Abstract

The harmonized data set on health, created and published by the ERF, is a subset of Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2006/2007. It was derived from the household, individual and health modules, collected in the context of the above mentioned survey. The sample was then used to create a harmonized health survey, comparable with the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012 micro data set.

----> Overview of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2006/2007:
In order to develop an effective poverty reduction policies and programs, Iraqi policy makers need to know how large the poverty problem is, what kind of people are poor, and what are the causes and consequences of poverty. Until recently, they had neither the data nor an official poverty line. (The last national income and expenditure survey was in 1988.)

In response to this situation, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation established the Household Survey and Policies for Poverty Reduction Project in 2006, with financial and technical support of the World Bank. The project has been led by the Iraqi Poverty Reduction Strategy High Committee, a group which includes representatives from Parliament, the prime minister's office, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the ministries of Planning and Development Cooperation, Finance, Trade, Labor and Social Affairs, Education, Health, Women's Affairs, and Baghdad University.

The Project has consisted of three components: - Collection of data which can provide a measurable indicator of welfare, i.e. The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES).

• Establishment of an official poverty line (i.e. a cut off point below which people are considered poor) and analysis of poverty (how large the poverty problem is, what kind of people are poor and what are the causes and consequences of poverty).

• Development of a Poverty Reduction Strategy, based on a solid understanding of poverty in Iraq.

The survey has four main objectives. These are:

• To provide data that will help in the measurement and analysis of poverty. • To provide data required to establish a new consumer price index (CPI) since the current outdated CPI is based on 1993 data and no longer applies to the country's vastly changed circumstances. • To provide data that meet the requirements and needs of national accounts. • To provide other indicators, such as consumption expenditure, sources of income, human development, and time use.

The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office were then harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, to create a comparable version with the 2012 Household Socio Economic Survey in Iraq. Harmonization at this stage only included unifying variables' names, labels and some definitions. See: Iraq 2007 & 2012- Variables Mapping & Availability Matrix.pdf provided in the external resources for further information on the mapping of the original variables on the harmonized ones, in addition to more indications on the variables' availability in both survey years and relevant comments.

Geographic coverage

National coverage: Covering a sample of urban, rural and metropolitan areas in all the governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Analysis unit

1- Household/family. 2- Individual/person.

Universe

The survey covered a national sample of households and all individuals permanently residing in surveyed households.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

----> Total sample size and stratification:

The total effective sample size of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 is 17,822 households. The survey was nominally designed to visit 18,144 households - 324 in each of 56 major strata. The strata are the rural, urban and metropolitan sections of each of Iraq's 18 governorates, with the exception of Baghdad, which has three metropolitan strata. The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 and the MICS 2006 survey intended to visit the same nominal sample. Variable q0040 indicates whether this was indeed the case.

----> Sample frame:

The 1997 population census frame was applied to the 15 governorates that participated in the census (the three governorates in Kurdistan Region of Iraq were excluded). For Sulaimaniya, the population frame prepared for the compulsory education project was adopted. For Erbil and Duhouk, the enumeration frame implemented in the 2004 Iraq Living Conditions Survey was updated and used. The population covered by Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) included all households residing in Iraq from November 1, 2006, to October 30, 2007, meaning that every household residing within Iraq's geographical boundaries during that period potentially could be selected for the sample.

----> Primary sampling units and the listing and mapping exercise:

The 1997 population census frame provided a database for all households. The smallest enumeration unit was the village in rural areas and the majal (census enumeration area), which is a collection of 15-25 urban households. The majals were merged to form Primary Sampling Units (PSUs), containing 70-100 households each. In Kurdistan, PSUs were created based on the maps and frames updated by the statistics offices. Villages in rural areas, especially those with few inhabitants, were merged to form PSUs. Selecting a truly representative sample required that changes between 1997 and the pilot survey be accounted for. The names and addresses of the households in each sample point (that is, the selected PSU) were updated; and a map was drawn that defined the unit's borders, buildings, houses, and the streets and alleys passing through. All buildings were renumbered. A list of heads of household in each sample point was prepared from forms that were filled out and used as a frame for selecting the sample households.

