Roles and responsibilities of supervisors
Supervisors often participate in the actual data collection along with the other team
members, but they also have additional responsibilities related to the quality and
management of the data collection and fieldwork. It is common for supervisors to
conduct fewer interviews per day so they have adequate time for additional
responsibilities.
Supervisors are responsible for:
Meeting with community leaders to explain the purpose of the survey.
Selecting householdsbased on the specified criteria and common
methodology discussed during the training. Enumerators will assist with this
as well, but the supervisors are ultimately responsible for ensuring that the
selection follows the established protocol.
Reviewing the data(quantitative questionnaires or qualitative notes) once the
data collection is complete. Supervisors should review these data while still in
the field at the end of each day so the team members have an opportunity to
fill in any gaps or clarify any points before leaving the community. The
supervisor should read the data to check for completeness and clarity.
Reinforcing the quality of data collection. After reviewing the data collected
each day, the supervisor may be aware of quality issues or concerns related to
particular team members or that are found more commonly in the data. The
supervisor should discuss these concerns with the team members and provide
suggestions for maintaining and improving quality as needed.
Communicating with project staff or other relevant staff members on a
regular basis regarding the team‘s progress and any obstacles encountered.
