“This new approach in administering and processing Grenada’s household surveys has greatly impacted our effort to build sustainable capacity in statistics,” Mr. Brizan added.

The OECS Commission is assisting National Statistical Offices (NSOs) to improve their statistical business process, an aspect of which includes reducing the cost and time taken for data collection and data processing.

The transition to the computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) method to conduct household surveys is one area where capacity is being enhanced with support from the World Bank, CDB and other development partners.

To date, Saint Lucia has fully transitioned to CAPI.  Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Kitts and Nevis are gearing up to use tablets for surveys to be conducted in 2018.  The NSOs in each of the OECS Member States have all been CAPI-trained and have received tablets to support their transition.

The supply of the equipment to Grenada was done under the CDB-funded Enhanced Country Poverty Assessment Project.