FAO STATISTICAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES No. 6
CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL CENSUSES AND SURVEYS
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome, 1995

Since its establishment, FAO has promoted national censuses of agriculture through the 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990 Programmes for the World Census of Agriculture.

 In October 1995, FAO published the Programme for the World Census of Agriculture 2000 to assist countries with the conduct of their agricultural censuses, in the decade 1996-2005, by providing definitions, concepts, standards and guidelines for this Programme.

 This publication 'Conducting Agricultural Censuses and Surveys' is a revised and updated edition of 'Taking Agricultural Censuses', 1978, FAO. It is complementary to the Programme for the World Census of Agriculture 2000 and provides much practical information on the steps involved in actually conducting an agricultural census either on a complete enumeration basis or a sample basis.

The revisions made refer particularly to new technical advances in computer techniques, frame preparations, sampling, etc. The principles for 'getting the job done' are based on many years of on-the-job experience contributed by national and international experts in this field as well as the staff of FAO's Statistical Development Service. FAO is grateful to all who have provided inputs and hopes member countries will find it facilitates and contributes to their conduct of national agricultural censuses so as to advance their qualified knowledge of the agricultural sector.

• FOREWORD
• INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER 1. CENSUS LEGISLATION
  •  Introduction (1.1-1.3)
  • Main features of census legislation (1.4)
  • Juridical basis of agricultural census legislation (1.5)
  • Authority for the promulgation and execution of legislation (1.6-1.7)
  • Scope of census legislation (1.8-1.10)
  • Contact with the respondent and obligatory collaboration (1.11-1.14)
  • Confidentiality of information and penalties (1.15-1.16)
  •  Annex: Example of law (Canada) (1.17)
• CHAPTER 2. CENSUS COMMITTEE
  • Composition of the committee (2.1-2.2)
  • Main responsibilities and functions (2.3)
  • Establishment of sub-committees and working groups (2.4)
  • Establishment of provincial committees (2.5)
  • Other boards/committees (2.6)
• CHAPTER 3. WORK PLAN, BUDGET AND EXPENDITURE CONTROL
  • The work plan (3.1-3.5)
  • The financial outline (3.6-3.9)
  • Preparation of the budget )3.10-3.12)
  • Review of the work plan, the budget and frequency (3.13-3.20)
• CHAPTER 4. CENSUS STAFF
  • Introduction (4.1-4.2)
  • Census coordinator (4.3)
  •  Members of the census office (4.4-4.8)
  • Field staff (4.9-4.10)
  • Enumerators (4.11-4.15)
  • Supervisors (4.16-4.20)
  • Organizational aspects (4.21-4.23)
• CHAPTER 5. CARTOGRAPHIC PREPARATION
  • Introduction (5.1-5.7)
  •  Purpose of maps (5.8)
  • Exploration of existing map resources inventory (5.9)
  • Types of maps used (5.10)
  •  Timing of cartographic preparation (5.11-5.13)
  •  Computer-assisted cartography (5.14)
• CHAPTER 6. THE SURVEY DESIGN
  • Objectives of agricultural censuses and surveys (6.1-6.4)
  •  Sample design and survey design (6.5-6.8)
  • Complete enumeration censuses versus censuses carried out on a sample basis (6.9)
  • Advantages of carrying out a census on the basis of complete enumeration (6.10-6.14)
  • Disadvantages of carrying out a census on the basis of complete enumeration (6.15-6.17)
  • Factors for consideration in choosing between a complete or a sample census (6.18-6.21)
  • Main types of sample designs for agricultural censuses (6.22)
  • List sample designs (6.23-6.25)
  •  Data collection procedures for list sample designs (6.26)
  •  Area sample designs (6.27-6.29)
  •  Data collection procedures for area sample designs (6.30-6.32)
  •  Estimation procedures in area sample designs with segments that have recognizable  physical boundaries (6.33-6.36)
  •  The weighted segment estimation method (6.37-6.38)
  •  The open segment estimation method (6.39-6.40)
  •  Multiple frame sample designs (6.41-6.44)
  •  Choice of sample design (6.45-6.49)
  •  Multiple frame designs versus area sample designs (6.50)
  •  Multiple frame designs versus list sample designs (6.51-6.52)
  •  Other uses of sampling techniques (6.53-6.54)
• CHAPTER 7. PREPARATION OF THE FRAMES
  •  Definition of frame (7.1-7.4)
  •  Practical approaches of frames (7.5-7.8)
  • The frame of a census conducted by complete enumeration (7.9-7.20)
  • Construction of the frame using the population and housing census (7.21-7.35)
  • The frame of a census conducted by sample enumeration (7.36)
  • Preparation of the frames for list sample designs (7.37-7.48)
  • Preparation of the frames for area sample designs (7.49-7.50)
  •  Preparation of the frames for area sample designs with segments that have recognizable physical boundaries (7.51-7.57)
  •  Preparation of the frames for area sample designs with segments that coincide with the land of agricultural holdings (7.58)
