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Friday 17th July, 11:00 - 12:30 Room: HT-104

The Nimble Survey Methodology in Addressing Humanitarian Emergencies 1
Convenor	Dr Asaph Young Chun (US Census Bureau and ASA Statistics Without Borders )
Coordinator 1	Dr Fritz Scheuren (NORC at the University of Chicago)
Coordinator 2	Professor James Cochran (University of Alabama)

Session Details

Could survey methodology be agile enough to help resolve humanitarian crises that have fast and lasting impacts on many people's lives? This session is devoted to discussing survey methodology that has played a vital role in efforts to resolve acute humanitarian crises affecting the disadvantaged people disproportionately.

The papers relevant to this session include, but are not limited to the following: health surveys of the disadvantaged people, such as children, women and disabled population in hard-to-access countries; survey studies leveraging SNS tools for the humanitarian disaster response; and agile surveys supplemented by administrative records and/or big data addressing humanitarian interventions. We are open to accepting case studies that leveraged interdisciplinary survey methodology to address human right issues in developing countries. Research papers in this session use survey methodology and interdisciplinary thinking to assist Non-Governmental Organizations and/or UN agencies in addressing current humanitarian crises or human rights.

Papers encouraged to submit include innovative studies demonstrating how survey research has led to nimble policy decisions that help save many people's lives and/or improve quality of life of the disadvantaged people in developing countries. Submissions of interests are agile survey research that promoted synergy of academics, NGOs and UN agencies as well as governmental agencies to help develop humanitarian interventions. This session should be of interest to most ESRA participants and to those who are involved or wish to be involved with survey methodology applied to humanitarian efforts or human rights across the globe.

Paper Details

1. Surveying in difficult terrain, a case study: Bhutan
Ms Nicole Naurath (Regional Director, Asia)

The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is a country that poses several large challenges to conducting a door-to-door, nationally representative survey. The Gallup World Poll was conducted in Bhutan for the first time in 2013 with a second survey in 2014. From government permission to conduct the survey, to interviewer training, to the logistics of moving the team around the heavily mountainous country all manner of obstacles were faced. The first survey of Bhutan was on paper but the second was on CAPI devices. A case study of the CAPI experience in Bhutan will be presented.

2. Data Visualization to Aid Humanitarian Intervention Strategies
Mr Giang Nguyen (University of Iowa)
Mr Star Ying (US Census Bureau)
Mr Elliott Chun (International Strategy and Reconciliation Foundation)
Mrs Hannah Cho (International Strategy and Reconciliation Foundation)
Mrs Esther Lim (New York University)
Mrs Catherine Myong (Harvard University)
Mr Christian Tae (nternational Strategy and Reconciliation Foundation)
Mrs Cindy Won (International Strategy and Reconciliation Foundation)
Mr Nathan Yoon (Carnegie Melon University)
Mrs Elena Zafarana (Pyongyang Summer Institute in Survey Science)

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate visualization of data linked among multiple data files, including census, survey data and administrative records, and show how visualized data maps may help humanitarian agencies develop data-driven decisions. We have applied principles of data visualization to the Census and limited public health survey data currently available for Democratic People's Republic of Korea (aka, North Korea) to assess DPRK children's nutrition and pregnant/nursing mothers' health situation across the country. We discuss merits and drawbacks of data visualization, especially in addressing humanitarian issues in DPRK and other developing countries.

3. Surveys in Societies in Turmoil
Ms Jennifer Kelley (University of Michigan)
Dr Zeina Mneimneh (University of Michigan)
Ms Beth-ellen Pennell (University of Michigan)

Conducting surveys in areas of turmoil is fraught with logistical, operational, methodological and ethical challenges. This presentation provides researchers with a set of principles that address some of the challenges faced across the survey lifecycle. The presentation begins by defining areas of turmoil followed by a discussion of the set of research principles that are applicable to planning and conducting studies in these settings. In addition, we highlight some of the complex ethical considerations researchers must consider and the importance of collecting detailed documentation when conducting research in areas of turmoil.