Inter-Secretariat Working Group on Price Statistics
Technical Expert Group for Updating the Manual on Export and Import Price Indices (TEG-XMPI)

Terms of Reference

Role

1.  The Technical Expert Group is established to provide IWGPS with technical advice on revision of the Export and Import Price Index Manual issued by the United Nations in 1981 and now out of print.¹ The group exists solely for the production of this Manual, but, with the agreement of the membership, may also remain active after publication of the Manual to evaluate proposals for subsequent methodological updates.

2.  The Export and Import Price Index Manual will coordinate with structure and style of other IWGPS Manuals and, wherever appropriate, reflect consistent content, terminology, and methodology with those Manuals.

3.  TEG-XMPI will recommend experts for the drafting of the Manual and suggest a mechanism for the co-ordination of the work.

4.  It will technically supervise the writing of the Manual and submit the final text to IWGPS for approval.

5.  IWGPS will be responsible for overall management of the revision process and for the approval of the Manual.

6.  The chairperson of TEG-XMPI will participate in relevant meetings of IWGPS to ensure cross-reporting of activities.

Method of Work

It is envisaged that chapters of the draft Manual will be prepared--drafted, reviewed, and/or edited-principally by staff of the International Monetary Fund. However, contributions are invited within the chapter outline from authors in other international organizations, national statistical offices, and the academic and professional economics and statistics communities, from any part of the world.

The IMF as coordinating agency will appoint the editor of the TEG-XMPI for integrating the work done by the experts as well as coordinating and supervising their work and observance of deadlines.

IMF Statistics Department will act as the secretariat for the TEG-XMPI.

Scheduling

The draft Manual should be submitted not later than December, 2004 for approval by the IWGPS.

Comments on and suggestions for improvements of the draft will be submitted to TEG before the end of June, 2004.

Finances

Members of the TEG-XMPI are expected to meet their own direct expenses. At their election and as resources permit, the IWGPS member organizations may arrange for the services of one or more consultants to assist the TEG-XMPI in its work.

Members of the Technical Expert Group on
Export and Import Price Indices

Kim Zieschang, International Monetary Fund, Editor
Thomas Alexander, International Monetary Fund
William Alterman, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Paul Armknecht, International Monetary Fund
Pam Davies, Office for National Statistics, United Kingdom
Erwin Diewert, University of British Columbia
Jemma Dridi, International Monetary Fund
Robert Feenstra, University of California Davis
Maria Mantcheva, International Monetary Fund
Keith Woolford, Australian Bureau of Statistics