  •  Preparation of the frames for multiple frame sample designs (7.59-7.61)
  •  Geographic Information Systems (7.62)
• CHAPTER 8. CENSUS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • Development of the census questionnaire (8.1-8.20)
  • Census questionnaire working group (8.21-8.24)
  • Use of questionnaires developed in other countries (8.25)
  • Tabulation plan (8.26)
  • Processing the questionnaire (8.27-8.37)
  • Testing of census questionnaires (8.38)
• CHAPTER 9. TABULATION PLAN
  • Introduction (9.1-9.5)
  • Talk to the users (9.6-9.7)
  •  Data processing and evaluation (9.8)
  • Amount of tabulation for administrative units and the limitations due to sampling (9.9-9.12)
  • Preparation of the tabulation plan (9.13-9.21)
  • Cross-tabulations (9.22-9.34)
  •  Presentation of the tabulation plan (9.35-9.39)
• CHAPTER 10. CENSUS PUBLICITY
  • Organization of publicity campaign (10.1-10.7)
  • Types of media (10.8-10.9)
  • Timing, duration and frequency of campaign (10.10-10.11)
  • Other possible action to obtain support and cooperation of holders (10.12)
  • Examples of media (10.13-10.18)
• CHAPTER 11. INSTRUCTION MANUALS
  • Purpose of the instruction manuals (11.1-11.2)
  • Timely preparation of manuals (11.3)
  • Authors of the instruction manuals (11.4-11.5)
  • Presentation of the instruction manuals (11.6)
  • Format of the instruction manuals (11.7-11.11)
  • Contents of the instruction manuals (11.12-11.15)
  • Manual for the enumerator (11.16-11.18)
  • Manual for the supervisor (11.19-11.26)
  •  Training of enumerators (11.27-11.29)
  •  Intensity of supervision (11.30-11.32)
  •  Authority of the supervisors (11.33)
  •  How to solve the difficulties of the enumerators (11.34-11.38)
  • Manual for the provincial coordinators (11.39-11.44)
• CHAPTER 12. TRAINING PROGRAMME
  • Introduction (12.1-12.6)
  • Training at international centres (12.7-12.10)
  • Training at national centres (12.11-12.12)
  • Duration and content of enumerator training courses (12.13-12.17)
  • Duration and content of supervisor training courses (12.18-12.19)
  • Use of training aids (12.20-12.25)
  • Training in writing inspection reports (12.26-12.27)
• CHAPTER 13. PRE-TEST SURVEYS AND PILOT CENSUSES
  • Introduction (13.1-13.2)
  • Pre-test surveys (13.3-13.4)
  • The pilot census (13.5-13.7)
  • Concepts and definitions (13.8)
  •  Estimating resource requirements (13.9-13.11)
  • Frame (13.12-13.13)
  •  Questionnaire (13.14-13.18)
  • Training of enumerators and supervisors (13.19)
  •  Methods of data collection (13.20-13.24)
  • Sampling design and sample size (13.25-13.27)
  • Data processing (13.28-13.31)
• CHAPTER 14. CENSUS ENUMERATION
  • Introduction (14.1-14.3)
  •  Time reference (14.4-14.5)
  • Duration and period of enumeration (14.6-14.12)
  • Control of census operations and time schedule (14.13-14.15)
  • Methods of enumeration (14.16-14.27)
  •  Some tips on interviewing (14.28-14.37)
  •  Special problems of census enumeration (14.38-14.59)
  • Supervision of field work (14.60)
  • Procedure for collecting and forwarding completed questionnaires (14.61)
• CHAPTER 15. ORGANIZATION OF FIELD WORK
  • Department responsible (15.1-15.3)
  • Provincial offices and their work (15.4-15.8)
  • Census field staff (15.9-15.11)
  • General organization of field staff (15.12-15.17)
  • Supervisory work and staff (15.18-15.22)
  • Enumeration work and staff (15.23-15.26)
  •  General suggestions for preparing the interview (15.27-15.29)
• CHAPTER 16. QUALITY CHECKS AND POST-ENUMERATION SURVEYS
  • Introduction (16.1-16.4)
  • Sources of non-sampling errors (16.5-16.20)
  • Checking census tables against other data (16.21-16.23)
  •  Supervision and post-enumeration check (16.24)
  • Purpose of the post-enumeration survey (16.25-16.29)
  • Design of the post-enumeration survey (16.30)
  • Method of data collection in the post-enumeration survey (16.31-16.32)
  •  Presentation of errors detected in the post-enumeration survey (16.33-16.40)
• CHAPTER 17. DATA PROCESSING
  • Prior experiences (17.1-17.4)
  •  Hardware (17.5-17.11)
  • Software (17.12-17.19)
  •  Purpose of checking, editing and coding data (17.20-17.24)
  •  Data processing activities (17.25-17.27)
  • Monitoring and control of questionnaires (17.28-17.29)
  • Checking (manual editing) and coding (17.30-17.36)
  • Data entry and verification (17.37-17.41)
  •  Data entry alternatives (17.42-17.43)
  • Computer editing and coding (17.44-17.49)
  •  Imputation (17.50-17.53)
  • Storage and security (17.54-17.55)
  •  Tabulation (17.56)
  •  Calculation of sampling errors and other analysis (17.57-17.58)
  •  Testing computer programmes (17.59-17.60)
• CHAPTER 18. DISSEMINATION PROGRAMME
  • Introduction (18.1-18.3)
  • Informing the users (18.4-18.7)
  •  The publication plan (18.8-18.9)
  •  Preliminary results (report) (18.10-18.16)
  • Final report (18.17-18.22)
  •  Atlas (18.23-18.24)
  •  Technical report (18.25-18.27)
  • Report on quality checks and post-enumeration surveys (18.28-18.29)
  • Other kinds of dissemination (18.30)
• GLOSSARY