The International Household Survey Network IHSN

1
The International Household Survey NetworkIHSN

• IHSN Secretariat
• PARIS21 Steering Committee, 14 November 2007

2
IHSN
A mechanism is needed to bring survey
sponsors and survey users together. The
recommendations propose creation of a Household
Survey (HHS) Network, comprising the major
sponsors of the global household survey
programs... MAPS
3
What is IHSN? Mission
The mission of the IHSN is to foster the
improvement of the availability, accessibility
and quality of survey data in developing
countries, and to encourage their analysis and
use by national and international development
decision makers, the research community, and
other stakeholders.

• Membership in the Network is currently limited to
  organizations and agencies providing financial
  and/or technical support to the implementation of
  national and/or international survey programs in
  developing countries.
• Operating under the guidance of a Management
  Group (DFID, ILO, PARIS21, UNICEF, UNSD, WHO/HMN,
  World Bank)
• Serviced by a light secretariat Olivier Dupriez
  (WB), Global Coordinator, François Fonteneau
  (P21), Geoffrey Greenwell (P21), Susan Gray(P21),
  Mark McConaghy (DFID)
• With a core program implemented as a P21
  satellite program with WB funding

4
Objective 1

• Better use of survey data
• Lots of data are collected, but various issues
  must be addressed to make them more useful/used
• Limited information on whats available (no
  catalogs of surveys)
• Limited accessibility by secondary users (for
  legal, technical, psychological and political
  reasons)
• Data often poorly documented, hence difficult or
  risky to use
• Reliability, comparability, relevance,
  timeliness, periodicity
• Loss of many datasets/metadata
• Work program on data documentation, dissemination
  and preservation

5
Microdata Management Toolkit
a specialized software was developed (the IHSN
Microdata Management Toolkit) using the power of
the DDI standard for metadata exchange
Input-Metadata Editor Input of data and metadata
and includes bundling of reports, manuals and
all Documents Output to PDF and DDI
Output-CD-ROM Builder Input of data and metadata
in DDI Output to HTML for CD-ROM or web
dissemination
Catalogue-NADA (National Data Archive) Catalogue
and link all the survey data and metadata and
facilitate data access through on-line request
forms
6
Microdata Management Toolkit
which can be automatically transformed into PDF
documents, html files (CD-ROM, website), and
searchable survey catalogs.
Metadata are saved in a DDI-compliant XML format
7
IHSN Guidelines

• To complement the Toolkit
• Practical Reference Guides
• Data Archivists (recommended practices on
  microdata management and documentation)
• Selecting a microsample of census data for public
  dissemination
• Guide on anonymization and tools (under
  development)
• Policy Guidelines
• for the formulation of microdata dissemination
  policies (based on UN-ECE materials)
• Who is using these tools?
• NSOs and other agencies in ADP countries
• World Bank, FAO, ILO, UNICEF, WHO, and others

8
Central Survey Catalogue
1. Search by country
2. List all surveys
3. Details on the surveys

www.surveynetwork.org
Cataloguing of over 3,000 surveys by country
9
Objective 2

• Better quality of future surveys
• Timing and sequencing (part of NSDS)
• Comparability (over-time, across countries), and
  consistency across data sources
• Reliability (use of improved methods)
• Work program on coordination and harmonization

10
Timing Information on Planned Surveys
Under Development
www.surveynetwork.org
11
Comparability Question Bank

• A tool for harmonization of survey methods and
  instruments.
• Objective improve comparability of surveys
• ! not standardization but a reference point
• A central repository for international guidelines
  and relevant classifications.
• A collection of recommended survey modules, in
  easily reusable format (DDI-XML), with
  recommended questions, interviewers
  instructions, editing and analysis guidelines,
  etc.
• Status being developed with various partners
  (WB, DFID, FAO, ILO, UNICEF, WHO/HMN, and others)
• Countries will be encouraged to develop their
  own question banks to establish their own
  standards with reference to international
  standards

www.surveynetwork.org
12
Reliability Survey Quality Assessment Framework
Guide and Checklist based on a model provided by
the DESAP DESAP is a generic checklist for the
systematic evaluation of surveys in the European
Statistical System, published in 2004.

• The SQAF is in draft stage and currently being
  reviewed.
• Its purpose is to provide practical guidelines
  and a step by step checklist for
• Standards and best practices in planning and
  implementing a household survey
• Support the development of new survey projects
  and to evaluate surveys
• which have already been conducted.

13
What is the IHSN? Partnership Examples

• With WHO and HMN
• Use of IHSN tools to document and disseminate EPI
  clusters surveys, World Health Surveys, GFIE.
• With ILO
• Development of guidelines for labor migration
  surveys and for labor force surveys
• With UNICEF
• Documentation and dissemination of all MICS
  datasets using the IHSN Toolkit (50 countries)
• With FAO
• Introduced the Toolkit to document Agricultural
  Surveys and Censuses.
• With the Academy of Educational Development
• Assessment of education data in existing surveys,
  and assessment and improvement of survey
  instruments
• For the Question Bank
• WHO Health modules
• ILO Labour modules
• FAO Agriculture modules

14
Summary through a view of the National Data
Archive

• In order to visually demonstrate the various
  outputs and concepts the remaining time is
  dedicated to a demonstration of the
• National Data Archive.

NADA Demo
15
The IHSN Thanks you www.surveynetwork.org