Associate Prof Harraway, who retired from the University of Otago mathematics and statistics last year, has since been busy with several projects.
Among them was a project to work under contract to the United Nations, with Sharleen Forbes, also retired, from Stats New Zealand in Wellington, to produce five online modules, to promote statistical literacy in Africa.
"It’s very rewarding," Prof Harraway said.
Learning to use data and statistics to guide evidence-based policy development and to help meet public health needs in developing nations was "extremely important", and he was happy to contribute, he said yesterday.
The modules, together amounting to about 250 pages of printed material, were prepared during a period of intense work in November and December last year.
Prof Harraway, who is a former chairman of the International Association for Statistics Education, said the UN had recently released the first of the modules online.
The online course had been provided for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Geneva — the UN’s dedicated training arm — as well as for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations Statistics Division.
The course used a combination of storytelling, case studies, videos and hands-on exercises dealing with social issues.
The course was intended for public officials in charge of Sustainable Development Goal policies in many countries, as well as data producers and other interested people, he said.