Kuku Rpt Final

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ACBF African Capacity Building Fund

CCZ Consumer Council of Zimbabwe

CPI Consumer Price Index

Director of census &

statistics

Deputy DirectorSocial and Population MUNGATEMUNGATEdivision T

Assistant Director

Census and Surveys Branch

Deputy DirectorEconomic Statistics Division

Assistant Director

Social Statistics

Household Surveys

Population Census

Computing

DTP and Printing

Health and Vital Statistics

Environmental Statistics

International Migration and

Tourism

Employment and Education

Judicial Social Welfare Statistics

Social indicators and Living Conditions

Gender Statistics

Assistant Director

Production Statistics

Assistant Director

Income Analysis

Agriculture Statistics

Foreign Trade Statistics


National Accounts Statistics

Financial Statistics

Prices Statistics

Informal Statistics

Training

ZIMSTAT MINISTRY OF FINANCE ZIMBABWE

ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY CSO Central Statistical Office

CSPro Census and Survey Processing System

GDP Gross Domestic Product

ICP International Comparison Programme

NGO Non Governmental Organisation

RBZ Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

SDF Statistical Development Fund

UN United Nations

WB World Bank

IMPS Intergrated Micro Computer Processing

ISSA Intergrated System for Survey Analysis

KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 2


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract i

Executive Summary ii

Acknowledgements iii

CHAPTER ONE

1. Historical Development (ZIMSTAT) .1

1.2 Organisational Culture 2

1.3 Vision 2

1.4 Mission Statement 3

1.5 Core Values 3

CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Principal Services and Characteristics 3

2.2 The main markets/clients served by ZIMSTAT 4

2.3 The industry in which ZIMSTAT operates 6

2.4 The principal products or services 7

2.4.1 The principal products from the Prices Statistics Section 7

2.4.2 Products from the Finance Section 12 KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 3


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY 2.4.3 Products from the National Accounts Section 14

2. 5 The suppliers of the main inputs 15

2.6 Main sources of competition and the company’s position in rivalry 17

2.7 Impact of the changing environment, social attitudes, and the economy and

government policies upon 18

2. 8 The types of technology used at ZIMSTAT 23

CHAPTER 3

3.1 Organizational Structure 26

3.2 Organisational Chart 27

3.2.1 Finance (Accounts) Section 28

3.2.2 Human Resources 30

3.2.3 Administration 31

CHAPTER 4

4.1 The Work roles, tasks and responsibilities 32

CHAPTER 5

5.1 The organisation’s strengths 36

5.2 The organisation’s weaknesses 38

CHAPTER 6

6.1 The organization’s opportunities 41

6.2 The organisation’s threats 43

CHAPTER 7

7.1 ZIMSTAT’s successes as measured by its mission and declared objectives 45

CHAPTER 8

8.1 The Market/Clients’ perceptions of ZIMSTAT and its operations 48

CHAPTER 9

9.1 Differences/discrepancies between the degree programme and the work practices

carried out at ZIMSTAT 50

9.2 Personal Developments 52

9.3 Recommendations 54

9.3.1 Recommendations to the organization 54

9.3.2 Recommendations to the Department of Accounts 55 KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 4


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY 9.3.3 Conclusion ..55

Abstract

This report is prepared in partial-fulfilment of the requirements of the Bachelor of

Accountancy Honours Work Related Learning experience that spans for the months

academic obtained at the Central Statistical Office (ZIMSTAT) - Harare. Information

contained in this report was acquired through “day to day activities” and CSO

publications. The report seeks to portray a conceptual framework of my experiences

during the era of my industrial attachment at ZIMSTAT. The report will highlight the

organizational background of CSO, its operations, the resulting products and services it

offers, giving an overview of how the theory I acquired at the university managed to

simplify the duties I performed during my period in the Administration and Finance

Section.




Executive Summary

The thrust of this report is to unveil in detail and precisely the work experience at

ZIMSTAT. The report outlines the responsibilities, processes of work and duties

undergone in each respective department. The writer introduces the brief history of

ZIMSTAT, its vision, the mission statement and the organizational structure. The second

section concentrates on the nature of ZIMSTAT, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and

threats. The other chapters outline the personal and professional development gained by

the student during the attachment. The student ends up by concluding the report and

making some recommendations to both the organization of attachment and Bindura

University.




Acknowledgements

I would like to extend special regards to my family especially my mom and above all, the

Almighty God for giving me the grace and the strength that has brought me this far,

prospering during my months of my work-related learning. I also wish to express utmost

gratitude to Mr S Divirimwe for the financial and spiritual support they gave. May the

Lord continue to bless them abundantly.

Special mention goes to all Central Statistical Office staff and management for creating

an environment suitable for work and training of students. My earnest gratitude goes to

my supervisor Mr Chijokwe, my work mates, Mr Mutodzaniswa, Miss Mucharonza, Mr

Ngwenya, Mr Washaya and all my fellow students also on attachment for the knowledge,

support and motivation given during the period of attachment.

I’m extremely grateful to lovely friend J Mutanha for reading the first draft of the

manuscript, making helpful suggestions and making me more firm to the challenges of

life




Chapter 1

1.1 Historical Development

The British South African Company (BSAC) established a Record and Statistical

Department in 1884 and the following year the first census was carried out in Bulawayo

in which the Mining Commissioners supplied estimates of the mining population and the

Civil Commissioner provided the urban figures. An Inter-Censal Demographic Survey

was then carried out in Salisbury (now Harare) in 1897 and information was collected

through the Acting Magistrate. By 1924 a number of offices operated independently in

the collection of statistics;

vital statistics were collected by the Public Health Department

criminal statistics by the Law Department

cattle statistics by the Veterinary Department

Postal statistics by the Post-master General, and so on.

In 1928 all the different statistical offices were harmonized together to form a Statistical

Bureau. The Statistical Bureau started operating in 1929 under the Ministry of Home

Affairs, it consisted of a trained Government Statisticians, Investigators, and Statistical



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY Clerks. In 1955, a Census and Statistics Act was passed and this saw the Statistical

Bureau joining the Ministry of Finance and Commerce before it then moved to the

Ministry of Economic Affairs in 1960. The following year the Department then changed

its name to Central Statistical Office and was transferred to the Ministry of Finance and

Economic Development in 1981.Following the split of the Ministry of Finance and

Economic Development into two separate ministries in April 2005 it then operated under

the Ministry of Finance. The CSO presently holds a semi-autonomous status. It was

renamed Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT). It is now expected to ensure

efficiency and accountability.

1.2 Organizational Culture

The culture of an organization is an amalgamation of the values and beliefs of the people

in an organization. It can be felt in the implicit rules and expectations of behaviour in an

organization where, even though the rules are not formally written down employees

know what is expected of them. It is usually set by management whose decisions on

policy usually set up the culture of the organization. The organization culture has values

and beliefs that support the organizational goals. The culture of the organization if it is

positive and helpful can help to motivate the staff. An organization culture needs to be

managed in order to maintain a positive culture and hence the need to have a clearly

defined vision and mission statement, and the core values.

1.3 Vision

To be the leading world class producer of national statistics

1.4 Mission Statement

To contribute to national development through the production and dissemination of

timely and accurate national statistics that facilitate:

Policy formulation

Planning and decision making KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 9



Evaluation and research

Transparency and good governance

-This will be achieved using automated technology with highly skilled and motivated

staff.

1.5 Core values

In pursuit of the mission, the office holders shall be respectful, courteous, open,

transparent and responsive to both users and suppliers of data. This will ensure high level

of confidentiality of information in producing a high quality statistical service with

professionalism and integrity

CHAPTER 2

ZIMSTAT OPERATIONS

2.1 The principal services and characteristics

ZIMSTAT has a wide range of services to boast of. This is because of having a pool of

highly educated task force, coupled with a comprehensive data base and a wide range of

advanced technology. Some of the services offered by ZIMSTAT and their characteristics

are:-

Disseminating official statistics

ZIMSTAT is responsible for the production and dissemination of timely and accurate

national statistics such as inflation figures and poverty datum lines. Stakeholders also

obtain statistics such as GDP statistics, Health statistics, Labour statistics, Agriculture

statistics and Crime statistics among other services.

Carrying out surveys

ZIMSTAT also carry out surveys for other organisations. Taking for example Non

Governmental organizations such as the International Monetary Fund, United Nations,

POTRAZ and UNICEF often assigns ZIMSTAT to carry out surveys for them. KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 10



Data capturing services

ZIMSTAT also offers the services of data entry to other Government departments, Non

Governmental organisations and other institutions, with its pool of technology and its

well experienced and highly educated staff.

Training services

The organization also offers training services to its members of staff, parastatals such as

Tobacco Research organizations and the Central government. ZIMSTAT offers training

in areas such as mathematics, statistics, computing science and economics up to diploma

levels.

Data processing services

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency has data processing services on offer. The

organization processes data for other institutions since it has a wide range of efficient

technology, a highly experienced and competent staff. ZIMSTAT can carry out a survey

for an organization, enter the resulting information from the survey into a computer using

a relevant software package and proceed to process the data.

Advisory services

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency also has advisory services in place using its

comprehensive data base, highly educated and experienced staff. Taking for example the

Prices Statistics Section offer advisory services such as the revaluing of money balances,

prices, salaries and assets using the Consumer Price Index.

