Designing survey programs
In developing countries, household surveys are often the dominant form of data collection, and implementation of survey programs is largely funded by external sponsors. This high dependency on external financial support does not foster the design and implementation of fully coherent national survey programs. Consequences of ad-hoc survey programs include incompatibility across surveys and over time, duplication of activities, data gaps, and inefficiencies. Many guidelines exist for the implementation of surveys, but little guidance is available on timing, sequencing, and integration of survey programs. National statistical agencies must improve the way they conduct national surveys as components of their systems.
Related Resources
Documents
An Accelerated Program for Implementing the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics in Selected Countries
| Author(s) | Olivier Dupriez, World Bank |
| Description | This document is a draft discussion note prepared by the World Bank on a project aiming to improve the availability of MDG indicators in selected countries, by designing and supporting an appropriate survey program. This note is complemented by a MS-XLS file (also available in this site) which attempted to estimate the cost of an "ideal" survey program in countries from Sub-saharan Africa. |
| Date | 11 November 2004 |
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Costing MDG surveys in Sub-Saharan Africa (2006-2015)
| Author(s) | Olivier Dupriez, World Bank |
| Description | This MS-Excel file provides a cost estimate of implementing an "ideal" surveys/censuses program in Sub-saharan Africa. It complements the paper "An Accelerated Program for Implementing the Marrakech Action Plan for Statistics in Selected Countries - Draft Discussion Note" also available on this site. This document was prepared as an internal document by the World Bank Data Group. |
| Date | 2004 |
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Household Sample Surveys in Developing and Transition Countries
| Author(s) | United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs |
| Description | The present publication presents the "state of the art" on several important aspects of conducting household surveys in developing and transition countries, including sample design, survey implementation, non-sampling errors, survey costs, and analysis of survey data. The main objective of this handbook is to assist national survey statisticians to design household surveys in an efficient and reliable manner, and to allow users to make greater use of survey generated data. The publication’s 25 chapters have been authored by leading experts in survey research methodology around the world. |
| Date | 2005 |
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Household Surveys and the Millennium Development Goals
| Author(s) | Juan Muñoz and Kinnon Scott |
| Description | The purpose of this report is to assess the role of household surveys in providing data for monitoring the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and how this might be strengthened. The first part of this report looks at the statistical systems that exist at the national level and the role that household surveys play in the production of policy-relevant data production. The second part reviews the main types of surveys that are currently implemented in many countries, looking at their purposes, uses, and key characteristics, as well as their aptness for meeting the data needs of the MDGs. IThe third part d the report describes an optimal program of household surveys that could provide data for the MDGs along with other necessary data. and contrast this with the reality in most countries in the developing world, making recommendations for how to move from the current system to a more effective one. The report concludes with a discussion of the role of the international community in improving the household survey system: what actions could be reasonably taken and what the value added of such actions might be. |
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