----> Sampling strategy and sampling stages:

The sample was selected in two stages, with groups of majals (Census Enumeration Areas) as Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) and households as Secondary Sampling Units. In the first stage, 54 PSUs were selected with probability proportional to size (pps) within each stratum, using the number of households recorded by the 1997 Census as a measure of size. In the second stage, six households were selected by systematic equal probability sampling (seps) within each PSU. To these effects, a cartographic updating and household listing operation was conducted in 2006 in all 3,024 PSUs, without resorting to the segmentation of any large PSUs. The total sample is thus nominally composed of 6 households in each of 3,024 PSUs.

----> Sample Points Trios, teams and survey waves:

The PSUs selected in each governorate (270 in Baghdad and 162 in each of the other governorates) were sorted into groups of three neighboring PSUs called trios -- 90 trios in Baghdad and 54 per governorate elsewhere. The three PSUs in each trio do not necessarily belong to the same stratum. The 12 months of the data collection period were divided into 18 periods of 20 or 21 days called survey waves. Fieldworkers were organized into teams of three interviewers, each team being responsible for interviewing one trio during a survey wave. The survey used 56 teams in total - 5 in Baghdad and 3 per governorate elsewhere. The 18 trios assigned to each team were allocated into survey waves at random. The 'time use' module was administered to two of the six households selected in each PSU: nominally the second and fifth households selected by the seps procedure in the PSU.

----> Time-use sample:

The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) questionnaire on time use covered all household members aged 10 years and older. A subsample of one-third of the households was selected (the second and fifth of the six households in each sample point). The second and fourth visits were designated for completion of the time-use sheet, which covered all activities performed by every member of the household.

A more detailed description of the allocation of sample across governorates is provided in the tabulation report document available among external resources in both English and Arabic.

Sampling deviation

----> Exceptional Measures

The design did not consider the replacement of any of the randomly selected units (PSUs or households.) However, sometimes a team could not visit a cluster during the allocated wave because of unsafe security conditions. When this happened, that cluster was then swapped with another cluster from a randomly selected future wave that was considered more secure. If none were considered secure, a sample point was randomly selected from among those that had been visited already. The team then visited a new cluster within that sample point. (That is, the team visited six households that had not been previously interviewed.) The original cluster as well as the new cluster were both selected by systematic equal probability sampling.

This explains why the survey datasets only contain data from 2,876 of the 3,024 originally selected PSUs, whereas 55 of the PSUs contain more that the six households nominally dictated by the design.

The wave number in the survey datasets is always the nominal wave number, corresponding to the random allocation considered by the design. The effective interview dates can be found in questions 35 to 39 of the survey questionnaires.

Remarkably few of the original clusters could not be visited during the fieldwork. Nationally, less than 2 percent of the original clusters (55 of 3,024) had to be replaced. Of the original clusters, 20 of 54 (37 percent) could not be visited in the stratum of “Kirkuk/other urban” and

Abstract

The harmonized data set on health, created and published by the ERF, is a subset of Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012. It was derived from the household, individual and health modules, collected in the context of the above mentioned survey. The sample was then used to create a harmonized health survey, comparable with the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 micro data set.