Sample design services

The organization also offers sample design services. In this case, the organization helps

other institutions in determining the sample size and the sample frame for the surveys that

they would want to execute.

2.2 The main markets/clients served by ZIMSTAT KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 11



ZIMSTAT served a number of stakeholders and has a wide market for its products

and services. Some of the stakeholders include:-

The Government

Financial Institutions

Business fraternity

Non Governmental Organizations

Individuals

The Government

The government is the major user of official statistics and therefore the main market

served by ZIMSTAT. The government obtains statistical information from ZIMSTAT

which it then uses in planning and policy formulation, through its departments and

ministries. Taking for instance, the government through the ministry of finance uses the

CPI which is a product of ZIMSTAT, in determining the tax bracket .The ministry also

makes the national budget using the CPI (inflation figures).

The government, through the Reserve bank, also makes and announces the monetary

policy and the fiscal policy with the aid of the CPI. The monetary authorities set the

interest rates and the exchange rates by use of CPI. Government also gets health statistics,

employment statistics, GDP statistics, criminal statistics etc from ZIMSTAT to use in

macro economic policy formulation.

The Financial institutions

Financial institutions like commercial banks, merchant banks, building societies, and

discount houses obtain statistical information of vital use from ZIMSTAT. In particular,

the CPI to determine the interest rates and the exchange rates and in principle the

exchange rate between two currencies should equal the inflation rate. Investors use the

CPI as a benchmark on what they should expect on their portfolios. They also use the CPI

to allocate funds to those assets that beat inflation so as to preserve their wealth.

-The business fraternity



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY The business organizations in form of private and public companies all use statistical

information provided by the ZIMSTAT to adjust prices for their products and also to

adjust wages and salaries for their employees. Companies also value their assets using the

CPI. In most cases assets have to be adjusted in line with the inflation trends so as to at

least maintain the purchasing power.

The Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

The international organizations and the NGOs such as the International monetary fund

(IMF), UNICEF, United Nations (UN) and the World Bank (WB) etc, also serves as

markets for products from the ZIMSTAT. We find that these international boards obtain

vital statistical data from ZIMSTAT which they use in assessing things like standards of

living for countries and also comparisons between countries. They get GDP statistics

from ZIMSTAT which determines if the economy is growing or not and also gives

income per capita. Statistics would then help these boards to the areas which need

attention.

The Individuals

The people also need products provided by ZIMSTAT, meaning that they are one of the

main stakeholders of ZIMSTAT. We find that people are keen to know the inflation rate

and the Poverty lines for various reasons. People would want to know health statistics, for

example the number of people dying of HIV/AIDS on a weekly or monthly basis, etc.

People would also want to know the crime rate, the rate of unemployment, GDP statistics

and many other statistics.

2.3. The industry in which ZIMSTAT operates.

The ZIMSTAT operates in the service industry and has the responsibility of carrying out

surveys, measuring, communicating and timeously disseminating information

nationwide. This is a very expensive business for individuals and small companies to

venture. Therefore, the Zimbabwean Government finances activities within the

ZIMSTAT. ZIMSTAT has been transformed into a semi-autonomous organization, that

is, half owned by the Government and half by the public. KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 13



Despite huge cash outflows encountered in producing all sorts of statistics, the ZIMSTAT

is non profit making but is there to provide information to the public and businesses so as

to ensure consistence in policy formulation, planning, budgeting, pricing and valuing

assets.

Operations at ZIMSTAT are based on the belief that one can only manage what he can

quantify. Thus, ZIMSTAT is there to ensure that public and private businesses are

managed properly so as to achieve high standard of living and economic growth.

Data is obtained through surveys carried out from the country’s ten provinces. Surveying

is the process of collecting data, which requires good public relations and ideal

questionnaires. Since surveying is very expensive, not every outlet is surveyed but a

sample (part of the population) of which must represent the total population. Therefore,

the industry requires skilled personal to determine a sample that represents the total

population.

2.4 The principal products or services.

The outputs of ZIMSTAT come mainly in the form of official statistics, skilled

manpower, digitalized maps, consultancy services and the sample frames or business

registers. However official statistics vary with each and every department and section.

I’m going to explain official statistics in accordance with departments.

.

2.4.1 The principal products from the Prices Statistics Section

This section is responsible for the calculation of indices that measure changes in cost for

consumers, producers, contractors and others. The major publications from this section

are the consumer price index, producer price index and poverty datum lines. The section

also conducts the International Comparison Programme on behalf of the Zimbabwean

Government.

The section has the responsibility of collecting data, editing, analysis and computing the

indices accordingly. The section has the responsibility of giving explanations about the KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 14


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY computation and the use of any of the above-mentioned indices to any interested party. In

general, the indices are positively correlated since they all measure changes in cost of

goods and services.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI)

The Consumer Price Index is considered the most widely measure of inflation which is

the rate at which the purchasing power of consumers is falling i.e. increase in prices. It is

thus regarded as an effective indicator of fiscal and monetary policies pursued. The CPI

consists of a basket of goods tracked from month to month and services which are mainly

bought by consumers for final consumption. The result of

the calculations is an average at which the rate of prices of goods and services will be

changing. The collection points are widely distributed (in both the rural and urban areas)

over the country to even out price fluctuations in provinces.

Uses of the CPI and inflation rates

The Consumer Price Index is considered the most widely measure of inflation which is

the rate at which the purchasing power of consumers is changing; inflation is derived

from the Consumer Price Index figure.

a. Is used to measure of inflation as it affects households and thus provides a benchmark

on what investors should expect on their portfolios. The aim is to allocate funds to

those assets that beat inflation so as preserve one’s wealth.

b. The CPI is used as an adjustment factor or coefficient for indexation of prices, wages

and salaries and valuation of assets. It is used mainly used for deflating GDP figures

so as to come with constant prices compared to one base year. In most cases assets

have to be adjusted in line with the inflation trends so as to at least maintain the

purchasing power. In accounting, financial statements have to be adjusted in

accordance with inflation which prevailed in the period under review in

hyperinflationary environments as the one currently obtaining in Zimbabwe. In KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 15



accordance with the provisions of the IAS 29, accounts in hyperinflationary

environments have to be adjusted for inflation. It is therefore important that the

ZIMSTAT publishes reliable figures which would allow for accounting statements to

show true and fair view.

c. CPI is an important instrument for formulation of monetary and fiscal policies.

Monetary authorities set interest rates and exchange rates by use of inflation figures

derived from the CPI. In principle, the exchange rate between two currencies should

be equal to the inflation differential over the period. Fiscal authorities use it to

determine tax brackets. The purpose of any policy is to create a stable macro

environment so that inflation remains low. In a world of little or no Government

interference, the inflation rates should save as a barometer as to what the exchange

rate should be. This is in line with the theory of Relative Purchasing Power Parity

which states that expected inflation differentials between two countries should be

equal to the future exchange rate. This means that the currency with the higher

inflation should depreciate against the low inflation rate currency. Exchange rates

should adjust according to trends in inflation. Due to Government interference

through the RBZ, the exchange rate is being held constant defying the basic economic

fundamentals. This is another factor which has driven inflation due to speculation

through the black market where the exchange rate is allowed to depreciate in

accordance with the obtaining inflation rates. Most developing countries use a

crawling peg in exchange rate management and these are arrived after factoring in

inflation movements.

The Producer Price Index (PPI)

The PPI is a quarterly index that measures changes in the cost of production. It is the

inflation experienced by producers. It measures changes in the cost of inputs or raw

materials used in the production process and sometimes have corollary effects to the

Consumer price index. This is because producers have the tendency to pass over the

burden to the final consumer.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY To calculate the PPI, we find the price relative and multiply it by the previous index

which is used as the weight. The PPI is most widely used by producers in adjusting their

prices and in budgeting so as to ensure sustainability and consistence in supply and thus

protecting their reputation.

Poverty Datum Lines (PDL)

The Poverty Datum Line (PDL) is defined as the cost of a given standard of living that

must be attained if a person is deemed not to be poor. The PDL can be broken into two

parts namely

(a) The Food Poverty Datum Line (FPDL)

(b) The Total consumption Poverty Line (TCPL)

The FPDL represents the minimum consumption expenditure necessary to ensure that

each household member can consume a minimum food basket representing 2100 kilo

calories (assuming all expenditures were devoted to food). This implies that an individual

whose total expenditure does not exceed the food poverty line is deemed to be poor. The

total consumption poverty line represents the minimum consumption expenditure for all

the expenditures (food and non food items) necessary for a family of five to be deemed

not poor. The TCPL is always a figure above the FPDL since the food poverty line

constitutes part of the total consumption poverty line. Therefore the two are positively

correlated.

International Comparison Programme( ICP)

The ICP is an international program being carried out in many countries and continents.

However, not all countries are participating in the exercise. It is being administered by

the United Nations and World Bank through various continental bodies for easy

coordination. The two bodies are also responsible for funding the project, as some of the

countries do not have the capacity to bankroll it on their own. In Africa, the African

Development Bank (ADB) is coordinating it and countries have been grouped according

to the official languages used to allow easy exchange of notes. KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 17



This program resulted from the difficulties inherent in inter-country

Comparisons using the traditional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Approach. Therefore,

the programme seeks to enable the calculation of a special type of exchange rate known

as the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) which is based on the comparison of prices and

thus reflecting the market reality. This would also allow economists to compare wealth in

participating countries to determine countries where donor funds can be allocated.

