Organization of efficient Economic Surveys

1
Organization of efficient Economic Surveys

• Presenter
• Philip S. Amara
• Statistics Sierra Leone

2
Characteristics of a and good system of economic
Surveys

• Surveys are designed based on users needs and
  uses of the output
• Clearly defined institutional and legal
  framework which spells out the legal rights and
  obligations for collecting data.
• Adopts appropriate standards, concepts and
  classifications that defines the conceptual
  framework of the system
• A good survey frame in the form of regularly
  updated Business Registers

3
Characteristics of a and good system of economic
Surveys Cont.

• Adopts standard survey design principles and
  practices with the use of probability sampling as
  far as possible or practical
• A good data collection mechanism
• There is an assessment mechanism to provide
  feedback for improving the system

4
User Need Focus

• Users needs should form the basis for survey
  design.
• The uses and the users determine the data that
  must be collected.
• Different users might desire different details of
  the output.
• Users and uses dictate , the sources needed
  ,survey design etc.

5
Legal and Institutional framework

• Legislative framework which gives the NSO the
  right to collect data and oblige it to use such
  data only for statistical purposes.
• There is central agency with responsibility
  for the production and dissemination of official
  statistics within the country.
• NSDS which outlines the activities and output
  that would be produced over a specified period is
  required.
• The strategic plan should provide a mechanism for
  the coordination of statistical activities.

6
Standard and Concepts

• NSOs should adopt the recommended best practices
  on the design and organization of Economic
  surveys.
• Appropriately modified Standard Recommendations
  to meet peculiar national circumstances.
• The aim should be to make the data produced more
  internationally comparable.
• A data quality management program should be
  adopted as part of the system focus should be con
  consumer satisfaction)
• The data produced should be assessed for
  accuracy, fitness for use, relevance, timeliness,
  presentation, consistency and coherence.
• Methods and procedures should be thoroughly
  documented...

7
Survey Frame

• A Business Register that contains all units in
  the survey target population should form the
  basis for a good system of economic surveys.
• The Register should have all the data that is
  useful for stratification and sample selection.
• Industries should be properly classified and
  new businesses should be included in the register
  in a timely manner.
• Duplicate and inactive businesses should be
  eliminated in the register and all units included
  in the register should have contact details.
• A system of cooperation and collaboration should
  be developed with administrative sources.

8
Survey Design

• Standard survey design practices should be
  adopted.
• Use of probability methods in sample selection is
  always recommended
• However, a combination of methods such as quota
  sampling, cutoff sampling etc. may be most
  appropriate in most economic surveys.
• The enterprises that are in scope for the
  survey are clearly identified.
• Stratification of enterprise according to their
  size , geographic and industrial classification
  is done to improve sample efficiency.
• Large size enterprises are usually sampled with
  certainty
• Small to medium scale enterprises are sampled
  with probability proportional to size.

9
Data Collection

• Questionnaire design deservers serious attention
• The way the data collection instrument is
  structured affects the response rate and the
  incidence of misreporting.
• The questionnaire must contain only essential
  questions.
• It should be attractive in layout to encourage
  responds.
• The purpose of the survey must be clearly stated
  on the questionnaire.
• It should have clear instructions on how the
  respond should be recorded including appropriate
  skips.
• It is also good practice to test the survey
  questionnaire using sound questionnaire testing
  methods.

10
Data Collection

• The data collection system suitable for the
  economy should be adopted.
• In developing countries personal interviews may
  be preferred over other methods of data
  collection such as mail questionnaires, telephone
  interviewing etc.
• Initial contact to explain the purpose of the
  survey are very useful to increase respond
  rates.
• Respond rates can also be increase by introducing
  good follow up procedures and by establishing
  good rapport with the respondents.
• Data editing must be carried out to eliminate
  errors.
• Efforts should be concentrated on influential
  observations that could have the most significant
  impact.
• This may involve checking large enterprise data
  thoroughly.
• Outliers should be properly handled when detected
  and missing data should be properly imputed

11
Informal Sector

• The non-observed economy consist of production
  activities that are underground, illegal,
  informal sector, or undertaken by households for
  their own final use.
• In many developing countries, the informal
  sector constitute a large proportion of the
  economy.
• Measuring the informal sector is therefore
  important to improve on the exhaustiveness of the
  national accounts
• To provide data for the development of small to
  medium scale enterprise development policies.

12
Informal Sector

• Measuring the informal sector possess serious
  challenges due to the following factors.
• Mobilizing resources to conduct informal sector
  surveys
• Determining the appropriate method of
  measurement-Labour force surveys, household
  income and expenditure surveys or pure informal
  sector surveys

13
Informal Sector Cont.

• The high mobility and turnover of informal
  activities
• Seasonal variations in business activities.
• The unwillingness of operators in the informal
  sector to participate in surveys
• The difficulty of identifying respondents and the
  lack of records on their activities.
• The absence of list frames for informal sector
  activities

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End

• Thank You