----> Overview of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012:

Iraq is considered a leader in household expenditure and income surveys where the first was conducted in 1946 followed by surveys in 1954 and 1961. After the establishment of Central Statistical Organization, household expenditure and income surveys were carried out every 3-5 years in (1971/ 1972, 1976, 1979, 1984/ 1985, 1988, 1993, 2002 / 2007). Implementing the cooperation between CSO and WB, Central Statistical Organization (CSO) and Kurdistan Region Statistics Office (KRSO) launched fieldwork on IHSES on 1/1/2012. The survey was carried out over a full year covering all governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

The survey has six main objectives. These objectives are:

1. Provide data for poverty analysis and measurement and monitor, evaluate and update the implementation Poverty Reduction National Strategy issued in 2009.
2. Provide comprehensive data system to assess household social and economic conditions and prepare the indicators related to the human development.
3. Provide data that meet the needs and requirements of national accounts.
4. Provide detailed indicators on consumption expenditure that serve making decision related to production, consumption, export and import.
5. Provide detailed indicators on the sources of households and individuals income.
6. Provide data necessary for formulation of a new consumer price index number.

The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office were then harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, to create a comparable version with the 2006/2007 Household Socio Economic Survey in Iraq. Harmonization at this stage only included unifying variables' names, labels and some definitions. See: Iraq 2007 & 2012- Variables Mapping & Availability Matrix.pdf provided in the external resources for further information on the mapping of the original variables on the harmonized ones, in addition to more indications on the variables' availability in both survey years and relevant comments.

Geographic coverage

National coverage: Covering a sample of urban, rural and metropolitan areas in all the governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Analysis unit

1- Household/family. 2- Individual/person.

Universe

The survey was carried out over a full year covering all governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

----> Design:

Sample size was (25488) household for the whole Iraq, 216 households for each district of 118 districts, 2832 clusters each of which includes 9 households distributed on districts and governorates for rural and urban.

----> Sample frame:

Listing and numbering results of 2009-2010 Population and Housing Survey were adopted in all the governorates including Kurdistan Region as a frame to select households, the sample was selected in two stages: Stage 1: Primary sampling unit (blocks) within each stratum (district) for urban and rural were systematically selected with probability proportional to size to reach 2832 units (cluster). Stage two: 9 households from each primary sampling unit were selected to create a cluster, thus the sample size of total survey clusters was 25488 households distributed on the governorates, 216 households in each district.

----> Sampling Stages:

In each district, the sample was selected in two stages: Stage 1: based on 2010 listing and numbering frame 24 sample points were selected within each stratum through systematic sampling with probability proportional to size, in addition to the implicit breakdown urban and rural and geographic breakdown (sub-district, quarter, street, county, village and block). Stage 2: Using households as secondary sampling units, 9 households were selected from each sample point using systematic equal probability sampling. Sampling frames of each stages can be developed based on 2010 building listing and numbering without updating household lists. In some small districts, random selection processes of primary sampling may lead to select less than 24 units therefore a sampling unit is selected more than once , the selection may reach two cluster or more from the same enumeration unit when it is necessary.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

----> Preparation:

The questionnaire of 2006 survey was adopted in designing the questionnaire of 2012 survey on which many revisions were made. Two rounds of pre-test were carried out. Revision were made based on the feedback of field work team, World Bank consultants and others, other revisions were made before final version was implemented in a pilot survey in September 2011. After the pilot survey implemented, other revisions were made in based on the challenges and feedbacks emerged during the implementation to implement the final version in the actual survey.

----> Questionnaire Parts:

The questionnaire consists of four parts each with several sections: Part 1: Socio – Economic Data: - Section 1: Household Roster - Section 2: Emigration - Section 3: Food Rations - Section 4: housing - Section 5: education - Section 6: health - Section 7: Physical measurements - Section 8: job seeking and previous job

Part 2: Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Expenditures: - Section 9: Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 30 days). - Section 10 : Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 90 days). - Section 11: Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 12 months). - Section 12: Expenditures on Non-food Frequent Food Stuff and Commodities (7 days). - Section 12, Table 1: Meals Had Within the Residential Unit. - Section 12, table 2: Number of Persons Participate in the Meals within Household Expenditure Other Than its Members.

