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

2. Conducting an Interview

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Contacting Households

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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,

10. 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,

11. 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

12. Contacting Women, Mothers/Caretakers

13. 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 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?)

14. Asking Questions and Recording Answers

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. DO NOT

20. 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

21. 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

22. Ending the Interview

23. 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

24. 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.

25. 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.