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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.