Part 3: Income and Other Data: - Section 13: Job - Section 14: paid jobs - Section 15: Agriculture, forestry and fishing - Section 16: Household non – agricultural projects - Section 17: Income from ownership and transfers - Section 18: Durable goods - Section 19: Loans, advances and subsidies - Section 20: Shocks and strategy of dealing in the households - Section 21: Time use - Section 22: Justice - Section 23: Satisfaction in life - Section 24: Food consumption during past 7 days

Part 4: Diary of Daily Expenditures: Diary of expenditure is an essential component of this survey. It is left at the household to record all the daily purchases such as expenditures on food and frequent non-food items such as gasoline, newspapers…etc. during 7 days. Two pages were allocated for recording the expenditures of each day, thus the roster will be consists of 14 pages.

Cleaning operations

----> Raw Data:

Data Editing and Processing: To ensure accuracy and consistency, the data were edited at the following stages: 1. Interviewer: Checks all answers on the household questionnaire, confirming that they are clear and correct. 2. Local Supervisor: Checks to make sure that questions has been correctly completed. 3. Statistical analysis: After exporting data files from excel to SPSS, the Statistical Analysis Unit uses program commands to identify irregular or non-logical values in addition to auditing some variables. 4. World Bank consultants in coordination with the CSO data management team: the World Bank technical consultants use additional programs in SPSS and STAT to examine and correct remaining inconsistencies within the data files. The software detects errors by analyzing questionnaire items according to the expected parameter for each variable.

----> Harmonized Data:

• The SPSS package is used to harmonize the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 with Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012.
• The harmonization process starts with raw data files received from the Statistical Office.
• A program is generated for each dataset to create harmonized variables.
• Data is saved on the household and individual level, in SPSS and then converted to STATA, to be disseminated.

Response rate

Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) reached a total of 25488 households. Number of households refused to response was 305, response rate was 98.6%. The highest interview rates were in Ninevah and Muthanna (100%) while the lowest rates were in Sulaimaniya (92%).

Abstract

The harmonized data set on health, created and published by the ERF, is a subset of Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012. It was derived from the household, individual and health modules, collected in the context of the above mentioned survey. The sample was then used to create a harmonized health survey, comparable with the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 micro data set.

----> Overview of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012:

Iraq is considered a leader in household expenditure and income surveys where the first was conducted in 1946 followed by surveys in 1954 and 1961. After the establishment of Central Statistical Organization, household expenditure and income surveys were carried out every 3-5 years in (1971/ 1972, 1976, 1979, 1984/ 1985, 1988, 1993, 2002 / 2007). Implementing the cooperation between CSO and WB, Central Statistical Organization (CSO) and Kurdistan Region Statistics Office (KRSO) launched fieldwork on IHSES on 1/1/2012. The survey was carried out over a full year covering all governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

The survey has six main objectives. These objectives are:

1. Provide data for poverty analysis and measurement and monitor, evaluate and update the implementation Poverty Reduction National Strategy issued in 2009.
2. Provide comprehensive data system to assess household social and economic conditions and prepare the indicators related to the human development.
3. Provide data that meet the needs and requirements of national accounts.
4. Provide detailed indicators on consumption expenditure that serve making decision related to production, consumption, export and import.
5. Provide detailed indicators on the sources of households and individuals income.
6. Provide data necessary for formulation of a new consumer price index number.

The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office were then harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, to create a comparable version with the 2006/2007 Household Socio Economic Survey in Iraq. Harmonization at this stage only included unifying variables' names, labels and some definitions. See: Iraq 2007 & 2012- Variables Mapping & Availability Matrix.pdf provided in the external resources for further information on the mapping of the original variables on the harmonized ones, in addition to more indications on the variables' availability in both survey years and relevant comments.

Geographic coverage

National coverage: Covering a sample of urban, rural and metropolitan areas in all the governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Analysis unit

1- Household/family. 2- Individual/person.

