By now you must have some degree of secondary data for all the sanitation sectors (saved on different excel sheets). However, when the existing data is not sufficient for the planning process, primary data will need to be collected- This is the highlighted areas in your saved excel sheets.

Selecting the sample size

The sample size of field surveys will depend on the area and population density of the city. However, in order for an effective city sanitation plan, it is recommended to collect data at wad level of a city. As a rule of thumb, one can take a sample size of 10% of population of the city.

The sample size as well as level of data collection can be discussed during the CSTF meeting for consultation.

Hiring a team of surveyors

Once the sample size has been finalized, a team needs to be hired for collecting data. This team can comprise of 5-10 people (students, NGO officials etc) depending upon the sample size selected. However, before the team goes on field, they need to be given a mock training of how to conduct surveys. This involves:

i) Explaining the aims and objectives of the project
ii) Going through all of the questions on the survey in Hindi/English/local dialect
iii) Run-through of the protocol for conducting surveys
iv) Assigning wards and number of households for conducting survey for each team member