector and the survey supervisor in the supervision area. All work areas were subjected to a monitoring and reviewing process from the Data Quality Room at GaStat’s headquarters. The room also controls and monitors the performance of all working groups in the field during the data collection process, starting from the first day and until the last.

The disaggregation of the raw data of commodity and services average prices relied  on the classification and coding inputs completed during the data collection process, whether they are classified based on the national classification of economic activities, or other classifications such as the distribution of data at the level of administrative regions. Data related to the survey have been displayed in suitable tables to facilitate summarizing, understanding and drawing conclusions from them, as well as comparing them to other data, observing statistical significance as they relate to the study’s population, and viewing data without the need to go back the original questionnaires. These tables contain data such as:  The names and addresses of establishments and the names of data providers in violation of the principle of statistical data confidentiality.

Data is processed at this stage through taking a number of steps:

First: Verifying Data Comprehensiveness and Coherence  

Data are reviewed and matched to ensure their accuracy and precision in a way that suits their nature with the aim of giving the presented statistics quality and accuracy. Data of the bulletin's current year are compared with the data of the previous year to ensure their integrity and consistency in preparation for processing data and extracting and reviewing results in the stages that follow the disaggregation stage.

Second: Data anonymization

To ensure data confidentiality, GaStat removed identifiers from a set of field survey data, such as hiding the name and address of the establishment owner and other identifiers to ensure the protection of people’s privacy.

First: Verifying data outputs 

After reviewing and verifying the accumulated data of the survey, GaStat conducted at this stage processes of calculating and extracting results and uploaded and stored them on the database. The final reviewing processes were conducted by specialists in financial and investment statistics using modern technologies and software designed for the purposes of reviewing and checking.

Second: Handling of confidential data

Pursuant to Royal Decree No.23 dated 07/12/1397, GaStat is committed to the absolute confidentiality of all completed data and not using them except for statistical purposes. Therefore, data are safely stored on GaStat’s servers.

First: Preparing and setting results for publication

In this stage, GaStat uploaded the data results from the survey database. The Authority then prepared publication tables and graphs for both data and indicators, and added descriptive and methodological information to them. These were prepared in both Arabic and English.

Second: Preparing media material and announcing the bulletin’s release date

After GaStat announced the Bulletin’s release date on its official website at the beginning of the calendar year, the Authority prepares the required media materials to announce the Bulletin’s release on all media outlets, as well as its various social media platforms. The announcement will be made on the date set for publication. The bulletin will be published on the official website in various templates of open data in Excel format.

To guarantee its circulation and accessibility to all clients and parties interested in industrial activities, the bulletin is included in the website’s statistics library. 

Third: Communicating with clients and providing them with the bulletin

GaStat pays great importance to communicating with clients who use its data. Therefore, GaStat contacts clients upon the release of the survey bulletin to provide them with it. GaStat also receives questions and enquiries from clients regarding the bulletin and its results through various communication channels. Clients can contact GaStat to request data. Questions and inquiries are received via: 

• GaStat official website: www.stats.gov.sa 
• GaStat email: info@stats.gov.sa
• Client Supportemail:  cs@stats.gov.sa
• Visiting GaStat’s headquarters in Riyadh or one of its branches in the regions of the Kingdom.
• Official Letters.
• By Statistical Helpline: (920020081).

Fourth: Preserving the published content

GaStat’s Documents and Archives Center stored and archived the data of this bulletin to refer to it at any time on request. GaStat took that step out of its awareness of the importance of electronically preserving those data to easily refer to them when needed.

After the bulletin is released and received by all GaStat’s clients, the clients are contacted again in this stage which allows for assessing the whole statistical process that was carried out, with the aim of constant improvement to obtain high-quality data. The improvements may include methodologies, processes, systems, statistical researchers’ skill and statistical frameworks. This stage is done in collaboration with data users and GaStat’s clients through a number of steps:

First: Collecting measurable assessment inputs

Main comments and remarks are collected and documented from their sources at all stages, including those collected and documented during the collection stage, such as: comments and remarks presented by data collectors and their field supervisors. Also, data collected and documented during the assessment stage such as the remarks deduced by specialists concerned with reviewing, checking and analyzing data collected from the field. Finally, comments and remarks presented by data users are collected and documented after publication, in addition to what is being monitored via media outlets or the clients’ remarks, which GaStat receives through its main channels.

Second: Making the assessment

Collected assessment inputs were analyzed, and the results of this analysis were compared with pre-anticipated results. Accordingly, potential improvements and solutions were identified and discussed with experts and concerned parties. In this stage, the performance of clients’ use of the results of the finance and insurance survey and their satisfaction with it is measured. Based on that, recommendations are developed to enhance the quality of the results of the next finance and insurance survey.

A comprehensive stage that spans over all the stages of producing the survey. This stage determines the general production plan, including the feasibility study, risk management, means of funding, disbursement mechanisms, as well as developing performance indicators, quality parameters, human resources map necessary for production, following up on the execution of tasks assigned to all departments in every stage, and making reports to ensure that the GaStat fulfills its commitments towards its clients.