Tracing Pandemic Impacts in the Absence of Regular Survey Data
The World Bank’s High-Frequency Phone Surveys were deployed to support the monitoring of household welfare during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of the regular household survey data collection was suspended. This paper reviews the analytical insights gained from the High-Frequency Phone Survey data, including uneven dynamics of household welfare during the pandemic across and within countries, as well as novel applications to simulate estimates of poverty and intergenerational mobility following the pandemic. The paper further derives lessons from the data collection experience. First, phone surveys, while inexpensive and quick, require reliable sampling frames. The predominant sampling strategies—previous household survey and random digit dialing—each have pros and cons in terms of representativeness, non-response, and post-survey adjustments. Second, on questionnaire design, country customization needs to be carefully balanced against standardization when cross-country comparisons are likely to be important. Finally, baseline metrics are critical for crisis monitoring; this requires more frequent welfare monitoring and better alignment of questions in phone surveys and existing data sources. While phone surveys can be a reliable toolkit for researchers and governments, more research is needed on key questions related to the survey mode effect, and the implications of different sampling frames and questionnaire design.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper biblioteca |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2023-10-10
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| Subjects: | COVID-19 IMPACTS, HIGH-FREQUENCY PHONE SURVEY, INEQUALITY, HOUSEHOLD WELFARE, SURVEY METHOD, HOUSEHOLD QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN, |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099352110062338328/IDU07af731dc0211104efa080d603d304efa4b54 https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/40444 |
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| Summary: | The World Bank’s High-Frequency Phone
Surveys were deployed to support the monitoring of household
welfare during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of the
regular household survey data collection was suspended. This
paper reviews the analytical insights gained from the
High-Frequency Phone Survey data, including uneven dynamics
of household welfare during the pandemic across and within
countries, as well as novel applications to simulate
estimates of poverty and intergenerational mobility
following the pandemic. The paper further derives lessons
from the data collection experience. First, phone surveys,
while inexpensive and quick, require reliable sampling
frames. The predominant sampling strategies—previous
household survey and random digit dialing—each have pros and
cons in terms of representativeness, non-response, and
post-survey adjustments. Second, on questionnaire design,
country customization needs to be carefully balanced against
standardization when cross-country comparisons are likely to
be important. Finally, baseline metrics are critical for
crisis monitoring; this requires more frequent welfare
monitoring and better alignment of questions in phone
surveys and existing data sources. While phone surveys can
be a reliable toolkit for researchers and governments, more
research is needed on key questions related to the survey
mode effect, and the implications of different sampling
frames and questionnaire design. |
|---|