1

Conducting the Interview/Survey

Adapted from Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) Regional Training Workshop – Survey Techniques, Unicef

& Introduction to Interviewing Techniques, USAID; The IRIS Center at the University of Maryland

Conducting an Interview

Building Rapport

• Consider the context you are in

• Be one of them rather than an alien

• Make a good first impression

• Do not be apologetic

• Always have a positive approach

• Stress confidentiality of responses

• Answer any questions frankly

• Interview the respondent alone – particularly important for Woman’s Interview

Tips for Conducting an Interview

• Be neutral • Never suggest answers• Do not change the wording or sequence of

questions• Handle hesitant respondents tactfully• Do not form expectations• Do not hurry the interview

Introduction

Identify yourself, survey sponsor Explain purpose, what info is sought and how it will be

used Verify it is the right person Stress confidentiality, voluntary participation, and that

respondent may ask questions Ask permission to proceed

Contacting Households

Locating sampled households

• We should have, for each sample cluster:– Up-to-date maps to indicate the

location of structures, – Address information for each structure, – A list of the names of the heads of all

the households living in the structures

Definitions

• A structure is a free-standing building that can have one or more rooms in which people live,

• Within a structure, there may be one or more dwelling (or housing) units.

• A dwelling unit is a room or group of rooms occupied by one or more households.

• A household is a person or group of persons that usually lives and eats together

Problems in contacting households

• The selected household has moved away and the dwelling is vacant,

• The household has moved away and a new one is now living in the same dwelling,

• The structure number and name of household head do not match with what you find in the field,

• The household selected does not live in the structure that was listed,

Problems in contacting household

• The listing shows only one household in the dwelling but two households are living there now,

• The head of the household has changed,

• The house is all closed up and the neighbours say the people are on vacation for an extended period,

• The house is all closed up and the neighbours say that no one lives there,

Problems in contacting households

• A household is supposed to live in a structure that when visited is found to be a shop,

• A selected structure is not found in the cluster, it was destroyed in a recent fire,

• No one is home and neighbours tell you the family has gone to the market

Contacting Women, Mothers/Caretakers

Identifying Eligible Respondents

• HH Questionnaire is used to identify who is eligible to be interviewed with the Woman’s and Under-5 Questionnaires.

• All women age 15-49 years and children under 5 years of age who are members of the household are considered eligible for individual interviews

• Primary caretakers are interviewed only if mother is not in the household list (Deceased? Living elsewhere?)

Asking Questions and Recording Answers

General procedures

• Understand how to ask each question, • Know what information the question is

attempting to collect• Know how to handle problems which might

arise during the interview• Know how to correctly record the answers

the respondent gives • Know how to follow special instructions in

the questionnaire

Asking the questions

• Ask each question exactly as it is written in the questionnaire (customized/translated previously)

• Speak slowly and clearly.

• When in need to repeat the question, do not paraphrase the question but repeat it exactly as it is written.

• If, after we have repeated a question, the respondent still does not understand it, we may have to restate the question.

• Be very careful when we change the wording, that we do not alter the meaning of the question.

Probing

• In some cases, we may have to ask additional questions or probe, to obtain a complete answer from a respondent.

• Be careful that probes are "neutral" and do not suggest an answer,

• Probing requires both tact and skill and it is one of the most challenging aspects for interviewers.

Checking completed questionnaires

• Review each questionnaire after completing the interview, before leaving the household

• How to correct errors? Minor and serious ones

• Do not recopy questionnaires.

• Record ALL information on the questionnaires

• Calculations and anything out of the ordinary should be explained in the questionnaire.

DO NOT

DO NOT

Get involved in long explanations of the study such as trying to explain sampling

Deviate from the study introduction, sequence of questions, or question wording

Try to justify or defend what you are doing.

Suggest an answer or agree or disagree with

an answer

DO NOT

Rush the respondent

Patronize respondents

Dominate the interview

Prompt the respondent for specific answers

Let another person answer for the sampled respondent

Interview someone you know

Falsify interviews

Improvise

21

Ending the Interview

Ending the Interview

Thank client. Tell that it is important/helpful info to program

Answer any of client’s questions - about interview or content of survey

23

Checking completed questionnaires

• Review each questionnaire after completing the interview, before leaving the household

• How to correct errors? Minor and serious ones

• Do not recopy questionnaires.

• Record ALL information on the questionnaires

• Calculations and anything out of the ordinary should be explained in the questionnaire.

Returning work assignments

• At the end of fieldwork each day, the interviewers should:– Check that the cover sheet of a Household

Questionnaire for each household assigned is filled, whether or not the interview was completed.

– Report to supervisor about any problems – Return to the supervisor the completed

Household Questionnaires and accompanying Woman’s and Children’s Questionnaires placed inside.