The Inter-American Development Bank, the Central Bank of Suriname and Suriname’s Energy Company sought the technical assistance of Sistemas Integrales to design and execute a nationwide survey of living conditions. The survey outcomes were to help formulate and assess government policies.

Sistemas Integrales was responsible for the overall survey design, including sampling strategy, data management, fieldwork organization and quality control. Circumstances prevailing in Suriname prompted a series of special methodological considerations to produce reliable data.

For example:

• Sampling strategy called for an innovative approach due to the absence of a recent population census. Sistemas Integrales used the Energy Company’s customer database, which covered about 90 percent of the population, to develop a reliable sample frame for the electrified part of the country, mainly in Paramaribo and the coastal region. For the remaining areas, Sistemas Integrales carried out cartographic research to generate a sample of villages, from which up-to-date lists of households were produced in the field to allow for sample selection.

• Questionnaires were developed in two languages – Dutch and Sranan Tongo, the two main languages in Suriname.

• Multiple quality indicators were established to detect and correct any inconsistencies, beginning at the earliest stage of data collection.

In partnership with the local survey firm DataFruit, Sistemas Integrales designed and led fieldwork training, fieldwork organization, quality assurance and data management.

The SSLC anonymized datasets can be downloaded from the IDB website at https://publications.iadb.org/en/suriname-survey-living-conditions-2016-2017