Generic survey protocol for the housing guaranty program

This report, a complement to A.I.D."s Data Collection Manual for the Housing Guaranty Program, is designed to provide guidance in constructing survey instruments for acquiring data on shelter and housing. The authors recommend that: questionnaires have fewer than 5 pages and require less than 30 minutes to complete; a mix of open-ended and closed questions be used; the survey format facilitate data coding; and that non-ambiguous language be employed. In addition, responses must be grouped in a specific and meaningful way, a task usually requiring an understanding of the host country situation. The authors then present prototype questions in the following areas: (1) respondent information (selection, age, and sex); (2) household roster; (3) migration (length of residence at present location, past residence, future mobility); (4) shelter affordability (employment, income, expenditures, credit, and savings); (5) tenure status; (6) current shelter (size, materials, infrastructure, and construction); and (7) attitudes, perceptions, and preferences.