WORK PLAN AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
FOR SELECTING NATIONAL SURVEY AGENCIES FOR
SELDI 2015/2016 – REGIONAL CORRUPTION MONITORING
SYSTEM
1. Countries:









Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
FYR Macedonia
Kosovo
Montenegro
Serbia
Turkey
2. Objectives
The main objective of the quantitative surveys is to provide comparable information about
corruption perceptions and intensity of corrupt practices in different sectors of public life.
Corruption Indexes (CI) will be computed on the basis of this survey according to the
Corruption Monitoring System (CMS) developed by CSD. The current project is designed to
be comparable with previous SELDI projects implemented in the region in 2001, 2002, and
2014.
3. Project Methodology



National random sample survey of the population aged 18 and over.
Information will be collected through in-home face-to-face interviews.
Sample size will be (at least) N=1000 for each country.
Each agency chosen nationally to conduct the survey, should describe:
 its own experience in carrying out similar surveys;
 the number of interviewers and their experience;
 qualification in the area;
 time needed for the completion of the fieldwork.
Agencies should also specify, in detail, their procedures for data quality control (logical
checking of completed questionnaires, control of the work of interviewers, etc.).
1
3.1. Questionnaire
The estimated duration of the interview is about 25 - 35 minutes. Questionnaires will be
provided in English and the respective national language.
3.2. Sample Size and Sampling Plan
Sample size: at least 1000 completed interviews for each country, at least 100 clusters (or
primary sampling units - PSU) should be used – no more than 10 interviews per cluster.
Sample type: two-stage proportional stratified random sample.
First stage:
1. Strata are defined according to the particular country’s NUTS2 (or NUTS3) regions
and settlement size categories (up to 500 citizens, 501-9999, 10 000 – 49 999, 50 000
+, capital and other major cities with settlement 1 000 000 +)
2. Population is distributed in the Strata cells and proportions of the different cells are
computed
3. At least 100 clusters are selected proportionally to the population structure. For each
cell from the structure the necessary number of clusters is selected randomly.
Settlements with less than 100 people population can be replaced with other of the
same NUTS2 and size <500 (or excluded from the database if they do not represent a
large part of the 18+ population).
4. If in a particular cell there are more clusters than settlements (e.g. 4 clusters but only 2
cities), the distribution of clusters is proportional to the settlements size (e.g. if one of
the two cities in this cell has population 300 000 and the other 100 000, three clusters
go to the first city and 1 to the second city).
5. The urban/rural proportion (towns and cities vs. villages) should be preserved in the
overall sample of clusters.
Example for the first stage (with actual data for Bulgaria):
Population 18+ Bulgaria (Census 2011)
1000049999
Over
50000
Capital –
Sofia
City
TOTAL
NUTS 2
Up to 500 501-9999
BG31 North-West
(Severozapaden)
70610
297560
202812 140954
711936
BG32 North-Central (Severen
tsentralen)
61321
291799
139757 236319
729196
BG33 North-East
(Severoiztochen)
84300
206807
83828 424572
799507
BG34 South-East
(Yugoiztochen)
76598
250450
140499 418205
885752
BG41 South-West
(Yugozapaden)
70237
346066
236738 127495 1021070 1801606
BG42 South-Central (Yuzhen
tsentralen)
129087
433686
224268 447656
1234697
TOTAL
492153
1826368
1027902 1795201 1021070 6162694
Source - Census 2011, National Statistical Institute: http://www.nsi.bg/census2011/indexen.php
2
Proportions
BG31
BG32
BG33
BG34
BG41
BG42
TOTAL
10000Up to 500 501-9999 49999
50000 + Sofia
TOTAL
1,15%
4,83%
3,29%
2,29%
11,55%
1,00%
4,73%
2,27%
3,83%
11,83%
1,37%
3,36%
1,36%
6,89%
12,97%
1,24%
4,06%
2,28%
6,79%
14,37%
1,14%
5,62%
3,84%
2,07% 16,57% 29,23%
2,09%
7,04%
3,64%
7,26%
20,04%
7,99%
29,64%
16,68% 29,13% 16,57%
100%
Distribution of clusters-per-strata/cell, if 10 respondents per cluster (N=1000) is used
Up to 500
BG31
BG32
BG33
BG34
BG41
BG42
TOTAL
1000049999
501-9999
50000 +
Sofia
1
5
3
2
1
5
2
4
2
3
1
7
1
4
2
7
1
6
4
2
2
8
7
30
4
16
7
29
TOTAL
11
12
13
14
30
17
20
17
100
Second stage:
1. No more than 10 people from each cluster are to be interviewed
2. In each of the randomly selected clusters a random address is selected (so called
random starting point in the populated area/region/settlement).
3. Random route, “right hand principle” is used - the first step is to stand on the street at
the starting address, facing towards the end of the street. The right side of the street is
chosen and the walking direction is towards the end of the street. In this direction the
second door has to be found and contact attempted. When the interviewer reaches the
end of the street, he/she turns right and continues in the same manner. If there are
block of flats, the interviewer starts from the top floor, going down and attempting
contact at every second flat.
4. Only dwelling units are to be chosen. At every address up to three recalls should be
made in order to make an interview with the chosen respondent.
5. The results from the contact attempts (even the unsuccessful ones) are written down in
a field form which is used later to compute the response rate in the technical report.
6. Last birthday method for respondent selection, one interview per household - the
criteria of choosing the respondent in the dwelling are the following:
 the member of the family, who is at least 18 years old, and has had the last birthday
should be interviewed (each member has equal chance to be included in the survey);
 the respondent has to be a permanent resident of the household contacted;
 only one person per household should be interviewed.
A sampling plan template will be sent to the agencies to be filled in with fresh data for their
country and then approved together with the actual sample by CSD.
Another template with fresh demographic data for the country will be filled in for the
purposes of weighting the files.
A field form example and technical report template will be provided by CSD.
3
3.3. Data processing: Logical review, data entry, data cleaning, production of SPSS data
file
The final data file should be provided in SPSS, using a SPSS template (datamap) sent by
CSD. Country specific variables could be added at the end of the data file. The final data file
should be checked for logical inconsistencies, for “out of range” values and for other
problems. Each file will be checked by CSD when submitted and if there are logical or
statistical inconsistencies or deviations, the issues will be discussed with the agency
responsible for the fieldwork.
3.4. Technical report
After the completion of fieldwork and the data processing, agencies will have to prepare and
submit a Technical Report including detailed information about:




