Centre for Living Conditions and Survey Research

Since 2000 in all Statistical Offices, there have been units for the surveys dealing with the implementation of social and agricultural statistical research through a network of interviewers.
Surveys are carried out by various techniques, including those that use modern computer equipment.

CAPI - (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing)
Direct contact of interviewer with the respondent accompanied by handheld device, equipped with specialized software, supporting the implementation of the interview.

PAPI – (Paper and Pencil Interviewing)
The interviewer carries out the survey with respondent using a paper questionnaire.

CATI - (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing)
Obtaining information/ Getting answers from respondents is done through telephone connections and by using specialized computer software.

CAWI/CAII - (Computer-Assisted Web/Internet Interviewing)
Research technique in which online survey is monitored by a computer system. Questionnaire questions are downloaded from the website of the organizer of research and transferred through the network to any point, where is the respondent with a computer connected to the Internet. The person examined in the system CAWI / CAII, either alone or assisted by the interviewer reads questions on the screen and gives answers, which are being recorded on the target server. In 2012, this technique was used in a pilot study on household budgets.

Interviewers of public statistics carry out various research. Due to the frequency of the research the following are distinguished:

• permanent research - is carried out in a continuous manner, for example, examination of the labour force survey, the study of the headage of cattle, sheep, and poultry and livestock production, land use, the survey on retail prices of consumer goods and services;
• cyclic research - carried out systematically, because there is a need for continuous monitoring of key areas. These research are repeated periodically at specified intervals, for example: adult education survey, participation of Poles in sports and physical recreation or fuel and energy consumption in households research;
• one-time research - conducted where appropriate, to collect statistical data on a field, a phenomenon or a process. Used when cyclic research is not possible or necessary.

List of all surveys to be conducted in a given calendar year is provided in the Annex to the Council of Ministers on the Program of Surveys of Public Statistics (PBSSP), which is updated annually, as the needs of the customers of statistical data.

Social surveys are voluntary, conducted by a representative.

Quotations and agricultural surveys are obligatory, and in the case of this research sampling is purposeful.

In the case of high load of research, there is an opportunity to engage employees, who normally performing work in the office (changing/temporary interviewers). Such employees are involved in the work on position of interviewer occasionally, depending on the needs of the statistical office.