Universe

The survey was carried out over a full year covering all governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

----> Design:

Sample size was (25488) household for the whole Iraq, 216 households for each district of 118 districts, 2832 clusters each of which includes 9 households distributed on districts and governorates for rural and urban.

----> Sample frame:

Listing and numbering results of 2009-2010 Population and Housing Survey were adopted in all the governorates including Kurdistan Region as a frame to select households, the sample was selected in two stages: Stage 1: Primary sampling unit (blocks) within each stratum (district) for urban and rural were systematically selected with probability proportional to size to reach 2832 units (cluster). Stage two: 9 households from each primary sampling unit were selected to create a cluster, thus the sample size of total survey clusters was 25488 households distributed on the governorates, 216 households in each district.

----> Sampling Stages:

In each district, the sample was selected in two stages: Stage 1: based on 2010 listing and numbering frame 24 sample points were selected within each stratum through systematic sampling with probability proportional to size, in addition to the implicit breakdown urban and rural and geographic breakdown (sub-district, quarter, street, county, village and block). Stage 2: Using households as secondary sampling units, 9 households were selected from each sample point using systematic equal probability sampling. Sampling frames of each stages can be developed based on 2010 building listing and numbering without updating household lists. In some small districts, random selection processes of primary sampling may lead to select less than 24 units therefore a sampling unit is selected more than once , the selection may reach two cluster or more from the same enumeration unit when it is necessary.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

----> Preparation:

The questionnaire of 2006 survey was adopted in designing the questionnaire of 2012 survey on which many revisions were made. Two rounds of pre-test were carried out. Revision were made based on the feedback of field work team, World Bank consultants and others, other revisions were made before final version was implemented in a pilot survey in September 2011. After the pilot survey implemented, other revisions were made in based on the challenges and feedbacks emerged during the implementation to implement the final version in the actual survey.

----> Questionnaire Parts:

The questionnaire consists of four parts each with several sections: Part 1: Socio – Economic Data: - Section 1: Household Roster - Section 2: Emigration - Section 3: Food Rations - Section 4: housing - Section 5: education - Section 6: health - Section 7: Physical measurements - Section 8: job seeking and previous job

Part 2: Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Expenditures: - Section 9: Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 30 days). - Section 10 : Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 90 days). - Section 11: Expenditures on Non – Food Commodities and Services (past 12 months). - Section 12: Expenditures on Non-food Frequent Food Stuff and Commodities (7 days). - Section 12, Table 1: Meals Had Within the Residential Unit. - Section 12, table 2: Number of Persons Participate in the Meals within Household Expenditure Other Than its Members.

Part 3: Income and Other Data: - Section 13: Job - Section 14: paid jobs - Section 15: Agriculture, forestry and fishing - Section 16: Household non – agricultural projects - Section 17: Income from ownership and transfers - Section 18: Durable goods - Section 19: Loans, advances and subsidies - Section 20: Shocks and strategy of dealing in the households - Section 21: Time use - Section 22: Justice - Section 23: Satisfaction in life - Section 24: Food consumption during past 7 days

Part 4: Diary of Daily Expenditures: Diary of expenditure is an essential component of this survey. It is left at the household to record all the daily purchases such as expenditures on food and frequent non-food items such as gasoline, newspapers…etc. during 7 days. Two pages were allocated for recording the expenditures of each day, thus the roster will be consists of 14 pages.

Cleaning operations

----> Raw Data:

Data Editing and Processing: To ensure accuracy and consistency, the data were edited at the following stages: 1. Interviewer: Checks all answers on the household questionnaire, confirming that they are clear and correct. 2. Local Supervisor: Checks to make sure that questions has been correctly completed. 3. Statistical analysis: After exporting data files from excel to SPSS, the Statistical Analysis Unit uses program commands to identify irregular or non-logical values in addition to auditing some variables. 4. World Bank consultants in coordination with the CSO data management team: the World Bank technical consultants use additional programs in SPSS and STAT to examine and correct remaining inconsistencies within the data files. The software detects errors by analyzing questionnaire items according to the expected parameter for each variable.

