Egypt, Arab Rep. - Household Income, Expenditure and Consumption Survey 2008-2009

Start	End	Cycle
2008-04-01	2009-03-30	N/A

Face-to-face [f2f]
The Preparation stage for the survey has started on 1/1/2008; the coordination among all stages of survey implementation has been taken into consideration. The activities of office editing, coding, data processing and validation were held at the same time with data collection, preliminary tabulations have been generated quarterly for the purpose of checking survey results which have been contrasted with the corresponding results of the previous survey.

The survey period of the 2008-2009 HIECS extends over 12 month-period, starting from April 2008 and ending in March 2009. Households were observed for two continuous weeks only, to collect information on food expenditure, instead of one month as was followed in the previous rounds of the HIECS. The observation period was shortened in this HIECS round to lighten the respondent burden and thus encourage more cooperation.

Conventionally, the entire survey period is divided into four exclusive quarters, the first quarter includes the first three months (April, May, and June); the second quarter consists of the following three months, and so on till the fourth quarter. The rationale behind this division scheme is to extract preliminary results on each quarter independently, for the purpose of either assessing the quality of survey results, especially in its early stages of implementation, or to conduct meaningful comparative analysis with the similar quarter of previous HIECS rounds once the preliminary results were judged acceptable.

In response to the requirements mentioned above, the entire sample is to be divided among the four quarters. A decision was made to cover the whole first stage sample (2526 EA's) in all the survey quarters, but with a sample of 4 or 5 households to be observed from each EA in each quarter.

In order to accomplish an appropriate allocation scheme of the sample over the entire survey period, the first stage sample was randomly divided into six equal (or approximately equal) sub-samples; each of these sub-samples was assigned to a certain 2-week survey period. The first sub-sample had been observed in the first two weeks of April; the second sub-sample in the second two week of April; the third sub- sample in the first 2 weeks of May; and so on till the sixth sub-sample which is to observed in the last two weeks of June. Considerations are also made such that the EA's which are to be observed in the first two weeks of any month in the first quarter are to be observed in the second two weeks of the corresponding month in the second quarter, and conversely for EA's observed in the second 2 week of any month in the first quarter. Evidently, the sample allocation over the six 2-week periods of the first and second quarters will be repeated in the third and fourth quarters respectively. As a result of this allocation scheme, each sample EA will be observed two times in the first 2 weeks and two times in the second 2 weeks of the corresponding months.

As mentioned before, only 5 and sometimes 4 sample households are to be observed from each EA in each of the survey quarters. The list of the whole cluster of 19 (20) households was divided, into a sub-sample of 5 or 4 households, each of which will be observed in the successive survey quarters.

The reference period over which data was collected varies according to the type of data item as follows:
- 15 days: For expenditure on food and beverages.
- Month: Ended by the end of survey period as alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics, housing and its accessories goods and services for routine household maintenance, health, operation of personal transport equipments, transport services, restaurants and hotels, personal care and other services n.e.c.
- Quarterly: Ended by the end of survey period as, expenditure on health, Communication.
- Annually: Ended by the end of survey period as, expenditure for clothing and footwear, housing and its accessories, furnishings, household equipments and routine maintenance of the house , health, transport, communication, recreation and culture ,education, restaurants and hotels and miscellaneous goods and services.

It is worth noting that in some cases the groups of commodities or services include more than one period such as health which has monthly, quarterly and annually items depending upon the consumption frequency of these items.

Three different questionnaires have been designed as following:
1) Expenditure and consumption questionnaire.
2) Diary questionnaire for expenditure and consumption.
3) Income questionnaire.

In designing the questionnaires of expenditure, consumption and income, we were taking into our consideration the following:
- Using the recent concepts and definitions of International Labor Organization approved in the International Convention of Labor Statisticians held in Geneva, 2003.
- Using the recent Classification of Individual Consumption according to Purpose (COICOP).
- Using more than one approach of expenditure measurement to serve many purposes of the survey.

A brief description of each questionnaire is given next:

1) Expenditure and Consumption Questionnaire
This questionnaire comprises 14 tables in addition to identification and geographic data of household on the cover page. The questionnaire is divided into two main sections.

Section One: Household schedule and other information.
It includes:
- Demographic characteristics and basic data for all household individuals consisting of 18 questions for every person.
- Members of household who are currently working abroad.
- The household ration card.
- The main outlets that provide food and beverage.
- Domestic and foreign tourism.
- The housing conditions including 15 questions.
- Means of transportation used to go to work or school.
- The household possession of appliances and means of transportation.
- This section includes some questions which help to define the social and economic level of households which in turn, help interviewers to check the plausibility of expenditure, consumption and income data.

Section Two: Expenditure and Consumption Data.
It includes 14 tables as follows:
- The quantity and value of food and beverages commodities actually consumed.
- The quantity and value of the actual consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics.
- The quantity and value of the clothing and footwear.
- The household expenditure for housing.
- The household expenditure for furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house.
- The household expenditure for health care services.
- The household expenditure for transportation.
- The household expenditure for communication.
- The household expenditure for recreation and culture.
- The household expenditure for education.
- The household expenditure at restaurants and hotels.
- The household expenditure for miscellaneous goods and services.
- Transfer payments.
- Total annual household expenditure (prepared in office)

The tables from 1 to 13 include all types of commodities and services (771 Items), 47 Sub-group and 12 Main groups in addition to transfer payments.
This questionnaire has been designed to be pre-coded for all expenditure items and household characteristics except occupation and industry. Whenever relevant, the questionnaire provides spaces for different reference periods such as two weeks, monthly, quarterly and annually.
The total number of items is increased to 771 commodity and service compared with 746 in the last survey.

