Improving the Use and Coordination of Household Surveys Trevor Croft Chief, Strategic Information UNICEF Managing for Results Second International Roundtable Marrakech, February 4, 2004

Household Surveys Complex –Increasingly overloaded with more topics and more demands for data –Results required at greater levels of disaggregation –Require highly skilled staff Expensive –Costs for national surveys typically range from $100K to almost $2M, depending on complexity Under utilized –Many surveys are little used beyond basic reporting Uncoordinated –Don’t form a piece of a bigger plan

Use of Household Surveys As a tool for national statistical systems –Part of a strategic plan where data needs and data gaps are identified –In a nationally owned and demanded statistical system –Not donor driven, but where donor needs and national needs are complementary National systems can do more to maximize the use of the data –Need to promote use of surveys including those outside of the international programmes

International Household Survey Programmes Used as a tool for international statistical reporting –Demographic and Health Surveys (ORC Macro/USAID) –Living Standards Measurement Studies (World Bank) –Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (UNICEF) –Reproductive Health Surveys (CDC/USAID) –Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme on Child Labour (ILO) –World Health Surveys (WHO) –Community Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (World Bank) Each programme has different aims and different audiences but with many overlaps, e.g. –Education –Mortality –Child health

Coordination of Household Surveys International household survey programmes need –Coordination of timing of surveys Avoid overlaps –Coordination of content of surveys Indicators, definitions, questions, sample designs –To be responsive To country data needs To global data needs, e.g. reporting for MDGs, WFFC, HIV/AIDS UNGASS, etc. Don’t ignore national surveys

International Household Survey Network Proposes: –To promote coordination of international survey programmes –To design ‘minimum’ survey programme for inclusion in strategic plans –To provide information on costing and management of surveys –To develop an international data archive

International Household Survey Network Suggestions: –International Household Survey Network should be Lightweight – small secretariat – location? Catalytic – use funds to promote further actions –Coordination of international survey programmes is needed, but will only happen if those implementing the programmes are the key actors –Minimum survey programme should also discuss maximum Too much emphasis on collecting data – too frequently Not enough emphasis on analysing, disseminating and using data

International Household Survey Network Development of an international data archive is an immense project Suggestions: –Establish an international survey register –Work with existing data archives, e.g. DHS, African Census Project, ESRC Data Archive, etc. –Encourage archiving of all national surveys –Provide training in survey archiving (not just data) through statistical capacity building projects –Promote wider dissemination of datasets by countries Leads to greater trust in a statistical system