REPORT on technical implementation of the project

“Translating and testing a victimisation survey module”

(Grant agreement No. 11002.2008.003-2008.224)

The Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia (CSB) started the project on “Developing comprehensive and coherent EU strategy to measure crime and criminal justice: An EU Action Plan 2006-2010” in September 2008. The main activities include translation of the draft module of victimisation into the national language and testing of it in the fieldwork environment.

During September – November 2008, the CSB performed activities according to the Terms of Reference and adhered to the expected timetable. The first stage of the project was the preparation of the national questionnaire, translating it from the English to the Latvian and Russian languages. Ms. Ieva Peskova, an experienced translator of surveys, did the translation in both languages. Two experts in the criminal justice field will be checking the linguistic version of the prepared survey in the next months. In the process of preparing the module for field-testing a cognitive testing will be carried out and the first results will be obtained in the next intermediate report.

In this period the project leader made a design of the questionnaire in line with the practice at the CSB. The work was done with the design of questions and answers in order to make filling of the questioner for respondents easier. It is the first step towards improving the questionnaire; the main conclusions will be drawn after the cognitive testing and fieldwork.

The further activities for nearest period of time (December 2008 - February 2009):

-Experts evaluate the questionnaire, come up with suggestions about the use of concept, questionnaire’s design etc.;

-Cognitive testing of questionnaire and training of interviewers at the same time;

-Preparation of data entry software. Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) and Telephone interview will be used;

-Design of the sample;

-Preparing of practical guidelines for interviewers;

-Fieldwork will be carried out in April.

Project leader - Mrs. Lasma Heltemesa, Senior Officer, Living Standard’s Statistics Section

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