SADC Course in Statistics Preparing a structured field report

SADC Course in Statistics

Preparing a structured field report

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When should a field report be prepared?

• Structured field reports should be written by enumerators.

• They are written during the enumeration and at the end of the enumeration process.

• Best practice, dictate that enumerators write these reports during the course of the enumeration process.

• Structured field reports are handed over, together

with questionnaires to the supervisor.


Why write field reports?

• Field reports are written for a variety of reasons:

1. They measure progress of work in the field and its relation to the time allocated for the survey providing an input to the monitoring, evaluation and the quality control process of the study.

2. Writing the report helps the enumerator check that work is complete and of the required quality.


Why write field reports?-Cont’d

3. The report protects the enumerator in the sense that it:

a) It informs superiors of problems encountered in the field, thus giving them the opportunity to make timely interventions.

b) When received and accepted, it hands over

responsibility to the next level of authority.


Why write field reports? cont’d

5. They allow for the immediate calculation of an enumerator’s output, i.e. completed questionnaires or explanations of why completed questionnaires had not been obtained.

6. As a tool for paying enumerators.

7. Future survey planning and questionnaire design (removing vague questions).


Issues to report on

• A well structured field report should contain the following elements:

1. Name of the survey, when it was carried out, its objectives, area of operation (EA, ward, district and province)

2. Households/holdings enumerated

3. Households absent during the survey period

4. Number of questionnaires returned to supervisor for corrections

5. Cases of refusals and non contacts


Issues to report on –cont’d

5. Assurance that quality control checks have been carried out.

6. Number of questionnaires (spoilt, filled and unused), literature and materials forwarded to supervisor.

7. Recommendations and suggestions on the issues

raised.



7. Problems encountered and how they were solved/addressed. Problems could be related to:

a). Transport to the field

b). Accommodation

c). Supplies of survey materials and equipment

d). Publicity and awareness of the survey

e). Timely payment of allowances/wages/salaries

f).Level of co-operation from the respondents and the local leadership



• Note that the following issues, if they are reported, have to be forwarded to an authority of a higher level than that of the supervisor.

1. Frequency of supervision visits by the supervisor

2. Communication problems with the supervisor

• The aim here is not to antagonise relations of the enumerator and supervisor.


How field reports are used in the future

• Can be of use in future survey planning especially in the following areas:

1. survey transport requirements

2. enumerator training and evaluation

3. Human resource development

4. Promotion purposes within field staff

5. Publicity targeting

6. Manpower requirements in field operations


Resources

• PowerPoint presentation by George Sibanda on the preparation of a structured field report.

• Subject matter person(s) of the Household Surveys Section of the National Statistical Office


Documents

SADC Course in Statistics Preparing a structured field report