Data collection manual for the housing guaranty program

This manual identifies general data needs relevant to the HG program and raises several issues which must be addressed in developing useful survey instruments. The authors first outline the various types of activities supported by the HG program - slum and settlement upgrading, sites and services, core housing, and completed housing for sale or rent. A variety of data are required at three stages in the course of an HG program: in preparing a national shelter sector assessment prior to development of a project; in compiling project identification, design, and implementation documents; and in conducting an evaluation of the completed project. The manual emphasizes collection of the above data from primary sources, especially through surveys, rather than from secondary sources (i.e., through review of existing sources). The specific data elements addressed are the principal respondent"s age, sex, past migration, employment, income, shelter characteristics, credit history, tenure status, and savings experience as well as his/her attitudes, perceptions, and preferences regarding housing and community problems. Finally, the authors consider several factors which influence data collection, namely, sociocultural and environmental variations, the intended use of the survey instruments and data, the type of project being considered, the role of women in development, and the time dimension. Also examined are the varying capabilities of different groups of countries: those where urbanization is well underway and over half the population is urban (e.g., Argentina); countries where the majority of people are still rural and pressure on the land is relatively low (e.g., Algeria); countries which are predominantly rural but rapidly urbanizing (e.g., Ivory Coast); and countries with severe pressure on the land and subsistence economies (e.g., India).