The data is organized into a number of distinct databases.
- National level database. The national level database is a large and comprehensive database containing all infrastructure indicators that are reported at the country level. It covers a wide range of issues including public spending on infrastructure, household access to infrastructure, and national level data on infrastructure assets such as roads and power. Each indicator reports one observation for each country.
- Operator level databases. The operator level databases are a series of smaller databases that contain all infrastructure indicators that are reported at the operator level. The operator is understood as a service provider, whether it be a power utility or port authority. There may be more than one operator listed for each country, as for example, would be the case of a country with multiple water utilities serving different cities or regions. There are four separate operator databases covering respectively power utilities, water utilities, railway companies, and ports authorities.
The data extraction process comprises the following steps.
- Select data source. The user selects which of the five databases described above is of interest.
- Select elements. The user selects the subset of the dataset, which is of interest. There are options to select different regions, countries or operators, different data series, and different calendar periods. Selection takes place through a series of drop down menus.
- Construct data view. The user designs the structure of the table in which the data will be displayed, deciding which dimensions will be displayed in rows and which in columns.
- View results. The user gets to see the data extract that has been selected and this can be pasted directly into an Excel sheet.