2) Diary Questionnaire
It has been prepared to help households recording - on a daily basis- the quantity and value of what have been consumed of food and beverages during the reference period (15 days).
The interviewers are instructed to check what households have recorded in the preceding three days. In case of the inability of some households to record their daily expenditure, the interviewer has to do so.

The questionnaire includes:
a - Letter addressed to the head of household to inform him/her about the importance of survey so that his/her cooperation may be stimulated.
b - Instructions of data recording for households and interviewers.
c - A group of modules to record daily consumption of household as follows:
Module (A): Includes twenty pages to record the daily consumed, quantity and value of food and beverages including:
Date, source of commodities, quantity and value.
Module (B): Includes eight pages to record the value of expenditure for meals and tobacco outside the house, in addition to the value of expenditure for food prepared outside the house and consumed inside the house.
Module (C): Includes ten pages to record the total of quantity and value of consumed food and beverages according to source, either from household production or not.
Module (E): Includes two pages to record total expenditure on food and beverages consumed outside home.

3) Income questionnaire
It includes household income data according to income sources. It consists of several tables; each is designated to a specific income source.
These sources are:
- Wages and salaries for wage/salary earners among household members.
- Agriculture projects.
- Non Agriculture projects.
- Financial properties.
- Non- financial properties.
- Imputed rent of owner-occupied dwellings.
- Received cash and in kind transfers

Starting from 2004/2005 survey, a new table has been added for absent household members who spent a part of the survey year with the household and contributed in its aggregated income during that period. Absence of a household member can be for several reasons such as traveling, marriage, death, etc.

Name	Abbreviation	Affiliation
Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics	CAPMAS	Arab Republic of Egypt

The field staff was selected from among the efficient experienced persons working in CAPMAS and new graduates specially females.
Intensive training program for supervisors was conducted at CAPMAS in Cairo and locally in governorates for interviewers and field editors.
Supervision program was implemented (each 15 days) in all governorates to check the field work to overcome the field problems.
Data were collected by using personal interview method for household in dwelling and it had been obtained from the head of household or wife or any eligible person in case of their absence.

Duties and responsibilities of all levels of field staff (interviewer, editor and supervisor) were defined to insure the accuracy and timing. These are outlined next:
A) Interviewers
Every one of them was responsible for data collection of five households during 15 days with six visits as follows:

(1) First visit
It started before the survey period by one or two days. Its purpose is to ensure the existence of the household, meet the head of household, present herself and her CAPMAS card to him. She also gives the household a simple idea about the survey (its objectives, importance and required data especially expenditure and consumption data).
Showing households the methods of recording their daily data and knowing the suitable time for visiting them. Also delivering the diary book to the household.
In case of the household refusal of cooperating with the interviewer, she has to convince them and if she failed she must inform her supervisor.

(2) Second visit
This visit is made in the middle of the first week of the survey period and it includes the following:
- Editing the recorded data of expenditure and consumption in the diary book by the household.
- Completing the data of the third table related with the quantity and value of clothing and footwear that the household obtained and table four related to household expenditure on housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel.

(3) Third visits
It is the same as the previous visit but made in the second part of the first week. in addition to checking household recording of expenditure, the interviewer have to complete the following tables:
The Fifth table: related to household expenditure on furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house.
The Sixth table : related to household expenditure on health.
The Seventh table: related to household expenditure on transportation.

(4) Fourth visit
This visit was in the first part of second week and it includes the following:
Recording or editing the recorded data of expenditure and consumption during the first week and following up recording data of expenditure outside the home on catering services.
Completing these tables:
- The Eighth table : related to household expenditure on communication.
- The Ninth table : related to household expenditure on recreation and cultural services.
- The Tenth table : related to household expenditure on education.

(5) Fifth visit
This visit was in the middle of the second week. It included the followings:
- Recording or editing the recorded data of expenditure and consumption of commodities and services in diary questionnaire during the following days of previous visit.
- Following up recording the data of expenditure on restaurants, coffees and hotels.
- Completing the data of the Eleventh table related to household consumption on restaurants, coffees and hotels and completing the data of the Twelfth table related to household expenditure on miscellaneous goods and services and the Second table related to actual household - - Consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics.
- Completing the first Table related to the quantity and value of food and beverages actually consumed during the survey period.
- Completing the thirteenth table related to transfer payments during the year ended with survey period.
- Editing data of expenditure and writing clarification notes of any inconsistencies in the data.

(6) Sixth visit
It is made in the beginning of the days following the survey period. It includes the following:
- Completing the missing data.
- Filling down the income data for individuals having income in the household except servants.

B) Editor
The Editor was responsible for checking the work of the interviewers working immediately under his guidance.

C) Supervisor
They were responsible for financial and technical aspects of all the survey stages especially:
Selecting interviewers (females) and editors (males) and send the list of their names to the administration of survey.
- Attending the central training in Cairo
- Training the interviewers on field work.