The integration of socio-economic and agricultural surveys by national statistical offices: The case of the Uganda Harmonized Integrated Survey1

Abstract

Since 2009, the Socio-Economic Directorate of the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has been implementing the Uganda National Panel Survey (UNPS). In 2017, the Agriculture and Environment Statistics Directorate (DAES), started implementing the Annual Agricultural Survey (AAS). Similarities and disparities in the design of the two surveys have led, on the one hand, to the duplication of part of the collected information, and, on the other, to the different methodologies inevitably returning different estimates. This has resulted in issues around reconciling and communicating the differences in some agriculture indicators and statistics retrieved through the two different surveys. In integrating the two survey programs under the 50 × 2030 Initiative, UBOS has found a way to improve efficiency by avoiding duplication, reducing costs, and aligning methodologies and results. This paper documents the process of integrating the two surveys. On the whole, the extent of methodological, logistical, and institutional integration exemplified by the Uganda Harmonized Integrated Survey (UHIS) may be aspirational in the short term for many NSOs in low- and middle-income countries and can help when establishing long-term strategies and implementation plans to move towards similar goals.