Survey Skills Development Course

This course was adapted from the Survey Skills Development Course offered by the Statistics Canada. The National School of Statistical Sciences (ENCE) of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) plans, organizes and implements the course annually. The first course was offered in 1997, and more than 700 people were certified. The content encompasses concepts, methods, planning and implementation stages of a household sample survey. The methodology includes expositive classes as wells as laboratory practices to develop capacity in producing, analyzing and disseminating statistical data. Planning starts by the choice of a client, who proposes a survey theme. ENCE evaluates the relevance of the theme for society and its innovation potential for the learning experience. The client must be a non-profit public organization. Four of the six weeks of the course are turned to the development of the survey project. One week is dedicated to fieldwork, and the last one to data processing and analysis. Class participants are split in five thematic groups: survey theme, questionnaire design, fieldwork planning, sample design, data processing system. The end of the course culminates into the delivery of a final report, which is made public in ENCE’s website. Course teaching and monitoring is done by IBGE’s employees who are considered a reference in those five areas of the survey project.

Target Audience

civil servants of the statistical system; graduate students from public institutions; reserchers and professors from public institutions

Learning Objectives

Know the main concepts, methods and stages for the planning and implementation of a household sample survey; learn by doing in all the stages of the survey; network with other professionals by experiencing team work; notice how different work routines are connected in the survey project.