Sampling plan and fulfillment of the sampling plan (any intentional or unintentional
changes, replacements, deviations from the original, approved sampling plan)
Response rates (computed according to the template provided by CSD)
Comparative demographic information: tables including data from the sample and from
the national statistical authority in the country (age, gender, regional distribution, urban
and rural population, ethnic structure)
Field log summary (field duration, major problems during the fieldwork, problems found
during the data quality checking and the control of the interviewers’ work, major political
or other occurrences for that country which could influence participants’ answers, etc.)
4. Timetable
Fieldwork is planned to be conducted and completed in all countries in January- February
2016, and all survey deliverables (see p. 5 below) should be submitted no later than end of
February 2016.
Local agencies should develop a work plan with concrete dates for the implementation of the
project, submit this plan to CSD and follow the specific deadlines at the project
implementation stage.
Project
stages
Description of work
Stage 1
Preparation of survey
CSD:
Sample plan template
Template for statistical data about population
Fieldwork materials and templates
SPSS datamap
Technical Report template
Agency:
- Work plan
- Sampling plan. To be submitted and checked by
CSD
- Final fieldwork materials (Local questionnaire,
field forms). To be submitted and checked by CSD
Time period
(02.01.2016 –
29.02.2016)
December 2015
December 2015
4
Stage 2
Stage 3
Fieldwork
To be conducted by Agency according to the submitted
work plan
Data entry, checking and data cleaning
Agency:
- Submit to CSD clean SPSS datafile (according to
provided template)
- Submit to CSD Technical report on the survey
(based on submitted template)
- Respond to CSD requests regarding data and
Technical Report
CSD:
- Check consistency of data file
- Ask for correction and verification of data (if
necessary)
- Check consistency of Technical Report and ask for
clarifications (if necessary)
Total:
5. Deliverables that will be expected by the Agencies





Description of the methodology and description of the Local Agency (experience
in carrying out similar surveys, the number of interviewers and their experience,
qualification in the area, procedures for data quality control - logical checking of
completed questionnaires, control of the work of interviewers, etc.)
Local work plan – the different project stages with suggested number of days for
each stage and time period
Sampling plan and sample
A clean SPSS data file
Technical Report
This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European
Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the SELDI
initiative and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
5