----> Harmonized Data:

• The SPSS package is used to harmonize the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 with Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012.
• The harmonization process starts with raw data files received from the Statistical Office.
• A program is generated for each dataset to create harmonized variables.
• Data is saved on the household and individual level, in SPSS and then converted to STATA, to be disseminated.

Response rate

Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) reached a total of 25488 households. Number of households refused to response was 305, response rate was 98.6%. The highest interview rates were in Ninevah and Muthanna (100%) while the lowest rates were in Sulaimaniya (92%).

Abstract

The harmonized data set on health, created and published by the ERF, is a subset of Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2006/2007. It was derived from the household, individual and health modules, collected in the context of the above mentioned survey. The sample was then used to create a harmonized health survey, comparable with the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2012 micro data set.

----> Overview of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2006/2007:
In order to develop an effective poverty reduction policies and programs, Iraqi policy makers need to know how large the poverty problem is, what kind of people are poor, and what are the causes and consequences of poverty. Until recently, they had neither the data nor an official poverty line. (The last national income and expenditure survey was in 1988.)

In response to this situation, the Iraqi Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation established the Household Survey and Policies for Poverty Reduction Project in 2006, with financial and technical support of the World Bank. The project has been led by the Iraqi Poverty Reduction Strategy High Committee, a group which includes representatives from Parliament, the prime minister's office, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the ministries of Planning and Development Cooperation, Finance, Trade, Labor and Social Affairs, Education, Health, Women's Affairs, and Baghdad University.

The Project has consisted of three components: - Collection of data which can provide a measurable indicator of welfare, i.e. The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES).

• Establishment of an official poverty line (i.e. a cut off point below which people are considered poor) and analysis of poverty (how large the poverty problem is, what kind of people are poor and what are the causes and consequences of poverty).

• Development of a Poverty Reduction Strategy, based on a solid understanding of poverty in Iraq.

The survey has four main objectives. These are:

• To provide data that will help in the measurement and analysis of poverty. • To provide data required to establish a new consumer price index (CPI) since the current outdated CPI is based on 1993 data and no longer applies to the country's vastly changed circumstances. • To provide data that meet the requirements and needs of national accounts. • To provide other indicators, such as consumption expenditure, sources of income, human development, and time use.

The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Office were then harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, to create a comparable version with the 2012 Household Socio Economic Survey in Iraq. Harmonization at this stage only included unifying variables' names, labels and some definitions. See: Iraq 2007 & 2012- Variables Mapping & Availability Matrix.pdf provided in the external resources for further information on the mapping of the original variables on the harmonized ones, in addition to more indications on the variables' availability in both survey years and relevant comments.

Geographic coverage

National coverage: Covering a sample of urban, rural and metropolitan areas in all the governorates including those in Kurdistan Region.

Analysis unit

1- Household/family. 2- Individual/person.

Universe

The survey covered a national sample of households and all individuals permanently residing in surveyed households.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

----> Total sample size and stratification:

The total effective sample size of the Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 is 17,822 households. The survey was nominally designed to visit 18,144 households - 324 in each of 56 major strata. The strata are the rural, urban and metropolitan sections of each of Iraq's 18 governorates, with the exception of Baghdad, which has three metropolitan strata. The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) 2007 and the MICS 2006 survey intended to visit the same nominal sample. Variable q0040 indicates whether this was indeed the case.

----> Sample frame:

The 1997 population census frame was applied to the 15 governorates that participated in the census (the three governorates in Kurdistan Region of Iraq were excluded). For Sulaimaniya, the population frame prepared for the compulsory education project was adopted. For Erbil and Duhouk, the enumeration frame implemented in the 2004 Iraq Living Conditions Survey was updated and used. The population covered by Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) included all households residing in Iraq from November 1, 2006, to October 30, 2007, meaning that every household residing within Iraq's geographical boundaries during that period potentially could be selected for the sample.

