Generating Relevant Household Level Data: Multi-Topic Household Surveys

As the other chapters in this volume demonstrate, the evaluation of the poverty impact of social and economic policy creates substantial data needs, from a variety of sources. Data needs range from those at the household level, to program and project specifics on inputs and outputs, to the administrative records maintained by line ministries to national budget allocations and expenditures. Often it is the merger or combination of different data sources that leads to breakthroughs in analysts’ ability to evaluate and design effective policy. While all of the techniques outlined in this volume rely on various sources and types of data, a common thread running through them is the need for household level data