Chapter 4
Planning the Survey
4.1 Introduction
In Chapter 2 we described the business context within which business surveys operate and consequently need to adapt to. In Chapter 3 we discussed the quality challenges that are specific to business surveys. In this chapter we will relate these context and quality challenges to the planning of a business survey. We will consider survey planning from a project management perspective. This means that we will tailor concepts and methods taken from the project management toolbox to both general survey challenges and challenges specific to business surveys. Project management offers methods and tools that can be used to successfully organize the survey to ensure that the survey results are obtained within time and budget and according to specifications. In terms of a survey, this means procuring survey data at a preagreed level of quality at minimum cost and response burden.
Planning is the actual first step in designing and conducting a survey. In the planning of a survey a number of issues need to be considered. They are listed in Figure 4.1, which provides a framework to this chapter. The chapter is divided in two parts: Section 4.2, which briefly discusses the basics of project management in relation to the business survey characteristics, Sections 4.4–4.9, which discuss the planning of a survey in detail. We will see how to plan the business survey as a project, and how to manage the ...
