Agricultural and Livestock Census 2021

The ALC 2021 involved 418 staff from ELSTAT. Permanent or on long-term contract employees were responsible for survey design and organization, quality control and data presentation. For data collection supervision and the initial data checks and processing, they were supplemented by short-term contract employees. In addition, 3405 enumerators were trained by ELSTAT on data collection. The enumerators were private short-term contractors, and employees of municipalities and other public services.

In the ALC 2021, data was collected through CAWI, CAPI and CATI methods. Due to COVID-19, census work was affected by the lockdown and some problems with teleworking and procurement of CAPI equipment. ELSTAT had to change the data collection method from face-to-face interviews to self-reporting of the holders using CAWI with personal interviews only when necessary. CATI was used for non-responding holdings. Data on common land was collected from the Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid (OPEKEPE) which, in turn, had collected the data from the applicants for the Community Aid (farm holders), under its competence as the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) operator.

QUALITY ASSURANCE
ELSTAT aims to ensure and continuously improve the quality of the statistics produced and to maintain the trust of users in these statistics. These objectives are achieved, as described in the Quality Policy available at http://www.statistics.gr/documents/20181/2571f853-1e37-46da-9387-595bbe2a162b, through the following principles:

• Safeguard and substantiate the operational independence of ELSTAT
• Produce timely and relevant statistics using scientifically sound methods
• Establish and maintain user confidence in the reliability of statistics
• Safeguard the trust of the statistical units that provide their confidential information for the preparation of statistics

These quality objectives are achieved by incorporating the guidelines listed above at all stages of statistical collection, production, and dissemination. To ensure and assess quality in the ALC 2021 procedures such as training courses, quality guidelines, self-assessment, and peer review were carried out. The quality assessment procedures included:

• Evaluation of the statistical procedures and output of every statistical survey/work, based on Code of Practice (CoP) principles and best practices in the European Statistical System
• Participation in peer reviews, which are periodically conducted throughout the European Statistical System
• Evaluation of the implementation of CoP principles 1 - 6 in the Hellenic Statistical System by the Good Practice Advisory Committee, which is an independent advisory committee, whose members were selected from among experts with exceptional skills and national and/or international experience in matters relating to the CoP

Sampling errors were estimated for estimates computed from the frame extension sample. Non-sampling errors were minimized carrying out the following actions: pre-testing of the questionnaire, explanatory notes or handbooks for enumerators or respondents, on-line FAQ or Hot-line support for enumerators or respondents, and training of enumerators to minimize measurement errors; follow-up interviews, reminders, and weighting to minimize unit non-response; imputation to minimize processing errors.