The main aim is to come up with an average price from the basket of the goods andservices that was constructed after wider consultations with country representatives.

Objectives of ICP

To calculate the Purchasing Power Parity of the currency combinations in the

basket and this shall be used for conversion of GDP figures to one currency for

comparison sake which is normally the US Dollar(US $). However, difficulties

arise in determining the exchange rate for two currencies that not are heavily

traded. There are some deliberate policies in some countries to ignore the Relative

Purchasing Power Parity which states that exchange rates have to adjust to

changes in consumer price indices between countries. The ICP takes into account

inflation movements as the same products in its basket are the ones used for

calculation of the CPI and inflation.

The information produced will be used to calculate and update poverty datum

lines in each region. The exercise is being used to identify needy areas where

donor funds should be apportioned. The Poverty Datum Lines for each country

will be converted into the US dollar using the purchasing power parity of the ICP

results.

To assist in decomposing the GDP and its sub-aggregates as use of multiple

currencies does not assist in making inter-country comparisons. In this regard the

GDP figures of the participating countries are converted to one currency using the




recalculated PPP’s. It becomes easier to directly compare the standards of living

across countries under the different sub-groups.

However its major weakness is that it does not include expenditure on education

and acquisition of assets by industries (Gross Capital Formation) which are vital

components in any country. It is then difficult to compare the results at national

level. It is only comparable at household level.

2.4.2The principal products from the finance section

Financial Statistics are aggregates that measure and quantify monetary flows (i.e. income

and expenditure) and stocks (such as assets and liabilities) existing in the economy of a

country (in this case Zimbabwe).The Finance Section is responsible for compiling all

finance statistics ranging from interest rates, exchange rates, Local and Central

government expenditures just to mention a few. Monetary flows are measured over a

period of one year while stocks are given at any point in time. The data refers to the

income and expenditure and source of origin. Financial statistics are essential for

planning, monitoring, evaluation and control. This section collects processes analyses and

disseminates data on financial statistics covering issues from various sectors of the

economy.

The Finance section is also responsible for managing the database or such data obtained

from the following institutions by way of secondary surveys. The data is mainly collected

from the following institutions;

Local Government

Non-Profit making organizations

Financial institutions (Commercial and merchant banks, discount houses, building

societies and the RBZ)

Central Government for Parastatals

Quoted companies



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY Uses of financial Statistics

Financial aggregates provided are an important part in national accounts compilation.

They are used for;

Making comparative studies by researchers, economists.

Economic analysis by international bodies such as the IMF and World Bank.

Formulation of monetary and fiscal policies

Making investment decisions

The main task of the section is to just capture historical data and creating the database. It

plays a complementary role to the RBZ.

Banking Statistics

These statistics refer to the gathering and analysis of information from the financial

services sector. The ultimate aim of gathering the financial statistics data is to come with

a Capital Accumulation Account. National Income Questionnaires are sent to all financial

institutions concerned. The information required would be on Income and Expenditure

(Profit and Loss Account) and Capital Account (Balance sheet). This information is also

vital in the production of the Gross Fixed Capital Formation which is a main element in

production of GDP figures.

Questionnaires are returned to the section together with each bank’s documents, the data

is then aggregated into its respective sectors namely merchant banks, commercial banks,

discount houses and building societies. After aggregating the information according to

the specific line of business, they are aggregated for the whole industry.

Information is obtained mostly from the published year-end accounts and the RBZ’s

monthly reviews which show;

Money supply growth

Demand deposits of commercial banks

Assets and liabilities of Commercial banks KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 20



Interest rates for different banking products and banks.

Advances made

The aggregates are then used to compile the Quarterly Digest of Statistics. The

Department is there to complement the efforts of the RBZ in compilation of financial

statistics.

2.4.3 Products from the National Accounts Section

This National Accounts section is responsible for undertaking surveys and calculating

indices such as

Calculating Gross Domestic Product by industry of origin namely agriculture,

Finance and Insurance, Education, Mining and Quarrying, Health and others.

Calculating Gross Fixed Capital Formation – this seeks to assess the change in the

fixed assets in the economy from the previous period. Revaluations are also

included in the calculations.

Conducting Income, Consumption and expenditure Surveys

Compilation of the Central Government’s transactions

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

The GDP is a measure of the total domestic economic activity (production of goods and

services) in a period, which is normally one year to allow for comparisons. It is the sum

of all income earned by the production of goods and services on the Zimbabwe economic

territory, wherever the earner of income may reside and is a valuable economic

barometer. GDP is equivalent to the value added to the economy by this activity. Value

added can be defined as income less intermediate costs. Nominal GDP growth reflects

both changes in the economy and price changes (inflation) over the accounting period.

The GDP is calculated at both the market and constant prices in order to eliminate the

impact of inflation.

Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 21



It is the total value of a producer’s acquisitions less depreciation and disposals of

fixed assets within an accounting period plus certain additions to the value of non-

produced assets realized by the productive activity of institutional units. It simply

measures the changes in value of fixed assets inclusive of revaluations.

Change in Stocks

It is equal to the value of stocks acquired less the value of inventories disposed of

during the year. Changes in inventory relate to finished goods, work in progress

as well as materials acquired for production of goods and services.

The Gross Capital Formation gives an indicator as to which direction the economy is

headed, as its components are the mainstay of the economic activities. In a growing

economy, it has to show an upward trend and in times of recession it usually goes down

or the rate of growth is stifled.

2.5 The suppliers of the main inputs

The main inputs for the production of products or services at ZIMSTAT are primary and

secondary data, financial resources, material resources, human resources and legislation.

The suppliers of primary data and secondary data depend on the survey being carried out

and the indices aimed to be produced. Below is a list of the main suppliers of the main

inputs:

The suppliers of main inputs are :-

The Government

Non Governmental Organisations

Households

Retail outlets and Wholesalers

Prisons and police offices

Hospitals and clinics

Education institutes

Banks and other financial institutions KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 22



The Government

The Government is the major supplier of the financial resources to the Zimbabwe

National Statistics Agency. Funds required by ZIMSTAT for data collection, data

processing, and dissemination of Official statistics are provided for by the Government in

the National Budget. Financial resources would then be accessed by the organization

through the Ministry of Finance which ZIMSTAT operates in. The Government also

provides material resources needed by ZIMSTAT. We find that the Government also

supplies material resources such as vehicles, computers, printers, furniture among others.

Non Governmental Organisation

The NGOs provide donor funds and material resources to finance the operations of

ZIMSTAT. The funds are deposited into the treasury so that ZIMSTAT will access them

through the ministry in which it would be housed at that time.

Households

Households are one of the major suppliers of inputs in the form of information to

ZIMSTAT. They supply information depending on the survey at hand and the

questionnaire being administered. Taking for instance when ZIMSTAT is carrying out a

Census survey, households supply information on the number of people dwelling in a

housing unit. When ZIMSTAT conducts an Agriculture and Livestock survey,

households give information on the number of livestock they have, the inputs they put on

their land and the output they yield per hectare of land.

Retail outlet and Wholesales

Selected retail outlets supply information on prices of goods and services in the consumer

basket. Some of the supermarkets selected in Harare are TM, OK, etc. The other outlets

include newspaper companies, insurance companies, e.t.c. The prices information enables

ZIMSTAT to compute the Consumer Price Index (Inflation rate) and the Poverty Datum

Lines.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY Wholesales also supply information to ZIMSTAT in the form of prices of commodities.

Outlets on the sample include Jaggers, Mohamed Mussa and Red Star wholesalers. The

prices given by wholesalers enable computation of CPI and PDL.

Prisons

The prisons supplies ZIMSTAT with figures on the number of prisoners in prisons, the

number of various crimes committed in different parts of the country each day, in a week

or in a month. These figures enables ZIMSTAT to calculate the number of cases

committed for example, how many people are committing suicide, so as to come up with

prison and crime statistics.

Hospitals and clinics

Hospitals and clinics supply ZIMSTAT with important information which when

compiled leads to health statistics which shows vital information like the rate at which

people are contracting HIV/AIDS every month, the number of people dying of

HIV/AIDS every month and the infant mortality rate.

Education institutes

Schools and colleges supply ZIMSTAT with information on the figures of school fees

they would be charging per pupil and these are used in the calculation of CPI and PDL.

Banks and other financial institutions

Merchant banks, Commercial banks, building societies and discount houses supply vital

primary and secondary data which is of great importance in the production of finance

statistics. Most of the information is obtained from the published year-end accounts and

the RBZ’ monthly reviews which shows Assets and Liabilities of commercial banks and

demand deposits of commercial banks etc. Information would be on Income and

Expenditure and the Capital Account (Statement of financial position).The information is

also vital in production of Gross Fixed Capital Formation which is a main element in the

production of GDP figures.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY 2.6 Main sources of competition and the company’s position in rivalry

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency as a non profit making organisation which

requires a vast capital outlay initially in its formation and in its day to day operations, it

faces little competition from other organisations. ZIMSTAT is second to non in the

provision of official statistics.

