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Establishment Surveys:

Survey Design, Sampling Plan and Indicators

Priyadarshana Dharmawardena

Senior Statistician

Industry, Construction, Trade and Services Division

Department of Census & Statistics

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Overview

  • Importance of Indicators
  • Producing Economic Statistics
  • Survey Design
  • Sampling Plan
  • Dissemination
  • Challenges
  • Steps being taken to overcome some challengers
  • Stories behind the Indicators

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Simple Problem:

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Simple Solution

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Serious Problem:

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Simple Solution

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Simple Problem:

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Serious Solution

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Serious Problem:

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Serious Solution

!!

!!

These are because of hidden reality

Problems & Solutions

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Importance of Indicators

Indicators help to find out the hidden realities

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Establishment Surveys

Economic Census

To produce Economic statistics, DCS conducts Censuses / Surveys

Industry, Trade and Services Division is responsible for conducting those Censuses / Surveys.

Producing Economic Statistics

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Activities related to Establishment Surveys / Census

1. Designing the Survey

3. Data Collection

(part of Colombo, Gampaha and Kaluthara Districts)

4. Field supervision

5. Coding / Editing / Data entry

6. Data cleaning

7. Tabulation

8. Report writing

2. Sample Selection

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Producing Economic Statistics Cont…

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  • Coverage
  • Time frame
  • Budget
  • Sample size
  • Field Management

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1. Designing the Survey

Producing Economic Statistics Cont…

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2. Sample Selection

Census and a Sample Survey

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Population :

All the units belongs to the

study area

​

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Sample :

A portion of the population that is representative of the population

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Producing Economic Statistics Cont…

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5/4/2022

About 10,000 sample of establishments are selected for annual surveys

Large Establishments are fully enumerated as they are

highly heterogeneous

2. Sample Selection Cont.

Sampling in Establishment Surveys

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Sampling method – Stratified Random Sampling

Sample Frame : Economic Census : Non-Agricultural Activates – Listing Database

Stratum : 1st layer Province / District

    • Western
    • Central
    • Southern
    • Northern
    • Eastern
    • North-Western
    • North-Central
    • Uva
    • Sabaragamuwa

Stratum : 2nd Layer

Sector / Activity

    • Industry
    • Trade
    • Services

Stratum : 3rd Layer

Firm Size

(No. of Persons engaged)

    • 25 & below
    • 26 – 99
    • 100 & Above

Eg.

Eg.

Eg.

2. Sample Selection Cont.

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3. Data Collection

Data Collection Methods

Self-administration

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Questionnaire is filled by respondent him-self

Interviewing Method

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Enumerator fill the schedule questioning the respondent

  • Handing over the questionnaire
  • By post
  • Through internet

(e-survey/e-census)

  • Visiting the respondent
  • Through telephone

Mode of the survey

Producing Economic Statistics Cont…

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3. Data Collection Cont.

Self-Administration - Pros and Cons

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Low cost
  • Possibility of concluding the survey within a short period of time

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  • Inability to ask complex questions
  • Low response rate
  • Narrow target group

(e-survey/e-census)

Advantages

Disadvantages

  • Ability of enhancing the response rate
  • Ability getting responses for complex questions
  • Ability to confirmed the reliability of responses
  • High cost (training fee, enumerator fee, transport fee etc.)
  • Relatively long period of time

Interviewing Method - Pros and Cons

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4. Field supervision

  • A Supervisor should be appointed according to
    • Administrative boundary
    • Geographical boundary
    • A number of enumerators

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  • A Supervisor should have
    • Proper knowledge about the survey
    • Commanding voice

Producing Economic Statistics Cont…

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5. Coding, Editing and Data entry

  • SLSIC Code list
  • Done by D2 Staff

6. Data Cleaning

  • Before the analysis, dataset must be cleaned
  • Cleaned dataset is a great asset for a Data Analyst

Producing Economic Statistics Cont…

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7. Tabulation

  • Before the tabulations, weights must be calculated
  • There shouldn't be any contradictions between totals of a considered variable in different tables

8. Report Writing

  • Important facts, came out from the analysis must be highlighted
  • Important tables are included as annexures

Producing Economic Statistics Cont…

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  • High degree of non-response rate
  • Difficulty of meeting the responsible person
  • High level of Respondent burdens in large establishments
  • Difficulty of getting the updated sample frame

Challenges

  • Not giving the priority
  • Busy office environment
  • Misunderstandings
  • Reject responding
  • Not having renewal system for all businesses

Reasons

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  • Statistical Business Registry (SBR)
  • to update the frame regularly
  • to minimize the respondent burden

SBR is a register of enterprises or establishments involved in a business activity that is maintained by National Statistical Offices (NSOs) which is updated regularly through the administrative registries of other offices

  • Online Data Collection

Providing the user friendly environment to reduce respondent’s burden

Steps being taken to overcome some challengers

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Distribution of Establishments by Persons Engaged

Persons Engaged

No. of Establishments

Cumulative Percentage of Est.(%)

Number

%

1

637,077

62.5

62.5

2-3

277,596

27.2

89.7

4-5

47,915

4.7

94.4

6-10

33,018

3.2

97.6

11-25

16,257

1.6

99.2

26-50

3,988

0.4

99.6

51-100

1,904

0.2

99.8

101 and above

1,926

0.2

100.0

Total

1,019,681

100.0

100.0

Coverage :

All the establishments

Excluding

  • Agricultural Activities
  • Government / Semi-Government sector
  • Three wheeler Drivers
  • School Service Drivers

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Establishments with less than 4 persons engaged covered around 90% of the total.

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Stories behind the Indicators

Economic Census 2013

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Source : Economic Census 2013

Stories behind the Indicators Cont…

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Establishments density and Poverty Head Count Index by DSD

When the Poverty Head Count Index (PHCI) is high, Establishment density is low.

Establishments Density by Divisional Secretariat

Poverty Head Count Index by Divisional Secretariat

Source : Economic Census 2013

Stories behind the Indicators Cont…

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Top 10 demanded occupations in Sri Lanka – 2017

 

Occupation

No.

%

1

Sewing Machine Operators

77,189

26.88

2

Security Guards

57,008

19.85

3

Other Manufacturing Labourers

39,397

13.72

4

Shop Sales Assistants

28,180

9.81

5

Advertising and Marketing Professionals

21,067

7.34

6

Commercial and Sales Representatives

19,775

6.89

7

Cleaners and Helpers in Offices, Hotels and Other Establishments

18,614

6.48

8

Manufacturing Supervisors

8,921

3.11

9

General Office Clerks

8,732

3.04

10

Stall and Market Sales persons

8,273

2.88

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Total of Top 10 Occupations

287,156

100.0

Labour demand in 2017 - 497,302

Labour Demand Survey - 2017

Stories behind the Indicators Cont…

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Labour Demand (Private sector) and

Expectations of Unemployed by occupation group - 2017

Source : Labour Demand Survey 2017, Labour Force Survey 2017

Stories behind the Indicators Cont…

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Percentage Change of revenue for the first 5 months in 2020 with respect to the corresponding months in 2019

COVID Impact Survey - 2020

Stories behind the Indicators Cont…

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Q & A

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Thank You