PALESTINIAN SOCIETY - Fafo

Appendix A
Sampling Strategy
Steinar Tamsfoss
1 Introduction
The pUIpose of this paper is to describe the principal guidelines for
sample selection in the FAFO International survey on living conditions
in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Arab Jerusalem. The account
is both textual and rnathernatical. The intention is to docurnent sample
designes) and estimators in fairly general terms. Details as to the
outcome of numerical calculations or of random selections involved
are - with a few exceptions - not included.
As a matter of course, sample designing to a large extent relies on
what kind of information about the survey population is actually
available at the time of planning. Existing information can be utilized
both for irnproving the sample design in terms of statistical reliability
and for reducing field work costs. Except for the Gaza Strip, the only
relevant information available was population numbers for subdistrlcts
and localities. The corresponding figures for Gaza proved to be too
outdated and unreliableforourpurposes, implying a separate strategy
had to be designed for Gaza. However, as preparations proceeded we
became aware of unpublished population data for Gaza Strip localities,
which was of great benefit in the fmal stages of the design.
The total sample size is, in accordance with the survey budget,
approxirnate1y 2,500 units. It should be kept in mind that the
survey in fact comprises three separate surveys - each using il.
specific questionnaire:
1 A survey of households
2 A survey of individuals of age 15 years or older
3 A survey of females of age 15 years or older
Ideally, one might have designed separate sampling strategies for
each of the surveys. On practical grounds, not least the high costs that
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