DHS-9 Questionnaire Revision Portal Now Accepting Feedback

Written by: The DHS Program

13 Jan, 2025
People seated at a table using laptops with one person standing and pointing at a screen.

Every five years, The DHS Program reviews and revises the core household questionnaires and optional modules used in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS) to better meet the continuing and evolving needs of data users worldwide. During this revision process, we invite survey stakeholders – government partners, program implementers, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, and policy makers – to share feedback on the core questionnaires and optional modules.

During the last questionnaire revision process, stakeholders’ feedback informed changes to the core household questionnaire and the creation of four new optional modules. We added several new topical areas, like menstrual hygiene, and expanded others to include additional questions including sugary drinks and unhealthy food consumption. The Woman’s Questionnaire shifted from a birth history to a full pregnancy history.

This time the questionnaire revision process has been streamlined by creating a new portal to host resources and receive feedback on the core household questionnaires and optional modules. The DHS-9 Questionnaire Revision Portal is available in 30 languages including French and Portuguese. When submitting feedback, you must share:

  • A title and topical areas for your submission
  • Background information about the submitting party(e.g., you or your organization)
  • A definition of the indicator
  • The rationale for including the suggested change in all DHS Program surveys

Feedback can be submitted in any language and all submissions will be immediately available on the portal. You can like and comment on other’s feedback submissions. Over the next few months, The DHS Program will review all feedback to inform the specific revisions we propose to USAID. Updated DHS-9 questionnaires and optional modules will be available by the end of 2025.

Many resources are available on the portal to help you prepare your submission. In November and December 2024, we hosted five identical webinars in English, French, and Portuguese, which provided an overview of the questionnaire revision process and demonstrated how to submit feedback using the portal. We created a tutorial video to demonstrate how to submit feedback (in English and French), and we continue to update the Frequently Asked Questions on the Portal. Please find the recordings of each webinar, and other portal resources, here: https://qrevision.dhsprogram.com/resources

The DHS-9 Questionnaire Revision Portal is now open for submissions. We look forward to receiving your feedback.

Go to the DHS-9 Questionnaire Revision Portal

The DHS-9 Questionnaire Revision Portal will be open until midnight (your local time) on 3 March 2025.

Please contact dhsqre@dhsprogram.com if you have questions about the DHS-9 questionnaire revision process.

Cover image ©ICF

Author

  • The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program has collected, analyzed, and disseminated accurate and representative data on population, health, HIV, and nutrition through more than 400 surveys in over 90 countries. The DHS Program is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Contributions from other donors, as well as funds from participating countries, also support surveys. The project is implemented by ICF.

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