Surveys & field data collection

Start with the decision you need to make.

Coordinate research instruments, collection teams and quality controls around a single data plan. From remote interviews to multi-location fieldwork, the collection mode should fit the population and the information you need.

This service is for research organizations, companies, programme teams and evaluators commissioning primary data.

Questions the assignment can address

• Who must be reached to answer the research question?
• Which interview mode is practical and appropriate?
• How will consent, privacy and field exceptions be handled?
• What checks are needed before a record is accepted?

How we approach the work

Scope CAPI, CATI, CAWI, telephone, face-to-face or mixed-mode collection. Agree recruitment, translations, training, piloting, supervision and callbacks. Questionnaire programming may use KoboToolbox, ODK, SurveyCTO, Qualtrics or another appropriate platform, subject to access, licensing and the agreed data environment.

A validation rule can stop an impossible value but cannot establish whether an interview happened as intended. Field quality therefore combines instrument controls with supervision, interviewer feedback and appropriate verification. GPS or audio collection requires a clear purpose and consent arrangements; it is not automatically appropriate for every study.

What your team receives

The scope defines the exact output, format and review criteria for each deliverable. Depending on the assignment, these can include:

• Programmed and piloted questionnaire
• Enumerator or interviewer briefing
• Fieldwork and quality-control plan
• Progress and discrepancy reports
• Documented, checked dataset

From brief to delivery

Share the requirement, intended users, existing information, deadline and any procurement instructions. We clarify the decision the work must support and agree the methodology or technical approach before execution. The proposal sets out the scope, workplan, review points, responsibilities and commercial terms.

During delivery, questions and dependencies are made visible so your team can resolve the decisions that need client input. Quality checks are built into the assignment rather than saved for a final presentation. Handover explains how to use the outputs, the limitations that remain and any support included in the engagement.

Planning an international assignment

For work spanning countries or distributed teams, agree the geographic scope, working language, collaboration hours and access requirements at the outset. Research recruitment, local field access, hosting locations and data-transfer arrangements may affect the delivery plan. These are confirmed for the assignment; the availability of a service page does not imply a physical office in every market.

What to send with your enquiry

• The problem, intended decision and people who will use the output.
• Existing reports, instruments, datasets or system documentation that can be shared appropriately.
• Required deliverables, formats, deadline and review process.
• Location, languages, data-access constraints and procurement requirements.
• A budget range, if available, and whether support after handover is required.