Enterprise Survey Department

The objective of the Enterprise Surveys is to obtain an overall description of the business environment, comparable across and within 150+ countries. The data collected one of the World Bank’s most downloaded datasets and is used to measure the effect of a country’s business environment on key performance indicators (i.e. productivity and investment) as a part of the B-READY report on business climate worldwide.

The questionnaire contains a standardised set of questions spanning 16 topics including:

• ~90% factual information (e.g. the number of power outages)

• ~10% opinion-based information (e.g. obstacles)

The unit of analysis takes place at the establishment-level. An establishment is a physical location where business is carried out, industrial operations take place, or services are provided. A firm may comprise one or more establishments. To be eligible, an establishment must have its own management and control over its workforce.

These establishments are eligible if the following criteria apply:

• 5+ employees

• Nation-wide business activity

• Eligible business sector: non-farm, non-extractive, and non-financial sector

• Formal (registered) firms

• Non-cooperative

• 1% or more private ownership (no 100% government owned firms)

The sample size and selection is determined by the World Bank. In order to obtain a representative sample of businesses, sampling is stratified by three variables, along with whether the firm is a fresh or panel respondent.

• Sector (e.g. manufacturing, service, retail)

• Firm Size (Small: 5-19, Medium: 20-19, Large: 100+ employees)

• Geographic Location

The survey takes place in two stages:

• First stage: phone screening and recruitment

  • Preliminary screener questionnaire: discriminates eligibility

  • Schedules interview appointment

  • Approximately 7 minutes

• Second stage: face-to-face CAPI interview

  • Full questionnaire based upon screening information

  • 60-80 minutes

MKE will lead a one-day training session prior to the WB-led questionnaire training and will stay in-country for two weeks to launch survey implementation.

The one day MKE-led training session includes; learning key survey concepts, introducing the reporting tools and CAPI software, and delivering enumerator materials; to prepare the in-country enumerator team for the questionnaire training. The enumerator team will thereby gain a solid understanding of the survey's requirements, enabling them to confidently work with the World Bank team from the outset.

Following the survey’s launch, MKE will stay for two weeks to monitor and guide enumerator success, provide technical assistance in CAPI, and set up quality control systems.

Drawing from MKE’s 15 year experience in managing World Bank Enterprise Surveys, we have developed instructional guides (and checklists) that cover all aspects of conducting the survey. These guides provide step-by-step instructions, best practices, and practical tips to help your firm navigate the survey process with ease and confidence.

Our expert team will be on hand to offer continuous troubleshooting support during the survey process. We prioritize clear communication and swift issue resolution.

MKE has designed its own software to streamline data validation and perform preliminary data analysis. This software ensures data accuracy, reduces human error, and expedites the data processing phase, allowing the delivery of representative data in a timely manner.