Composite indices for measuring the complexity “of data collection” in Italian municipalities

Abstract

Data collection is an important and strategic phase of every statistical survey. Its organization can be very complex and require considerable effort, especially when different players are included. In particular, one of the most challenging surveys is the Italian Permanent Population and Housing Census. Its data collection time frame is brief and the great variety and volume of the field operations can be quite burdensome. In this context, the municipalities play a key role in the data collection process. We propose an index to evaluate the level of difficulty that the municipalities face during the Census, with the aim of classifying them according to the “effort” required for the data collection activities. Our work focuses on the municipalities participating in the Population Census “List” survey, with most of them being involved in the Census every year, resulting in a significant effort. This effort can be measured by several indicators, combined together to represent a proxy of the phenomenon. Due to the multiple dimensions of the selected indicators, we have applied methodologies known as composite indices.