However there are some organizations which carry out surveys and produce products or

statistics similar to that of ZIMSTAT. Organizations such as The Consumer Council of

Zimbabwe (CCZ) conduct surveys to produce a measure similar to the Poverty Datum

Line produced by ZIMSTAT. The difference lies in the nature, items and content of the

consumer basket. The CCZ like ZIMSTAT produces its PDL on a monthly basis.

The other sources of competition stems from the other government ministries which

produces statistics of their activities. Taking for example, the Ministry of Health produces

some health statistics, while in another example the Ministry of Trade produces statistics

on trading activities of the country. We also have organizations like the Zimtrade which

is in the business of trade, producing statistics at the end of a certain period. ZIMSTAT

on the other hand would be producing such statistics.

The Central bank on the other hand produces banking and finance statistics just like

ZIMSTAT. So as a result we can see that the organization experiences some competition

though not very stiff, maintaining the first position in the rivalry.

2.7 Impact of the changing environment, social attitudes, the economy and

government policies upon:

a) the market served

There is a mutual relationship between ZIMSTAT and the market that it serves. The

society largely depends on ZIMSTAT for the satisfaction of its needs, such as products KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 25


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY and services; conversely, ZIMSTAT depends on its environment for such resources as

raw materials (in the form of data) and the market for its products in the form of

statistical information, and indices.

The market served by ZIMSTAT consists of institutions such as the Government and its

departments, the Reserve bank of Zimbabwe, the business fraternity, the NGOs, the

financial institutions and academic institutions.

Effects of the technological environment upon the market

Changes in the environment is generally a manifestation of technological innovation or

the process through which man’s capabilities are enlarged Technological innovation

originates in research and development by business and the government, and it results not

only in new machinery or products but also in new processes, methods and even

approaches to management that brings about change in the environment.

b) Effects of technological innovation upon ZIMSTAT

The most outstanding characteristic of technological innovation ZIMSTAT is that it

constantly accelerates the rate of change. Technological innovation at ZIMSTAT has led

to higher productivity of statistical series. During the past few years, ZIMSTAT used to

produce official statistics using manual methods using calculators and typewriters.

However this was not very efficient, but thanks to technological innovation, the

organization can now use efficient technology, in the form of computers, printer etc, in

the production and dissemination of national statistics.

Moreover, advancement in technology led to the creation of complexity that is complex

products can now be produced using complex production processes, which make new

demands on the management of ZIMSTAT. With better technology ZIMSTAT can now

present their products in a better way. With the aid of heavy duty printers, mass

production of leaflets for publication is now possible.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY The website of ZIMSTAT as part of technological innovation has many advantages. We

find that using the website, ZIMSTAT can easily obtain the views and comments from

the public and the other government departments from the emails send to the organisation

via the website. These commends helps the management to improve their products or

production processes.

In most cases technological innovation means more pressure upon the management and

the government to facilitate the adoption of the new technology, which might end up

straining the resources of the organization and the government. However in a country like

Zimbabwe with limited capital, management may have to give constant attention to the

use of labour intensive technology not only to easy the pressure on the demands for

capital but to provide more employment too.

Technological progress therefore affects the business as a whole, including its products,

its life cycle, its supply of materials, its production process and even its approaches to

management.

Effects of the economic environment upon ZIMSTAT.

The economy is influenced by technology, politics, social and the international

environment while itself asserting some influences on these variables. The most

important interfaces between the economic environment and the business concern the

economic growth rate, consumer incomes, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy, and the

fluctuations in these variables.

The operations of ZIMSTAT are to a lesser extent affected by changes in the economic

environment. Of the variables of the economic environment we find that it is inflation

which has a significant impact on the operations of ZIMSTAT.

Firstly we find that with a hyper-inflationary environment, budgeting for the organization

is difficult. Prices for different items are rising on daily basis. As matter of fact the

organization would have to constantly make supplementary budgets due to inflation. We KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 27


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY also find that due to inflation big surveys such as the Population Census and the Income,

Consumption and Expenditure Survey would be difficult to conduct. We find the money

which would have been allocated for the surveys to be conducted in a period of twelve

months end up being sufficient to cater for three months, meaning that the both

ZIMSTAT and the Ministry of Finance would constantly have to make supplementary

budgets .

Moreover, inflation causes a situation of apparent profit, while the organisation’s capital

is being eroded all the time. It makes cost accounting and the financing of credit difficult.

However, to a larger extent the operations of ZIMSTAT are not affected by most

variables of the economic environment since it is a non profit making organization

producing a public utility. Since the organization is non profit making, an upswing or

downswing of the economy of Zimbabwe will not have a significant impact on the

operations of ZIMSTAT.

The management of ZIMSTAT would not have any trouble trying to profit by reducing

its inventory in good time to keep the business in a state of liquidity, therefore avoiding

the high costs of interest, when expecting a recession.

Even if the economy of Zimbabwe were to experience an upswing, the management of

ZIMSTAT was not going to bother itself trying to find the right strategy that would profit

the business since due to the nature of the products.

Moreover, an increase or decrease in the incomes of the consumer would not lead to the

expansion or contraction in the demand of the organisation’s products, since it would be

senseless for one to increase the number of CPI copies that he/she would use because his/

her income has increased. This however is a different situation with other consumer

goods.

The effects of the economic environment on the market served by ZIMSTAT KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 28



The change in the economic variables does not have a significant impact upon the market

served by ZIMSTAT. The market does not shrink or expand following fluctuations in the

economic variables such as inflation, consumer incomes, and economic growth. The

market’s demand also does not rise or fall in response to the fluctuations in the major

economic variables

An upswing or downswing of the economy does not have a great impact on the

market/clients’ demand of statistics. In the case of other goods, taking for instance a

normal good, we expect people to increase demand or the quantity purchased of a good

during the time of an economic boom, and vise versa. However with statistics, it’s a

different case. One can not expect people to increase their purchase of statistics or other

products from ZIMSTAT during an upswing of the economy, and alternatively one can

not expect people to reduce their purchase of statistics during the time of an economic

recession.

Moreover, the fluctuation in the incomes of the consumers does not have a significant

effect upon the market served by ZIMSTAT and their demand of the statistical series.

Under normal circumstances we expect the demand and purchase of a product to increase

with the rise in incomes of the consumers since they would now be able to buy more. We

find that the market served by ZIMSTAT does not expand or shrink in response to the

rise or fall in the consumer incomes.

The rise in the rate of inflation also does not cause the market served by ZIMSTAT to

shrink although inflation reduces the purchasing power of the consumers. The market

served by ZIMSTAT remains relatively the same despite the high inflation rate in

Zimbabwe.

Effects of the social environment upon ZIMSTAT.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY The change in the social environment affects the management of ZIMSTAT indirectly

through man as a consumer and an employee that its ultimate effect on the business can

not be underestimated.

A social trend that would greatly affect management and the operations of ZIMSTAT is

the level of education of the population. On one hand it will influence the level of skills

in both managers and workers; while on the other hand, higher education will result in

new demands for quality statistical series and advisory services.

Better education and training will mean a more sophisticated consumer with definite

demands on management regarding the quality of goods, advertisements and working

conditions.

2.8 The types of technology used at ZIMSTAT.

Local Area Network

Website

Personal computers

Software packages

Scanner

Printers

Telephones

Punchers

Staplers

Firstly, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency has a Local Area Network (LAN)

which links Personal Computers within the organisation. The Local Area Network is

controlled with two servers running on windows server 2003 operating network system.

The Website server is where the ZIMSTAT website is sitting on and the server is running

in Linux. LAN enables easy communication across sections and departments.

Documents, articles and music can be easily sent using the LAN.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY Secondly ZIMSTAT has a website www.zimstat.ac.zw and an e-mail which facilitates

communication within the organisation and with people outside the organisation. The

clients are able to access some information about ZIMSTAT on the website, and view,

comments and queries can be forwarded to the director via the e- mail. The website and

email server is running on Linux red hat.

ZIMSTAT also has personal computers in all the sections. These computers are

connected to the Local Area Network and run on an operating system called Windows

XP Professional and Microsoft Office such as word, excel, power point and publisher.

ZIMSTAT also uses various software packages for data entry and data processing. The

package differs and varies across sections. Taking for example ZIMSTAT uses the

Census and Survey Processing system (CSPro) for data entry, editing, tabulation and

dissemination of data from census and surveys. CSPro combines features of integrated

micro computer processing system (IMPS) and the Integrated System for Survey

Analysis (ISSA).

There is also the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) which is used for the production of

tables and checking of errors, in which case the final tables are produced in excel format,

for report writing.

The organization also has printers in all the sections and departments, as part of the

technology used in its production process. Each section prints questionnaires for different

surveys, and also the leaflets, and books of indices for publication. Taking for example,

in the Prices Statistics Section, questionnaires for Consumer price survey (CPS), Civil

Engineering Price Index (CEPI), Building Materials Price Index (BMPI) and

International Comparison Programme (ICP), among others are printed. After data

processing, the section then prints the leaflets with indices such as the CPI and the PDL.

The organization also uses the fax machine, to send documents to other organizations and

also to receive documents from other organizations. It is also used to send documents to KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 31

http://www.zimstat.ac.zw/


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY ZIMSTAT’s provincial offices, and vice versa. The advantage is that it works fast in

sending documents to the desired destinations.

The organization also uses telephones in its operations. ZIMSTAT has telephones in

every office to facilitate easy and quick communication across sections and departments.

