World Bank/South America

The Assignment

You are working as a project manager for World Bank. You are responsible for the administration of donor programs for underdeveloped countries in South America. You are regularly tasked with conducting statistical analysis and gathering data to be used in creating industry reports.

You have been assigned to conduct market research in order to select the three most appropriate countries (most underdeveloped) within South America for the distribution of significant funds. The aim is to support the development of the agricultural sector in the selected countries.

Using a sample data set from the three different countries, collect data to support the decision as to where to best distribute the funds.

The senior project manager has asked you to carry out all necessary computations and to summarise your findings in a report that will outline, in a structured manner, the analysis you have undertaken and computations you have made. Additionally, you should summarise the findings in a statistically relevant manner.

The first step in the evaluation process is to prepare and implement a plan for the collection of primary and secondary data. Determine what secondary data you require, the different sources you will use, the quality of the data and the structure you are going to use to turn the data into information for the decision-making process.

Firstly, you will select the three countries with the lowest GDP/capita.

For the selected countries, you will then need to analyse the following data:

1. Share of Agriculture in GDP
2. Purchasing Power Parity
3. Population data

Tasks:

For the project, you have been given a suitable checklist to organise your tasks and learn the importance of working with data, which is structured into four main areas of data analysis.

Data Collection:
Each consulting scenario involves analysing data, however, obtaining this data can sometimes be difficult. Discuss and compare common data collection methodologies, taking into account the importance of achieving a representative and unbiased sample of the population.
In your answer, please include:

a). How data can be collected

b). How sample data should be collected to avoid sampling bias

c). Examples and discussion of your collection strategies

Exploratory Data Analysis:
Using the sample data collected in an Excel file, calculate the following measures of location and dispersion of the sample using Excel and indicate the meaning of each calculated measure for your variable:
Measures of Location: Mean, Median, and Mode
Measures of Dispersion: Percentiles, Variance, Min-Max, and Standard Deviation

Preparation of Report:

Summarise all of the above in an appropriate report, including the data evaluation in graphical and tabular form.

The final part of the report should address the following:

a) What other selection criteria may be applicable when deciding where to invest (apart from GDP/capita)?

b) What will be different in measures of location and dispersion if the countries were randomly selected, for example, larger or smaller range, Min-Max, etc.?

Learning outcomes addressed and assessed in this assignment:

- Discuss alternative strategies used to gather sample data.
- Analyse data using measures of location and dispersion.
- Draw inferences from sample data regarding the relevant population.