Fafo and living conditions surveys

The Fafo living conditions survey is more than a survey: it is a tool for designing policy and for reflection and evaluation of policy. It provides policy makers basic data needed for design of programs and policies, and for focusing efforts to particular groups. As a credible source of data on a full range of indicators of socio-economic conditions of national scope, the living conditions surveys have also been used in many countries for dispassionate reflection of development and policy issues for the nation as a whole or for sub-groups.

Living conditions are multidimensional
The Fafo living conditions survey has as its basic premise that living conditions are multi dimensional. This means that the situation that individuals and households experience have to be seen as consisting of several factors simultaneously: housing, education, access to infrastructure, income, rights etc all make up a complex picture. The living conditions approach aims to depict this complex reality, without reducing it to a single factor.

Standard analytical dimensions…
The standard living conditions survey is designed around a basic set of modules, each reflecting an analytical dimension. In its standard form a module includes everything from the questionnaire to the analysis plan. Currently developed modules include population (fertility, mortality, maternal mortality, migration), health (rapid assessment of health status, use of health services, nutritional status of children, vaccination coverage, reproductive health, child health), household economy, labour market and sources of income, housing and infrastructure, social networks, participation in public life and civil society and domestic violence.

The modules make rapid deployment of a survey possible. They also facilitates standardisation and comparison to other international surveys.

… but also adaptation to specific needs
Societies are different, and so are living conditions surveys. Most surveys are extensively tailored to local conditions. At its simplest such tailoring includes the proper reflection of educational ladders, pension systems or vaccination regimes that are different between countries. But it also includes changing modules so that country specific issues are included. One example is the inclusion of the cross cutting dimension of refugees in the Jordan living conditions survey. Finally, tailoring may include dropping a complete module, radically extending another or developing a new one.

Comprehensive or rapid
Fafo carries out two distinct kinds of living conditions studies. The comprehensive is typically a large scale survey that aims to provide data on national or regional level. Sample sizes are usually 5,000 households or more, and the project usually takes from 2 to 3 years to complete. The “Rapid Living Conditions Appraisal” is a combination of survey techniques and qualitative research that provides policy relevant data in a much shorter time. Here the emphasis is on indicators that allows for rapid targeting of development programs or evaluation of policies. Time from conception to completion may be as little as 3 months.

Flexible reporting
Reporting of the Living Condition Surveys is designed for the needs of the users. Since users are different, reporting takes several forms. Users that need the raw figures may consult the bare-bones tabulation reports, while the full narrative report from a survey often is a source of reference for many years to come. Results are also presented in accessible form in seminars for policy makers. Sometimes reports on specific topics are produced, and Fafo also sometimes provides particular users with specially produced tabulations or analysis.

In some countries, for example in Jordan, Fafo researchers have also contributed to dissemination and public debate by publishing essays based on the surveys in the daily press.

Accessible data
It is Fafos policy to make data from its surveys accessible to other researchers. For example data from the West Bank and Gaza living conditions survey have been widely disseminated and used by researcher both in the region and other countries.

Relevant Surveys
In addition to more specialised surveys in various parts of the world, Fafo has conducted living condition surveys in West Bank & Gaza Strip (1992, 1993), Kola Peninsula (1993, 1998), Latvia (1994, 1999), Lithuania (1989, 1994, 1999), Estonia (1994, 1999), Egypt (1994–1998), Lebanon (1999), Jordan (1995, 1999), Haiti (2001), China (1998, ongoing).