Saint Lucia Government Statistics Department

Survey Methods

Every year, the Statistics Department surveys 15% of active business establishments of our Business Register. Officials of the department make personal contact with representatives of the selected establishments and schedule appointments where the questionnaire is reviewed and issues relating to confidentiality, data quality and completion schedules are addressed. There is a thirty (30) day grace period  for  the completion of the questionnaire. Organizations where appointments cannot be scheduled, the questionnaire is dropped off and a register is signed for receipt by an official of the firm.

Responses from establishments are given different designations. If contact cannot be established , i.e. the firm does not exist or the address cannot be found, its is treated as a no contact. If after exhausting all possibilities to obtain a completed questionnaire, and the period of grace for the return has expired, it is recorded as a non response. If there is an outright refusal to complete the questionnaire, it is flagged by the department as a refusal. Legislation exists  for dealing with matters of refusals and  non response. The department urges all to comply with its request.