Instead of one going to the next office to inquire about something, one can save scarce

time by simply picking up the receiver, and dialing the relevant number. One can also

delegate work or give directions as to how a task can be executed using the telephone,

instead of him/her walking to that office. Since ZIMSTAT has provincial offices in the

ten provinces of Zimbabwe, telephones make communication with them easier.

Furthermore, ZIMSTAT uses staplers to join sheets of papers, such as CPI, and PDL

leaflets together. It also uses punchers in the production process, especially when one

wants to file questionnaires in a file.




CHAPTER 3

3.1 Organizational Structure

The general structure

One of the ways in which you can explain the structure of an organization is through an

organization chart. This chart usually shows the title of each manager’s position and

using connecting lines shows who is accountable to whom and who has responsibility for

which department: it helps one think of the organization as a whole and understands how

all its parts fits together.

ZIMSTAT is headed by the director and there are basically four levels in the operational

structure of the organization. The first level consists of the director, two deputy directors

, four assistant directors and the senior executive officer which is a supporting section,

the second level consists of the statisticians and the programmers, the third level consists

of the statistical officers and the last level consists of the statistical clerks. The overall

structure is illustrated on next page Appendix A.




Appendix A : OVERALL STRUCTURE




3.2 Administration and Finance and Human Resources


Economic Statistics

Mr. K.R.N. Shonhiwa

(Deputy Director)

Population and Social Statistics

Mr. C. Parirenyatwa

(Deputy Director)

Income Analysis

Mr. N. Taruvinga

(Assistant Director)


Mr. R. Mpofu(Assistant Director)

Industrial Statistics(Statisticians)

(Clerks)Finance

(Statisticians)

(Clerks)

National Accounts

(Statisticians)

Prices

(Statisticians)

(Clerks)

Household surveys

Vacant

(Assistant) )Directo

r)

Administration

Human Resources

Registry and Finance

Private Secretary

Demography and social

Statistics

Ms Mungate

Ms. Mungate

(Assistant Deputy

Director)Cartography(Statisticians)

(Clerks)

Environment Health(Statisticians)(Clerks)

Social stats

Census

(Statisticians)

(Clerks)

Agricultural Statistics(Statisticians)(Clerks)

Foreign Trade(Statisticians)(Clerks)

Mapping(Statisticians)(Clerks)

Gender(Statisticians)(Clerks)

Employment(Statisticians)(Clerks)

Judicial (Statisticians)(Clerks)

Social indicators(Statisticians)(Clerks)

IMT(Statisticians)(Clerks)

Census(Statisticians)(Clerks

DIRECTOR OF CENSUS AND STATICS

MR. M. NYONI (Acting Director)


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY The Administration and Finance section is a service section of the department. The

section consisted of two units, one dealing with Administration and the other with

Finance. The branch is responsible for financial management , human resource and

management of day to day running such as providing office orderlies for the whole

department , it is a supporting branch which make sure that all the resource are available

for efficient in the producing a high quality statistical service and all the divisions are

supported by centralized service of administration, finance, computing, desktop

publishing ,printing and training .The department is further split into accounts which is

the section where I was attached, human resources , administration , registry ,

library ,office orderlies , secretary and drivers .

3.2.1 Finance/Accounts Section

The unit provides financial management of the whole department through the

consolidation of other section budget into a department budget and consolidate its to meet

with the ministry of finance budget. The funds of ZIMSTAT come mostly from the

government though a little can be raised through selling of publications (published

statistics books). Other organisations such as UNICEF and The African Capacity

Building Foundation and many other organisation which may want to support during

running of other project may also donate. Computation of Budgets

The accounts unit ensures timeous payment of all vouchers, prepares estimates of

expenditure, prepares financial year-end returns and ensures that staff is trained.

Keeping and reconciling of the temporary deposit register , processing of travelling and

subsistence claim forms ,processing of advance request vouchers (local and

foreign) ,updating of travelling and subsistence ledger cards and the advances block grant

register ,checking and certifying all payment vouchers and maintenance of all

commitment register :committing of all expenditure vouchers and reconciling at the end

of each month are some of the day to day activities that are undertaken in the accounts

section. Most of the payments involve cash and bank transfers and each payment is KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 36


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY allocated to its cost/fund centre in an appropriate general ledger account and then

deducted from the budget which is the fund which is allocated to us by the ministry of

finance through the Treasury sometimes the subscription amount may broken down to

different general ledgers.

Functions

The main functions of this unit are:-

Processing of payment for goods and services received

The unit ensures that goods and services supplied to the department are paid for in time.

This involves checking that funds are available before goods and services are ordered.

When the goods and services are delivered the unit ensures that the correct prices are

invoiced.

Processing of advance request and claim forms for travelling and subsistence

allowances

The unit processes applications for advance payment of travelling and subsistence

allowances when duties require staff members to work away from the home station. A

minimum of three working days and a maximum of fourteen working days are required to

process an application for advance payment of travelling and subsistence allowances.

When the staff member is back from his duties, he completes a travelling and subsistence

claim form to account for the cash advanced. If the expenses incurred are not equal to the

amount advanced, then either the individual is reimbursed or asked to pay the difference.

Preparation of estimates of expenditure

The Finance unit requires sections to submit estimates of expenditure for the coming

fiscal year. Sections submit projects and programmes which fall under recurrent

expenditure and are likely to be implemented in the coming fiscal year. The recurrent

programmes also indicate the estimated cost. Some of the programmes are subsistence

and transport, incidental expenses and furniture and equipment. The purchase of

machinery is done under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP). After all



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY submissions have been received, the Finance unit consolidates the various estimates for

submission to Treasury.

Sale and Distribution of Publications

The Finance unit sells and distributes various statistical publications produced by the

Department. Some of them are Consumer Price Index, Labour and Employment

Statistics, Poverty Datum Lines and etc

Banking

Revenue realised from the sale of publications is banked with Central Bank of

Zimbabwe. Treasury instructions forbid the retaining of money in the office for more

than twenty-four hours. Money which cannot be disposed of within twenty-four hours is

deposited in the temporary deposit account. A payment voucher is prepared to draw

money from the temporary deposit account when required. Internal checks and controls

ensure that the officer who receipts is not the one who prepares banking and the one who

prepares banking is not the one who goes to the bank. A banking register is maintained to

ensure that funds are safeguarded.

3.2.2 Human Resources

The main duties of this section are recruitment, selection and promotion. The section is

also important as it also looks on the Public Service Commission regulations and conduct

performance appraisals for staff which is done after a long period of time. The human

resource section also carries review of staffing level for the second phase of the

rationalisation of civil service.

Staff turn-over has been relatively high over the years which in turn place some

constraints on:

- Human resources training and development

- Building and retaining the right skills




- Service delivery in respect of the number of personnel available at any

time to handle situations.

3.2.3 Administration Section

The section work in hand with most of the sections. Its main duties are purchasing of

stationery, groceries and other items which are needed by the department, stock levels,

distribution of material to the registry/switch board ,library , secretary/typists and office

orderlies .Asset management is also mandate of the administration section it keeps the

keys to the offices , including spares , computers and printers repairs, cabinet authorities,

tickets ,transport request and maintenance.




CHAPTER 4

4.0 The Work roles, tasks and responsibilities

When The writer joined ZIMSTAT, what she knew was that the organization conducts

censuses, and also that it is a state owned department that computes and releases the year

on year and monthly inflation rates. Here are some of the expectations and how they were

met during the months of her attachment.

Her prior expectations on starting her industrial attachment/work related learning were to

know her duties/responsibilities/tasks at the institution especially in the Accounts section

in which she was placed for her work related learning.

She expected also to familiarize herself with applications of accounting principles in the

organization/company hence being able to apply the theory learnt at college into practise

and acquiring basic practises in developing her work related learning studies. She was

also expecting to participate in some of the projects and to know how the Zimbabwe

National Statistics Agency conducts the censuses.

The other thing she expected was to attend work related learning workshops to boost her

work experience therefore desiring to know how to communicate within and outside the

organisation.

Duties/ Responsibilities/ Tasks

Receipting –sale of publications

The student receipted moneys from sale of publications and cash donations

received on official receipts purchased from the department of printing and

stationery. Receipts were made in triplicate, duly signed and date stamped. She

also maintained publications stock records

Vouching – payment of creditors KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 40


ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY -A payment voucher shows the payee, amount and details of payment. She compiled

payment vouchers and then pass them to the one who certifies them correct who in turn

pass it to the accountant who passes it for payment. Thus three authorised signatories are

required for a payment to be made. When payments have been made, she then filed the

payment vouchers and monthly reports. The vouchers are filed as per general ledger

account.

Liquidating Advances of staff on travel allowances both internal and

external trips.

-The student also processed applications for advance payment of travelling and

subsistence allowances when duties require staff members to work away from the home

station. When the staff member is back from his duties, he completes a travelling and

subsistence claim form to account for the cash advanced. If the expenses incurred are not

equal to the amount advanced, then either the individual is reimbursed or asked to pay the

difference.

Preparing of cashbooks, bank reconciliation

Cashbook-The student made entries in the cashbook on a daily basis by the clerk

and update at the end of each month and reconciled against the bank statement.

