Overview of the project or related interventions. Briefly present the results
framework and ProFrame so participants understand how the project
components fit together and how progress will be measured.
Objectives of the data collection exercise (e.g., to collect baseline data to better
understand a specific context or problem through operations research or to
measure progress with a midterm or final survey).
Key principles for collecting high-quality data (quality refers not to qualitative
data but to collecting reliable and accurate data with minimal error). Refer to
Annex A for principles of data collection.
At this point, divide the training into separate groups—one for the qualitative
data collection team and one for the quantitative data collection team (if applicable
for your survey). This will allow each group to focus on the different tools and
methodologies for qualitative and quantitative data collection.
Provide an overview of data collection techniques specific to each group (i.e.,
qualitative techniques to the qualitative team and quantitative techniques to the
quantitative team).
Review all questionnaires and tools included in the survey, question by question.
Discuss the possible coded responses for quantitative tools and discuss the key
issues and types of discussions sought by qualitative questions.
Conduct the tool review in the language in which the data will be collected in the
field. Use this as an opportunity to check the quality of the translation of the tools.
The team may have suggestions for different words or phrases to better preserve
the meaning of the questions. Revise the translated tools based on this feedback.
Give team members an opportunity to practice using the tools with each other.
For a quantitative questionnaire, team members can take turns reading the
questionnaire to each other. For a qualitative tool, the team can hold a mock focus
group discussion in which each team member can practice the role of the
facilitator and notetaker for a different question.
Ask the team members to make the practice test challenging! As mock
respondents, they can provide misaligned responses for the quantitative tools and
act a bit unruly in the focus group discussions, challenging other team members’
skills to bring them back on track.
Create field manuals that include the principles of data collection, an overview of
the protocol for data collection once in the field, and guidance for each question.
Print a copy for each team member to take to the field.
Discuss the method for selecting households or participants. Both qualitative and
quantitative exercises will require selection or identification of participants upon
arrival in communities. For quantitative surveys, this may require random
selection of households or schoolchildren, for example. For qualitative surveys,
this may require identifying participants based on key characteristics and
ensuring that the exercise does not exclude marginalized groups.
Ensure that this selection method will be consistent across teams to maintain
comparability of the data collected.
Field-test the tools to provide field experience for the data collectors and to
identify any necessary revisions in the tools. Hold a debrief session following the
field test.
Present the protocol for fieldwork including the number of surveys and
discussions to complete in a day and the number of days required for the
fieldwork. Create teams and designate roles (e.g., for the enumerator, supervisor,
facilitator or notetaker) based on the team member‘s ability shown during the
training and the field-testing.
Once you have identified the supervisors (one for each data collection team),
hold another half-day training specifically for the supervisors to discuss their
additional roles and responsibilities during data collection. The additional roles
forsupervisors are included in Annex A.
