Global Purchasing Power Parities and Real Expenditures - Afristat

AcknowledgmentsThe ICP shares a common technical language and conceptualframework with national statistical programs for measuringconsumer prices indexes (CPI) and their nationalaccounts. The very essence of the ICP is based on comparabilityof results between economies, strict adherenceto time schedules, and a common understanding of datasharingand confidentiality requirements. There is no otherstatistical program requiring so much cooperation betweennational, regional, and international organizations.The successful completion of ICP 2005 is a tribute tothe organizations and people who worked in partnership tocarry out the work program. The strength of the programcame from the division of the work program into five ICPregions that worked in parallel with the Eurostat-OECDPPP program so that all data could be combined into aset of global results. The technical and managerial leadershipfurnished by all in partnership sets the example forfuture international programs. Although the donors to theglobal trust fund have been noted, special thanks also goto the Canadian International Development Agency for itsfinancial support of the South America program, and to theArab Development Fund in its support of Western Asia.The recent contribution from the Islamic DevelopmentBank will form a strong basis for the program to move intothe next round. Each of the regional coordinating organizationsalso provided financial support, either in-kind, withfunds, or both.The 2005 ICP methodology was reengineered to overcomeprevious problems. The Technical Advisory Group(TAG) led by Alan Heston made significant contributions.The other TAG members were Angus Deaton, ErwinDiewert, Paul Konijn, Paul McCarthy, Prasada Rao, DavidRoberts, Sergey Sergeev, Silke Stapel, and Kim Zieschang.The global office of the ICP was located in the WorldBank’s Development Data Group (DECDG), led byShaida Badiee, Director, and Misha Belkindas, Manager.The ICP team responsible for the overall global coordinationand technical support comprised Olga Akcadag, YonasBiru,Yuri Dikhanov, Nada Hamadeh, and Virginia Romand.Recognition for their efforts is also given to former ICPteam members Giuliana Cane, Farah Hussain, Jinsook Lee,and Siew Hua Lee. Other members of DECDG providingvaluable support to the ICP included Azita Amjadi, LisaBurke, Sebastian Dessus, Olivier Dupriez, Ramgopal Erabelly,Richard Fix, Omar Hadi, Barbro Hexeberg, HuldaHunter, Soong Sup Lee, Vilas Mandlekar, Changqing Sun,and Eric Swanson.The complexity of the program required input fromthis large group of technical experts who served as consultantsto the program: Sultan Ahmed, Derek Blades, StevenBurdette, Peter Hill, Anil Sawhney, and Kenneth Walsh.The overall leadership and policy making came fromthe ICP Executive Board, which included high-level leadershipfrom international, regional, and national statisticsxiii