High-Frequency Phone Surveys on COVID-19 Economic Impacts Overview of Questionnaire Template Objective With the rapid escalation of the spread of COVID-19 and measures to contain the spread ongoing, countries around the world require timely data to inform evidence-based policies and fill critical knowledge gaps. The World Bank is supporting the roll-out of high-frequency phone surveys to address this challenge. Aiming to help country teams design best-practice questionnaires and monitor a range of globally comparable indicators, a task force at the World Bank has developed a ‘COVID-19 CORE_PLUS Questionnaire’. This questionnaire contains “core modules� and “core questions,�, as well as optional modules and optional questions within the core modules. Most of the core questions are recommended to be asked each month to track the social and economic implications and household behavior responses in this evolving crisis, while some of the questions are for the first- round of data collection only. The core questions focus on the key channels, such as employment, access to essential services, and sources of livelihood, through which individuals and households are likely to be profoundly affected and in need of government support. The questionnaire will be complemented by additional country specific questions on select topics so that the survey can respond to needs in each country. The questionnaire is a living document and will be updated periodically while additional supplementary modules will continue to be developed in response to requests and feedbacks from users. For detailed explanations and country specific modification instructions, see enumerator manual. Core and Optional Questions In addition to the core modules/questions, the ‘COVID-19 CORE_PLUS Questionnaire’ also proposes questions for satisfaction with government policies, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), remittances, food insecurity, concerns and opinions related to the COVID-19 crisis and emerging response, household coping mechanisms, and additional questions to the topics covered in the core modules. They are temporarily not highlighted as core due to limitations in interview time, or because they require a country-specific design. Country teams are encouraged to adopt these questions if time allows. The core modules/questions are highlighted in green, anything that is not highlighted is considered optional. Core Questionnaire Vs. Country Adaptations Following the wording and structure of the Core Questionnaire is critical for global comparisons and collection of high-quality data. However, it is also important to make sure that the questionnaire reflects the country-specific customs, environment, and socio-economic conditions. If there is any question about modification of the Core Questionnaire, please consult the COVID-19 questionnaire working group or read the Manual which explains each question in more detail. Core Modules 1. Basic Information Panel/Basic Information RDD (Random Digit Dialing) ‘Basic Information Panel’ is built on the premise that households’ information has been documented in previous surveys. Information on gender, age, and relationship to the household head will be collected for new members only. ‘Basic Information RDD’ is targeted to households for which there is no previous information. The module records respondent’s information in terms of gender, age, relationship to the head, and education level, along with basic information on household composition. This module also includes optional questions on WASH and access to internet. 1 2. Knowledge The knowledge section examines households’ awareness of COVID-19, it’s symptoms, corresponding preventive measures, and government actions. It notifies policymakers if information about the virus and control measures gets to residents in time and accurately. This module is requested only in the first round of the survey but countries can choose to implement the questions on satisfaction with government policies in follow-up rounds as well. 3. Behavior This section aims to assess household’s preventive measures to the pandemic and response to social distancing recommendations and policies. The questionnaire recommends four core questions with three additional optional questions that countries can add for a comprehensive understanding. 4. Access This section focuses on household’s access to essential services, particularly markets, health facilities, water and education, during the COVID-19 outbreak. The key market access indicators include household’s ability to purchase medicines and various staple foods. For health facilities, it asks about the household’s needs for medical attention as well as challenges the household may face in accessing health facilities. Optional questions for household’s access to financial services, transportation, housing and internet are also provided. 5. Employment_long/Employment_short The employment section aims to understand the impact of the COVID-19 on the income generating activities of the households. A short and a long version have been prepared to accommodate for different levels of detail. In the short version, changes in households’ income-generating activities are explored through the loss of wage work, and revenues from family business and farming. The long version goes beyond the short version by providing supplementary information on new jobs in comparison to the jobs performed before the outbreak, identifying the sectors and adding questions for informality. 6. Income Loss This section captures all of the household’s income sources. It assesses the changes in income from each source after the outbreak of COVID-19, as well as the changes in total household income. 7. Safety Nets This section provides sample questions to capture household’s ability to receive assistance (in the form of cash transfers, food-based transfers, payment relief for public services, and in-kind transfers) from government or other institutions. It includes questions on the type and value of the assistance received as well as difficulties faced while accessing it. Each country should adjust the questions based on the country context. Acknowledgment The questionnaire is prepared by the COVID 19 questionnaire working group, which consists of experts in questionnaire design in the World Bank’s Development Economics Data Production and Methods Unit and the Poverty and Equity Global Practice, with the support from Education, Social Protection and Jobs unit, Agriculture, and Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practices. The COVID-19 Questionnaire working group members include Amparo Palacios-Lopez; Claudia Noumedem Temgoua; Deeksha Kokas; Elizabeth Ann Talbert; Gbemisola Oseni; Giulia Ponzini; Ivette Maria Contreras Gonzalez; John Ilukor; Lokendra Phadera; Nobuo Yoshida; Philip Wollburg; Romeo Gansey; Sarosh Sattar; Victor Sulla, Xiaomeng Chen, Dixita Gupta, Xueqi Li. 2