This survey is part of a multi-country pilot study which combines surveys of primary schools with household and other micro surveys to assess service delivery systems in education, measure performance, and establish a baseline for examining the impact of policy and institutional reforms over time. The survey covered 214 schools in 19 districts across 8 provinces (out of a total of 20 in the country), with two provinces selected in each of the four main regions. Most schools were surveyed between April and May 2002.

The survey used a series of instruments for collecting data at different levels.