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Effects of Data Collection Methods on Estimated Household Consumption and Survey Costs: Evidence from an Experiment in the Marshall Islands

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  • Sharp,Michael K.
  • Buffière,Bertrand
  • Himelein,Kristen
  • Troubat,Nathalie
  • Gibson,John

Abstract

In the Pacific, multitopic household surveys have historically gathered expenditure data usingopen form diaries completed on paper. This methodology is costly to governments, is burdensome for respondents, andtakes substantial time to process the results. Noncompliance and partial compliance in diary keeping can artificiallyinflate poverty measures, biasing economic statistics. This paper reports findings from an experiment in the MarshallIslands comparing the cost and accuracy of several collection methodologies. Variable costs for the status quodiary survey design are between 2.8 and 4.4 times more expensive than a single-visit seven-day recall survey, withthe tablet-based diary being even more costly. The highly monitored diaries give similar results to recall but at muchgreater cost; the status quo yields data of worse quality as effective completion rates with low monitored diaries areonly two-thirds the completion rates of recall-based options. Finally, the paper discusses the implementationchallenges associated with the different methods in a capacity-constrained environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Sharp,Michael K. & Buffière,Bertrand & Himelein,Kristen & Troubat,Nathalie & Gibson,John, 2022. "Effects of Data Collection Methods on Estimated Household Consumption and Survey Costs: Evidence from an Experiment in the Marshall Islands," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10029, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10029
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    13. Friedman, Jed & Beegle, Kathleen & De Weerdt, Joachim & Gibson, John, 2017. "Decomposing response error in food consumption measurement: Implications for survey design from a randomized survey experiment in Tanzania," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 94-111.
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