Bank reconciliations are done monthly. When reconciling, she ensured that all

receipts have been entered in the cashbook correctly. She ticked off all deposits

entered in the cashbook against deposits reflected on the bank statement. After that,

she took note of all direct deposits shown on the bank statement but not recorded in

the cashbook and issue separate receipts for each one of them. She then recorded all

direct payments or transfers shown on the bank statement but not recorded in the

cashbook including interest or bank charges made by the bank. She also recorded

deposits in the cashbook but reflected on the bank statement as a bank

reconciliation item under deposits in transit. She recorded cheques shown in the

cashbook but not shown on the bank statement as a bank reconciliation item under

unpresented cheques. With the above action having been completed, she then

prepared the bank reconciliation statement. KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 41



Data capturing

-The student compiled the daily expenditure report for various fund accounts that

are Statistical Development Fund, Census, ZIMSTAT, Central Statistical Capacity

Building Fund and captured data on programmes such as Census of Industrial

Production Survey (CIP)

Preparing annual returns

-Every year, ZIMSTAT receive a budgetary allocation from the Ministry of

Finance. At the end of each year, the income and expenditure report is prepared

showing amounts received and the expenditure incurred. The surplus is then

returned to the Ministry. The student also prepared annual returns in respect of the

year 2009 for the Statistical Development Fund Account funds.

Attending Departmental Meetings

-During my work related learning experience, she attended various departmental

meetings where she learnt a lot including the importance of participating.

Preparing final accounts

-She prepared some financial statements namely income and expenditure report,

statement of cashflows and statement of financial position.

Challenges

Fear that she would not deliver as expected on the first month of her attachment

Different formats of accounting

Regular clients were hesitating to be saved by a student.

Gaining the trust of her supervisor on receipting cash from publications

Recommendations




Time management is very vital in order to fit well in an organization. This

eliminated the fear of not being able to deliver as expected, because some work

was supposed to be done within time frame and she was able to deliver because of

time management.

Good communication skills. The student developed essential communication

skills through words, actions, body language and voice tone. This helped me to

gain the trust of my supervisor on handling cash receipted. She also managed to

respond well when attending to clients both face to face and over the phone. This

made regular client respond to my service very well.

On Accounting Formats. The formats were different but the principles were the

same. It is in government so there are government accounts and commercial

accounts but with the help of her supervisor shemanaged to understand the

formats quickly.




CHAPTER 5

5.1 The organisation’s strengths

Skilled/Committed staff

The mandate of ZIMSTAT is to produce official statistics and this requires a highly

skilled task force, which is well vested in mathematical, economical and econometrical

concepts. At ZIMSTAT the statistical clerks and the statisticians have Diplomas and

degrees in various disciplines such as economics, statistics and mathematics ZIMSTAT

produces world class official statistics with the aid of its skilled and committed staff.

Established Data Collection Infrastructure

ZIMSTAT can boast about an established data collection infrastructure. This is so

because it has a master sample for the whole country of Zimbabwe. The whole country

has been divided into various enumeration areas which make it easier for data to be

collected. The households section has the maps, list of all structures and households in

Zimbabwe. The maps, the list of households and the list of names entails that

ZIMSTAT has an established data collection infrastructure.

In-service training

ZIMSTAT has the strength of an in-house training facility which offers certificates in

disciplines such as statistics, mathematics, economics and computing science. The

Training section also trains staff in methods of data collection, validation, storage

retrieval, display and analysis. ZIMSTAT trains its workers as well as people from

other government departments to improve their work performance. The in-house

training is also being successful in motivating staff to greater efficiency by creating an

interest in their work and the subject matter of statistics, mathematics, economics and

computing.

Compliance to international standards




The vision of ZIMSTAT is to be the leading world class producer of national statistics,

so as a result ZIMSTAT adheres to international standards in the provision of official

statistics. ZIMSTAT’s compliance to international standards are shown in the methods

and formulas that it uses in calculating the indices such as the Consumer Price Index

and the Poverty Datum Lines which are the ones recommended by the International

Community and the United Nations. ZIMSTAT sometimes invites professional

consultation persons from other leading countries in the provision of official statistics,

to train and upgrade the programmes used in the computation of statistics and also to

upgrade the skills of the staff, and thus compliance to international standards.

Established sample frame and business registers

In its mandate to produce official statistics vital for policy formulation, we find that

ZIMSTAT has an established sample frame, which is a list of all households,

enterprises, farms and hospitals in the country. ZIMSTAT also has established business

registers. The organisation has a list of all registered companies and their addresses,

both physical and postal addresses. This enables to carry out surveys easily since all

those companies and institutions which would have been selected as part of the sample

would be reached easily for data collection.

Wider range of statistical information

ZIMSTAT boasts of a comprehensive data base. Statistical information dating back to

as early as 1895 when the first censuses were conducted is available at ZIMSTAT. We

can also find that ZIMSTAT has a wide range of statistical information in that it

produces information such as health statistics, prison and crime statistics, employment

statistics, census statistics, prices statistics, banking statistics, income statistics, among

many others.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY 5.2 The organisation’s weaknesses

No control or decision making on conditions of service

ZIMSTAT as a government department, currently operating under the Ministry of

Finance, has no control or decision making on the conditions of service. The

organisation has no control on the wages and salaries of its employees. The

organisation cannot increase salaries or give cars to its workers as motivation to its

workers or a way of curbing high staff turnover. Taking for instance, in some

organisations when a key worker who is very important to the organisation in terms of

his/her skills, is attracted and bound to leave for another organisation that offers of high

salary and a car, the organisation can increase the salary of the key worker and again

give him/her the car as a way of protecting him/her from leaving the organisation. The

Public Service Commission and the Central government decide on the conditions of

service of ZIMSTAT’s workers together with other government workers.

Marketing strategy(e.g. product presentation)

ZIMSTAT faces challenge on the presentation of its products. Unlike other

organizations, ZIMSTAT does not carry out any promotional activities for its official

statistics. ZIMSTAT advertises itself just before and during the times of population

censuses which takes place once in every ten years to notify the public. As a matter of

fact the organisation lacks a vigorous marketing strategy for its products.

Internal communication

At ZIMSTAT there is vertical communication, which is communication between the

management and the junior staff.

Lack of control over financial resources

ZIMSTAT as a government department lacks control over financial resources which it

uses in the day to day running of its operations. Since the organisation is a government

department, financial resources for its operations are allocated in the national budget by

the minister of finance. The funds are then released from the treasury to ZIMSTAT

through the relevant ministry housing ZIMSTAT at that particular time. As a result, the KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 46



management of ZIMSTAT can not always carry out some activities which needs

financial resources, although the activities may be beneficial to the country, since at

times funding of activities depend on the prioritization of the government.

Technological updates

As a non profit making organisation, mainly in the provision of a public good, it is not

very easy for ZIMSTAT to update its technology. Although the government and the

NGO’s have facilitated and made it possible for ZIMSTAT to have better models of

computers, printers and some other machines in almost every department for use in its

operations, ZIMSTAT lags behind other countries in terms of technology. ZIMSTAT

does not have scanners to use in the capturing of data on questionnaires, which makes it

faster for data to be captured. The fax machine although it is available, it is not easily

available to everyone quickly.

Legislation enforcement

The legislation that governs the operations of ZIMSTAT is poorly enforced in that it is

not effective enough to force everyone to give information or data during the surveys.

This gives problems during data collection, leading to low response rate, omission of

some vital information in data processing, users doubting the quality of data and

publications being produced late.

Timeliness of some statistical series

At ZIMSTAT some publications are being produced late due to various reasons.

ZIMSTAT sometimes experience the problem of timeliness of some statistical series

due to lack of demand for data leading to fewer resources made available for their

production or quality control. On the other hand timeliness of some statistical series is

due to poor motivation of the workforce and laziness.

Disaster recovery plan




The organisation has a weakness in relation to the disaster recovery plan. The

organization does not update its storage of data more often. In the event that there is a

fire outbreak or some other form of disaster at ZIMSTAT some of the data will be lost.




CHAPTER 6

6.1 The organisation’s opportunities

An opportunity may be defined as a favorable condition or tendency in the market

environment of an organisation which can be favorably exploited by means of a

deliberate management effort. Below are some of the opportunities that have been

available to ZIMSTAT, and the means that the organisation a have used to exploit the

opportunities.

Consultancy

ZIMSTAT has an opportunity of consultancy. Its staff members are highly skilled and

experienced in the field of mathematics and statistics to the extent that they can act as

consultancy in those fields. The organisation greatly utilizes this opportunity by

offering this service to other government, departments, companies individuals and the

NGO’s.

Government decision on semi-autonomous status/revised legislation

The organisation is also utilizing the opportunity of government decision on semi-

autonomous status or revised legislation of ZIMSTAT.

Training services

ZIMSTAT has training services at its disposal. The main subjects offered are statistics,

mathematics, economics and computing science. The staff members are trained in

methods of data collection, validation, storage retrieval, display and analysis. The

organisation utilizes this opportunity by training staff members upon joining the

organisation, and whenever need arises.

Result based policy

This is a policy that has been newly introduced by the government on appraisals.

Workers are now appraised basing on their results of their tasks and responsibilities.

This is so because a lot of work was being done but without coming up with results at KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 49



the end of the day. As a result, ZIMSTAT as a government department takes and

utilizes this opportunity.

