Improving the Efficiency of Data Collection: A Generic Respondent Follow-Up Strategy for Economic Surveys.

A major thrust of some large statistical agencies with regard to their survey operations over the past few years has been to reduce respondent burden, increase the efficiency of their production process, improve the quality of end products, and respond to new information needs. To meet these objectives, a rethinking of some production processes has been necessary. This article describes an overall strategy for respondent follow-up in economic surveys. The results of a trial application of the proposed strategy to the Canadian Annual Retail Trade Survey are presented for illustration purposes.