All time references are in CEST
Agility and the Survey Life-Cycle - How to win the hearts and minds of the team? |
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| Session Organisers | Dr Yuri Pettinicchi (SHARE) Dr Arne Bethmann (SHARE Germany) |
| Time | Tuesday 18 July, 09:00 - 10:30 |
| Room | |
The increasing digitalization of the survey process has caused many tasks in the survey life cycle to resemble software development tasks more closely. These tasks include programming questionnaires, data processing, and the automatic preparation of documentation. The best practices in software development include adapting tools such as bug tracking/ticketing systems, version control for documents and (meta)data, and management processes like Agile Development. Although using new methods and tools seems to offer efficiency gains, higher resilience and better quality, the path to adoption is fraught with obstacles — some technical, others human.
This session invites anyone who has decided to implement ideas from software development in survey practice. Some of the questions to consider include: Which new idea was chosen and why? How did it need to be adapted to meet the specific requirements of survey development in your team? Which factors led the team to doubt the benefits of these new ideas? What helped to convince the team of to find the time and to make the effort? What can we learn from these experiences for our own projects?
Mr Thomas Merly-Alpa (Insee) - Presenting Author
Ms Gwennaëlle Brilhault (Insee)
Ms Sandra Gallizzi (Insee)
Mr Barbet Laurent (Insee)
Mr Eric Sigaud (Insee)
Insee, the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, is developing a cutting-edge, open-source technical environment for its household and business surveys. This "survey framework" encompasses aspects of the Design, Build, Collect, and Process levels of the GSBPM 5.1 (UNECE's Generic Statistical Business Process Model).
Central to this framework is the implementation of active metadata, primarily leveraging the DDI standard to describe variables, filters, and other survey elements. These metadata are dynamically activated during data collection, enabling tailored instructions for interviewers and optimized web surveys. Furthermore, the metadata facilitate data sanitization (with optional support from data stewards), the calculation of synthetic indicators, and comprehensive process documentation — all essential steps for robust exploitation and dissemination of results.
This innovative approach to survey development necessitates a reimagining of traditional roles. Survey project management and IT development are undergoing significant transformation, while survey designers are acquiring new skillsets, including questionnaire programming. Throughout the development process, surveyers actively participated in user experience (UX) testing of their data collection tools. The project's agile development methodology introduces ongoing evolution and necessitates adaptability to changing requirements.
This presentation will provide insights into the framework's operationalization at Insee, showcase its application in diverse survey contexts, and detail strategies for addressing the challenges inherent in this dynamic environment.