Innovation through technological advancement

ZIMSTAT is enjoying the opportunity of innovation through technological

advancement. Technological innovation originates in research and development by both

ZIMSTAT and the government. This however affects the business as a whole,

including its products, its life cycle, and its supply of raw materials, its production

processes and even its approach to management. ZIMSTAT is continuously adopting

new technology, and this is seen through the technology that it has and the software

packages that it uses in data entry and data processing. ZIMSTAT has a Local Area

Network, Website, an email, personal computers, digital printers, heavy duty printers

and software packages such as CSPro 3.0 and the Harmonized Consumer Price Index.

Donor funding

The organisation also has the opportunity of donor funding. Many NGO’s come to

ZIMSTAT for assistance in carrying out surveys, for example on children and other

vulnerable groups, or they engage ZIMSTAT to carry out the survey since it has an

established data collection infrastructure. As a result ZIMSTAT benefits in the form of

finance, material resources such as computers, printers and even vehicles.

Printing services

ZIMSTAT has the opportunity of printing services at its disposal. We find that

ZIMSTAT has a print floor, which is a section that is there to meet all the mass printing

needs of all the departments and sections under ZIMSTAT. As a result ZIMSTAT uses

this opportunity to print leaflets such as the CPI and PDL and books with reports of

statistics such as that of crime statistics or income statistics for publication.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY 6.2The organisation’s threats

A threat may be defined as an unfavourable condition or tendency in the market

environment of the organisation that can, in the absence of a deliberate effort by

management, lead to the failure of the business, its products or its services. Below are

some of the threats that ZIMSTAT has encountered and the ways that the organisation

has adopted to deal with the threats.

Limited budgetary allocation/control

Sometimes the organisation faces the threat of a limited budgetary allocation from the

Ministry of Finance. This means the re would not be enough money to finance surveys.

To solve a situation like this ZIMSTAT had to ask for a supplementary budget

allocation from the ministry, or the organisation had to justify itself to the government

in order to get some more money. However, at times the organisation and the

government would look for the users of the final product from the surveys, and these

mostly would sponsor the surveys. Taking for example NGO’s such as the World Band

(WB), African Development Bank (ADP), United Nations Development Programme,

have sponsored many surveys carried out by ZIMSTAT with financial resources and

material resources.

Competition

The existence of competition is one other threat that has been faced by ZIMSTAT.

Although ZIMSTAT is the leading producer of official, national statistics adhering to

international standards, we find that it faces competition from other organisations

which produces statistics. Taking for example, an organization like the Consumer

Council of Zimbabwe (CCIZ) produces Poverty Lines on a monthly basis like

ZIMSTAT, although the consumer baskets are different. CCZI also publishes its

Poverty Lines just like ZIMSTAT. We also find that there are other ministries that

produce their statistics, for example the Ministry of Health produces Health statistics,

while the Ministry of Mining and International Trade produces statistics on trade. This

poses some competition to ZIMSTAT. As a result, ZIMSTAT overcomes the




competition by improving the corporate image of the organisation and presentation of

its products.

Statistical illiteracy

We find that in Zimbabwe statistical illiteracy rate is very high. Most people do not

understand statistics and its relevance in their lives. Sometimes even when the people

get the figures they do not know how to use them correctly or how to interpret them. As

a result the organisation sometimes the department finds itself caught in a vicious cycle

where national statistics has been under-appreciated, undervalued and underinvested.

To deal with the problem ZIMSTAT offers advisory and consultancy services on how

to use the statistics correctly to the members of the public. Taking for instance, people

are taught how to revalue/adjust their money balances, salaries and assets using the

CPI. However there is need for the organization to increase statistical awareness to the

public.

HIV/AIDS /staff turnover

ZIMSTAT like many other organisations is experiencing a high staff turnover due to

the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Many members of staff are dying leaving vacant posts, while

some are being absent from work for a long time to take care for their sick relatives at

home, posing a threat to ZIMSTAT.

Public perception

What the people perceive about the operations of an organisation has a great impact on

the credibility of the organization. In the case of ZIMSTAT the public has both positive

and negative perceptions. The users sometimes doubt the quality and credibility of the

national statistics produced thinking that the data is manipulated to suit the desires of

the politicians and the government since ZIMSTAT is a public department. Due to

negative perceptionsZIMSTAT has often found itself caught in a vicious cycle where

national statistics has been under-appreciated, undervalued and underinvested. The

public perception poses a big threat to the organisation.

Response rate KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 52



The department sometimes suffers from low response rate especially in those surveys in

which data is collected using postal method. Taking for example the School Fees and

Education Survey, there has been a low response rate leading to delays in the

computation of indices.




CHAPTER 7

7.1 ZIMSTAT’s successes as measured by its mission and declared objectives

The strategy to achieve the mission is through the carrying out of the following functions:

(i) Drawing up an overall master plan for official statistics and keep it under

continuous review

(ii) Establishing statistical methodologies and standards and ensuring their use by

all producers of official statistics so as among other things to facilitate the

integration and comparison of the statistics produced both nationally and

internationally.

(iii) Co-ordinating statistical activities in the country so as:

- To avoid duplication of efforts in the production of statistics

- To ensure optimal utilization of the available resources

- To reduce the burden, on respondents, of providing statistical data

(iv) Collecting, compiling, analyzing and disseminating statistics and related

information.

(v) Maintaining an inventory of all available official statistics in the country and

assisting users in obtaining international statistics

(vi) Providing Statistical Services and professional assistance to official bodies

and the public at large

(vii) Providing a contact point for international organizations and foreign

institutions in need of statistics on Zimbabwe.

The successes of ZIMSTAT are seen through its ability to contribute to national

development through the production and dissemination of timely and accurate

national statistics that facilitate policy formulation. Data and statistics from

ZIMSTAT have always been of prime importance to the government of Zimbabwe

for policy formulation. Taking for instance the CPI is of prime importance in the

calculation of the National Budget by the Ministry of Finance. The government, KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 54



through the Reserve Bank also uses the CPI in determining the monetary and fiscal

policies

ZIMSTAT has been successful in contributing to national development through

facilitating planning and decision making. It is vital for the state and its citizens to

know inflation rate, the poverty datum lines, unemployment rate, health statistics,

crime rate and the Gross Domestic Product per capita among other indices, all of

which are products of ZIMSTAT. The indices enable sound decisions which would

lead to national development. Taking for example, the PDL enables the state to know

the magnitude of poverty among its citizens allowing it to be in a better position to

implement policies on poverty alleviation.

ZIMSTAT has also been successful in enabling evaluation and research, through the

surveys that it carries out. The department has been able to facilitate evaluation and

research through the comprehensive data base which it has. Taking for example

ZIMSTAT, has data on Inflation rate, Poverty, Crime statistics, GDP and other

National Accounts, Employment and Labor statistics etc. All these statistics enables

evaluation and research to be done.

The organisation has been successful in producing official statistics that facilitate

transparency and good governance.

Timeous production of some statistics (rate of inflation, census).

ZIMSTAT has been successful in producing some statistics in time. Taking for

example, ZIMSTAT has been able to produce the rate of inflation and the Poverty

Datum Line on a monthly basis as required. However, it has been affected by financial

constraints under economic challenges.

Compliance to international standards.




ZIMSTAT today boasts of complying with international standards in the production of

official statistics used in policy formulation and decision making by the republic of

Zimbabwe.

In-service training

The in service training that is meant to train staff in methods of data collection,

validation, storage retrieval, display and analysis has been a success. ZIMSTAT’s in

house training has also been successful in motivating staff to greater efficiency by

creating an interest in their work and the subject matter of statistics, mathematics,

economics and computing. This in turn contributes to national development through the

production and dissemination of timely and accurate national statistics that facilitate

policy formulation, planning and decision making.

Legislation (mandate to produce statistics).

ZIMSTAT has been successful in meeting its mission and declared objectives, by

carrying out its mandate to produce statistics in terms of the Census and Statistics Act

[Chapter 10.05]. The Act provides for the taking of a census, for the collection of

statistics and for the publication of statistical information; and to provide for matters

incidental to the foregoing. By fulfilling its mandate, we can see that ZIMSTAT is

indeed contributing to national development through the production and dissemination

of timely and accurate national statistics that facilitate policy formulation, planning and

decision making.

A comprehensive data base.

ZIMSTAT has a comprehensive data base with data dating back to 1895 when the first

censuses were conducted. ZIMSTAT produces prices statistics, income statistics,

finance statistics, agriculture and livestock statistics, population statistics, labour and

employment statistics, crime statistics, trade statistics among many others. This wide

range of data contributes to national development through the production and

dissemination of timely and accurate national statistics that facilitate policy

formulation, planning and decision making. KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 56



CHAPTER 8

8.1 The Market/Clients’ perceptions of the ZIMSTAT and its operations

The clients have both positive and negative perceptions about the organization, and these

affects the corporate image of the organisation and its credibility. In the case of

ZIMSTAT the clients’ perception has multiple effects on the image of ZIMSTAT,

validity, reliability and credibility of its products and services. I’ll start by explaining

some of the positive perceptions that the public has on ZIMSTAT, and then the negative

perceptions that they have on ZIMSTAT.

Firstly, the clients perceive the organisation as efficient in the production of official

national statistics. This is seen in the ability of ZIMSTAT to meet the needs of the

consumers by producing various statistical series in time. Taking for example, ZIMSTAT

produces the Inflation rate and the Poverty Datum Lines on a monthly basis as required

by the international standards.

