DHS Manuals
To achieve comparable information across countries, it is necessary to ensure that the questionnaires and the survey procedures followed in each country are similar. Therefore, The DHS program has developed a set of basic documentation to go with the model questionnaires.
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Fieldwork Manuals
DHS Survey Organization Manual
This manual is intended as an aid to host country survey staff, donors, and others. It ex¬plains the standard approach to implementing Demo¬graphic and Health Surveys (DHS), giving general organization and implementation guidelines.
Training Field Staff for DHS Surveys
This manual was produced as an aid for use in the design and implementation of field staff training. This document provides general guidelines for organizing and conducting the training of the field staff. The manual also includes a section on supervising fieldwork and the use of fieldcheck tables.
DHS Interviewer’s Manual
This manual is designed to explain to interviewers how to do their job. The manual complements the 2005 versions of the DHS Model Survey Questionnaires and includes information about implementation of the survey, training activities, and fieldwork procedures. It discusses in detail interview techniques and procedures for completing the questionnaires.
DHS Supervisor’s and Editor’s Manual
This manual is designed to explain to field supervisors and field editors how to do their jobs. The instructions for both positions have been combined into one manual because supervisors and field editors are expected to share many activities, e.g.., editing questionnaires and tracking interviewers' performance. The manual complements the 2005 versions of the DHS Model Survey Questionnaires.
DHS Biomarker Field Manual
This manual is meant to accompany hands-on biomarker training and field practice and covers collection of anthropmetry data, capillary blood drop samples, anemia testing, dried blood spot (DBA) testing, HIV testing, and biohazard waste disposal.
Sampling Manuals
DHS Sampling Manual
The DHS Sampling Manual presents the DHS approach to sampling issues such as optimum sampling frames, sample domains, stages, and sample selection.
Report Tabulation
Tabulation Plan for DHS Key Indicators Report
This plan provides the tables for presenting the key indicators obtained from the DHS survey.
Tabulation Plan for DHS Final Report
The Guidelines for the Main Survey Report (also known as the Tabulation Plan) provides model tables that set forth the major findings of a survey in a manner that will be useful to policy makers and program managers. The data are presented in terms of national level statistics and for population subgroups such as those defined by age, education, marital status, economic status, urban/rural residence and region of the country. When appropriate to a topic, further data disaggregations are shown.
The Guidelines complement the 2012 versions of the DHS Model Survey Questionnaires.
Statistical & Methodological Documentation
Guide to DHS Statistics (pdf)
A reference guide to help users who work with DHS survey indicators and datasets to better understand indicator definitions and the calculations used to generate the data.
International Indicators
A list of DHS Indicators that correspond to indicators from international agencies and organizations. Taken from Appendix D of the Tabulation Plan for DHS Final Report.
Resources