----> Primary sampling units and the listing and mapping exercise:

The 1997 population census frame provided a database for all households. The smallest enumeration unit was the village in rural areas and the majal (census enumeration area), which is a collection of 15-25 urban households. The majals were merged to form Primary Sampling Units (PSUs), containing 70-100 households each. In Kurdistan, PSUs were created based on the maps and frames updated by the statistics offices. Villages in rural areas, especially those with few inhabitants, were merged to form PSUs. Selecting a truly representative sample required that changes between 1997 and the pilot survey be accounted for. The names and addresses of the households in each sample point (that is, the selected PSU) were updated; and a map was drawn that defined the unit's borders, buildings, houses, and the streets and alleys passing through. All buildings were renumbered. A list of heads of household in each sample point was prepared from forms that were filled out and used as a frame for selecting the sample households.

----> Sampling strategy and sampling stages:

The sample was selected in two stages, with groups of majals (Census Enumeration Areas) as Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) and households as Secondary Sampling Units. In the first stage, 54 PSUs were selected with probability proportional to size (pps) within each stratum, using the number of households recorded by the 1997 Census as a measure of size. In the second stage, six households were selected by systematic equal probability sampling (seps) within each PSU. To these effects, a cartographic updating and household listing operation was conducted in 2006 in all 3,024 PSUs, without resorting to the segmentation of any large PSUs. The total sample is thus nominally composed of 6 households in each of 3,024 PSUs.

----> Sample Points Trios, teams and survey waves:

The PSUs selected in each governorate (270 in Baghdad and 162 in each of the other governorates) were sorted into groups of three neighboring PSUs called trios -- 90 trios in Baghdad and 54 per governorate elsewhere. The three PSUs in each trio do not necessarily belong to the same stratum. The 12 months of the data collection period were divided into 18 periods of 20 or 21 days called survey waves. Fieldworkers were organized into teams of three interviewers, each team being responsible for interviewing one trio during a survey wave. The survey used 56 teams in total - 5 in Baghdad and 3 per governorate elsewhere. The 18 trios assigned to each team were allocated into survey waves at random. The 'time use' module was administered to two of the six households selected in each PSU: nominally the second and fifth households selected by the seps procedure in the PSU.

----> Time-use sample:

The Iraq Household Socio Economic Survey (IHSES) questionnaire on time use covered all household members aged 10 years and older. A subsample of one-third of the households was selected (the second and fifth of the six households in each sample point). The second and fourth visits were designated for completion of the time-use sheet, which covered all activities performed by every member of the household.

A more detailed description of the allocation of sample across governorates is provided in the tabulation report document available among external resources in both English and Arabic.

Sampling deviation

----> Exceptional Measures

The design did not consider the replacement of any of the randomly selected units (PSUs or households.) However, sometimes a team could not visit a cluster during the allocated wave because of unsafe security conditions. When this happened, that cluster was then swapped with another cluster from a randomly selected future wave that was considered more secure. If none were considered secure, a sample point was randomly selected from among those that had been visited already. The team then visited a new cluster within that sample point. (That is, the team visited six households that had not been previously interviewed.) The original cluster as well as the new cluster were both selected by systematic equal probability sampling.

This explains why the survey datasets only contain data from 2,876 of the 3,024 originally selected PSUs, whereas 55 of the PSUs contain more that the six households nominally dictated by the design.

The wave number in the survey datasets is always the nominal wave number, corresponding to the random allocation considered by the design. The effective interview dates can be found in questions 35 to 39 of the survey questionnaires.

Remarkably few of the original clusters could not be visited during the fieldwork. Nationally, less than 2 percent of the original clusters (55 of 3,024) had to be replaced. Of the original clusters, 20 of 54 (37 percent) could not be visited in the stratum of “Kirkuk/other urban” and