ZIMSTAT has a comprehensive data base, an established sample frame, a well

established data collection infrastructure, multi- skilled employees and adheres to

international standards in the production of official statistics. With these, ZIMSTAT

produces statistics that are used by the public, central government, financial institutions,

international organisations and NGO’s such as IMF, WB and UN. This shows that the

users of statistics have confidence in the operations of ZIMSTAT.

Moreover, the outside world views ZIMSTAT employees as multi-skilled, professional,

innovative, highly qualified, empowered, knowledgeable and professional analysts. This

is seen in the results of their work. Taking for instance the organization recruits people

with good qualifications and goes on to train them using the in-service training facility to

upgrade their skills in data collection, validation, storage retrieval, display and analysis. It

also sends staff abroad to learn further and also visits other regional offices to study to

study how they carry out their duties. KUDZAI DIVIRIMWE: WORK RELATED LEARNING REPORT 57



However, despite the above the clients have negative perceptions about ZIMSTAT and

its operations. Since ZIMSTAT is a government department, the clients sometimes think

that the statistics produced are manipulated to suit what the politicians or the government

wants

Some users also think that data is not easily available to the users. This is so because of

the physical location of the organisation, since it is a government department located in a

government premises. So the fact that identity cards are required upon entrance to the

building may be the contributing factor to the negative perception.




Chapter 9

9.1 Differences/Discrepancies between degree programme in terms of theory studied

at college and work practices carried out at ZIMSTAT.

There is little divergence between the degree programme and the work practices carried

out at ZIMSTAT. One of the differences between the theory learnt at college and the

work practices lies in the practical ways of executing tasks, duties and responsibilities

using computers and different software packages.

The writing of reports and circulars was one another work practice carried out in the

Accounts section. There are however no differences between the way the reports and the

circulars are designed at ZIMSTAT and what was learnt at college in the course called

Communication. The writer developed interpersonal skills since she had to interact with

different people at the work place either socially or for work purposes. She learnt how to

communicate with different people on according to status ie creditors, superiors and

peers.

It can be noted that courses such as Communication, Business accounting, Information

systems, Introduction to computers and Research Methodology were greatly applicable to

the work practices carried out at ZIMSTAT during the period of attachment.

The Industrial Attachment offered the student the opportunity to either apply or observe

the application of Accounting, both Financial and Cost and Management Accounting,

Management, Auditing, Financial Management as well as Accounting Information

Systems principles acquired during the first and second years of study. This was a more

effective manner of grasping the key technical and administrative issues from the

student’s point of view.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY Effectively the attachment programme offered the student a platform to recall the bulk of

the knowledge she possessed and apply it to the real world of business. Industrial

attachment also acclimatised her to the real work environment, which may be ideal to the

environment the student will find herself after completing the degree programme.

Industrial Relations, Industrial ethics, Organisational Culture, leadership styles and the

general demands of the work environment are some of the aspects internalised by the

writer during the attachment at ZIMSTAT.

The Industrial Attachment Programme developed the writer’s skills of time management

and prioritisation of tasks in the order of economic importance. The writer managed to

allocate time to assigned tasks to ensure all would be complete in the time they would be

required by the one who assigned the task in their order of priority.

Initiative and Innovativeness-the writer had to find a way out when tasked with

assignments where there was no specific instruction on how to execute the given task or

when situations arose that required instant decisions when superiors were not available

and had to make important decisions regarding some operations in the Finance

department. The writer had a chance of suggesting on implementation of better and more

efficient ways of operation in the department.

Working under pressure-the student had to work under pressure at times especially during

month ends and when other staff were on leave and ended up managing to finish

multiple tasks in short spaces of time without facing any difficulties.

The writer faced challenges with the Accounting system software being used ie Public

Funds Management System (PFMS) because she had no theoretical or practical

knowledge of the system as well as some difficulties with Microsoft Excel.

On the issue of the accounting system, the writer managed to grasp some concepts on the

use of the system and other finance staff assisted on issues she did not understand. She



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY solved her problem with Excel by exploring on the features that it has and using the help

facility when she faced any problems.

The student faced challenges when it came to the day to day running costs. These span

from transport cost, accommodation cost and food. These factors affect students in their

quest to perform the best of their abilities and divert their attention to trying to make ends

meet.

9.2 Personal Developments

Since joining ZIMSTAT, the student has developed personally, both as an employee and

as a student. She managed to distinguish herself as a loyal and independent employee,

who can work under minimum supervision and produce results even when working under

pressure.

9.2.1 Skills developed

Here are some of the key skills the writer has developed during her time of placement, in

and out of the office :

Self-confidence

Knowledge is empowerment. The student was hesitant of herself when dealing with

clients and communicating with management during her initial days due to lack of

technical experience and the fear that she would not be able to deliver as expected. After

acquiring the basic skills she became very confident and was able to convince her

superiors that she was capable of doing her work exceptionally well. With confidence her

superiors were able to trust her throughout the course of her work-related learning period.

The writer had confidence when attending to clients and would also kindly refer them to

the head of the section, who would best handle their requests.




Time conscious

Time management is very vital in order to fit well in an organization. Some work was

supposed to be done within time frames; deadlines had to be met especially the returns

for the comptroller and auditor general and salary{pay net procedure} wanted at specific

times especially for payments to commence so as to avoid entering invalid bank accounts.

A good communication skill

The writer has also developed essential communication skills through words, actions,

body language, and voice tone. She has managed to respond well when attending to a

client both face to face and over the phone, or when talking to a superior or when in a

meeting.

A good judgemental skill

She has developed a good skill of first considering the advantages and the disadvantages

before making decisions (Cost Benefit Analysis),weighing risks involved and anticipate

the short term and long term effects. This is achieved by going into the depth of every

situation at hand rather than to just assume things.

Work Done

On entering the Accounts section the student was informed that one needs to be computer

literate, being very honest, be able to work under minimum supervision, be time

conscious and also be accurate when dealing with figures in any case were they apply.

Keeping and reconciling of the temporary deposit register , processing of travelling and

subsistence claim forms ,processing of advance request vouchers (local and foreign)and

processing vouchers and maintenance of all commitment registers.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY 9.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

It has been an enlightening period in which the student got to understand the operations

and importance of the accounting section in any organisation. However there are some

areas which student feels need to be improved.

9.3.1 Recommendations to the organization

Invest heavily in technological advancements

In line with the mission statement that the department shall use highly automated

technology to improve efficiency, there is need to invest in technological advances.

Despite having a well connected and secure Local Area Network (LAN) at the head

office, the same cannot be said of the provincial offices. They lag behind in technology

which at times poses a threat to maintenance of confidentiality. They rely on time

consuming manual systems. The resources should be made available to procure advanced

technology for use in data collection such as is done in South Africa. It allows data to be

sent on real time basis from the point of collection to the head office and queries can thus

be resolved urgently.

In today’s global trends, organisations have to be linked with e-mails and faxes so that

information can be sent on real time basis. The current set-up in which some of the

Provincial Offices receive faxes through other offices can expose some of the sensitive

information to outsiders. There is need to ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all

levels to maintain credibility of the organisation. It is important that the office does not

lose control of vital information.

The organisation must also speed up the implementation of its website. This matter

requires urgent attention as those that reside out of Harare do not have ready access to

ZIMSTAT publications as the selling point is centralized. The website forms an integral

part of present day organizations’ ability to reach to all corners. The other option would



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY be to decentralize the sale of publications to the Provincial Offices to allow easy access to

those out of the capital so that those in other parts are not disadvantaged while modalities

for implementation of a website are being worked out.

9.3.2 Recommendations to the University- Department of Accounts

The Department should continue to maintain the current high standards that have made

its graduates the most sought in the industry despite the enormous challenges being faced.

The Department must make an effort to put in place some accounting packages so as to

make work easier for the accountants and increase efficiency. This will help students

develop and appreciate the accounting systems and equipping them with much

experience for future purposes.

9.3.3 Conclusion

The attachment was time for learning, not altogether in the theoretical way but that

practical part which is on-job training. The actual learning of job procedures was quite

interesting, together with unquestionable welcoming spirit of the organisation’s staff who

committed themselves to the training process. The attachment training brought a

meaningful result and benefit to my understanding of accounting procedures.

Once again, the writer expresses her sincere gratitude to the management and staff of

ZIMSTAT for the support they rendered during the attachment period and the

opportunity to have that practical appreciation of the theories learnt at college.

She managed to fit smoothly in the ZIMSTAT structure. She hoped that this relationship

between ZIMSTAT and the college will be maintained so that those students who are

behind her stream will have the opportunity to have the practical feel of ZIMSTAT.



ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY The writer really thank Bindura University for their well structured degree programme

which has equipped her with the necessary theoretical aspects which she have applied in

the industry during her period of placement and would also like to give credit to

ZIMSTAT which has equipped her with the necessary experience during this period of

placement.




Organizational Mentors

Signatures

Mr Matsika (Senior Executive Officer)

Signature.........................................................Date…………………..

Mr Chijokwe (Accountant Supervisor)

Signature...........................................................Date…………………

Mr Mutodzaniswa (Assistant Accountant Supervisor).

Signature…………………………...Date……………………………..

Divirimwe K (Student)

Signature…………………………...Date……………………………..
