This document outlines the methodology for conducting a 7-sheet survey questionnaire to collect price data on construction industry inputs in multiple countries. It includes sections that describe: 1) classifying the construction sector and identifying key input resources; 2) the data requirements and format for collecting price and expenditure data; and 3) the overall methodology for calculating purchasing power parities using the collected price data.

1. By
SATHISHKUMAR G
(sathishsak111@gmail.com)

2. A 7-sheet Survey Questionnaire
Resource Inputs and Basic Headings
Outline
Overall Validation Process
Timetable
Overall Methodology
1
3
4
5
6
2 Data Requirements
2

3. Classification of the Construction
Sector
Construction
and Civil
Engineering
3
3 Basic
Headings
3 Categories
of Input
Resources
50 Input Resources
Residential
Building
Civil
Engineering
Non-
Residential
Building
Machinery
Equipment
Labor
38
5
7
Materials & Products
Equipment items
Labour services
Machinery
Equipment
Labor
38
5
7
Materials & Products
Equipment items
Labour services
Machinery
Equipment
Labor
38
5
7
Materials & Products
Equipment items
Labour services

4. Data Requirements
Materials
Equipment
Labour
Residential Non Residential Civil Engineer.
Expenditure Value Expenditure Value Expenditure Value
1
…
38
1
…
5
1
…
7
4
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Importanc
e Price
Hire Rate
Hire Rate
…
Hire Rate
Hire Rate
…
Hire Rate
Hire Rate
…
Labor Rate
Labor Rate
…
Labor Rate
Labor Rate
…
Labor Rate
Labor Rate
…
Contractor’s mark-ups
Professional Fees …
…
…
…
…
…
Resource Mix [%] Resource Mix [%] Resource Mix [%]
Resource Mix [%] Resource Mix [%] Resource Mix [%]
Resource Mix [%] Resource Mix [%] Resource Mix [%]

5. Calculate unweighted PPPs for the 3 sub-headings by group of
countries
Basic Heading (BH) breakdown into 3 sub-headings: Materials, Labor,
Equipment
Aggregate the PPPs for the 3 subheadings using the Resource Mixes
to obtain weighted PPPs for the 3 BHs
Combine the adjusted BH PPPs using expenditures on the BHs as
weights to obtain overall PPPs for construction
Adjust the 3 BH PPPs for mark ups, professional fees and end-user
taxes
1
3
4
5
2
Overall Methodology
5

6. Material
Introduction
A 7-Sheet Survey Questionnaire
Equipment
Labour
Project Prices (Optional – used as checks on
input based PPPs)
Explanatory Notes
1
2
3
4
5
6
Supporting Information
5 Technical
Survey Forms
Identification Form
7 6

7. Country
collect mid year national average prices
1
Currency2
Survey respondent
Name3
Employer4
Type of Employer5 Consultant academic research Govern.t Other
Contact details6
Telephone7 Email8
Purpose of the survey
Base date for prices
Please tick box9 Prices averaged over the year Mid year prices
National average price level
Geographical base10 National average factor11
1. Introduction
7

8. General
notes
Identify
Locally
available
Commonly
used
Identical or
equivalent to
prescribed
items
Materials
and
services
and collect
their
prices
Item
descriptions
and units
Not identical but equivalent
Proprietary products
Not metric dimensions
For materials & equipment
For labour
Other notes (materials,
equipment, labour)
If products
specs.
Columns
10
If
alternative
units of
measure.
Column 5
Column 4
Columns
10, 8 or 7
Report in
Report in
Report in
Report in
For equipment hire, if per day
or weekIf unit not
per hour
Report
For labor, if different unit
Situation
Number of
hours
In Column 5 In Column 8
In Column 4 Column 5
2. Notes – Item Descriptions
8

9. Types of prices
Geographical location
Local resource and distribution costs,
geographic, seismic or climatic conditions,
local market conditions, etc.
2. Notes - Prices
Labour
Actual employment
cost
Equipment hire
Rental charges
Materials
Actual purchasers’
prices
Site context Respondents should assume reasonable site
contexts with good access.
Size of projects The larger the projects, the larger the
quantities, and hence lower unit costs.
Prices can be
influenced
9

10. 3. Material – Layout of the questionnaire
Ref Item
Specifications
Notes
Pref.
Unit
Alternati
ve. Unit
Unit
Price
Residential
Non
Residential
Civil
Engineering
Notes and Comments
01
Aggregat
e for
concrete
Clean, hard,
strong
m3 1 1 1
02 1 1
03 1
1 1
36 1
37 1
38
Electriv
ity
Typical
average
commercial..
KWhr 1 1
1 4 52 3 6 7 8 9 10
Comments
Enter “1” or “*” if important
10

11. 4. Equipment – Layout of the questionnaire
Ref Item
Specifications
Notes
Pref.
Unit
Alternative.
Unit
Unit Price with
operator
Unit Price without
operator
Notes and comments
01
Wheeled loader and
excavator
1.0m3 loader
capacity
hour
02
03
04
05
Compact track
loader
Rated
capacity: 864
kg
hour
1 4 52 3 6 7 8
Comments
11

12. 5. Labour – Layout of the questionnaire
Ref Item
Pref.
Unit
Alternative.
Unit
Number of
hours
Unit Price Notes and comments
01 General (unskilled) labourers hour
02
03
04
05 Structural steel worker hour
1 4 52 3 6 7
Comments
06 Electrician hour
07 Machine (equipment) operator hour
12

13. 6. Project Prices – Layout of the questionnaire
The collection of project prices is optional as those prices are not essential for the calculation of PPPs. They
can however be used as an additional resource in the validation process.
Ref Project Type
Pref.
Unit
Alternative.
Unit
Notes and comments
01
Single storey average quality detached house masonry
(brick or block) or timber frame
m 2 floor
area
02
Two storey attached house, mass market, centre unit in terrace/
row of four units, otherwise as above
m 2 floor
area
03
04
1 4 62 3
10
Length of concrete sewer pipes, 0.5m diameter, average 2
m depth
m length
11
Length of concrete sewer pipes, 1m diameter, average 3 m
depth
m length
Unit rate
m 2 floor
area
m 2 floor
area
5
m length
m length
13

14. 7. Supporting Information – Layout of the
questionnaire
The mix of construction resources Residential
Non
Residential
Civil
Engineering
01 Construction materials and products
02 Construction equipment
03 Construction site labour
Total project value 100% 100% 100%
Contractors’ mark-ups Residential
Non
Residential
Civil E.
01
Total mark-up of which, general site costs and
temporary works
02 Head office overheads
03 Profit
Other contractors costs04
Professional Fees
01
Overall percentage addition for professional
services
Residential
Non
Residential
Civil E.
14

15. E
27%
L
10%
M
63%
Residential
E
25%
L
12%
M
63%
Non-residential
E
23%
L
30%
M
47%
Civil Engineering
Example of Resource Mixes
15

16. Data Compilation
National Level (Intra-country Validation)
Regional Level (Inter-country Validation)
Global Level (Inter-country Validation Across Regions)
Initial data validation Finalization of data
Initial data
validation
Finalization of
Data
Analytical Tables
(QT/DT)
Temporal
Analysis
Overall Validation Process
16

17. 2011
Timetable
Price collection will be
conducted between
July and October 2011
Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Mid year prices to be
reported
17

18. THANK YOU
18