Section 2.2 - Organizing & Coordinating Individual Experiences Interviews in the Field

The previous unit looked at how to conduct individual experiences monitoring interviews. Before those interviews take place, a number of planning and coordination issues have to be addressed.

Objectives

By the end of this unit, participants will:

• Know how to organize and coordinate an individual experiences monitoring project.

Here is a checklist of things to do to organize and coordinate monitoring interviews before the Interviews take place (this is the job of the disability organizations running the project and the Project Coordinator with help from the Site Coordinators):

• choose the places where the interviews will take place (monitoring sites)
• gather background information about each of the monitoring sites
• get government permission (if you need it in your country)
• gather the forms and equipment needed (see Checklist in Appendix G for details)
• adapt monitoring tools (Interview Guide & Information Sheet) and methods for cultural, social and economic differences
• translate monitoring tools and training materials into local languages as necessary
• recruit site coordinators and monitors
• train site coordinators and monitors
• decide what diversity characteristics will be used to choose the people to be interviewed (the interview sample) and set up the targets in the Matrix Tables (see Appendix I)
• identify the first 5 or 6 people to approach as potential interviewees

During the Interviews (this is the job of the Site Coordinator with help from the Monitors and the Project Coordinator):

• identify good places to conduct interviews
• contact potential interviewees and assign interviews to pairs of monitors (see Checklist in Appendix J for the steps to follow)
• decide who will be interviewed next by using the Matrix Tables in Appendix I to help balance the sample – will it be:
  • someone who was recommended by an interviewee? OR
  • someone who has particular diversity characteristics that are not held by any of the people who have been recommended by interviewees?

Note: here, will have to conduct outreach with community organizations that can help to identify someone with those diversity characteristics. For example, if you need to locate a woman with a physical impairment, you could ask local organizations of person with disabilities, women’s groups, community-based rehabilitation groups, etc.

• consult with the monitors regularly to make sure that the interviews are moving along without problems
• collect monitoring records (audio and written) from monitors regularly and keep them secure
• check audio recordings and notes from interviews to make sure that good quality information is being collected – give monitors feedback where necessary

1. How to Get Started?

Organizing and coordinating individual experiences interviews is important and takes time. Effective monitoring depends on careful planning. This section provides information on what needs to be done to organize and coordinate the interviews. The Project Coordinator, Site Coordinator, Monitors and disability organization(s) supporting the monitoring project all have a role to play in making the information collection a success

Here are some important questions to address:

(a) Where will the interviews take place?

It is not possible to interview every person with a disability in any country so, it will be necessary to decide whom to interview. For example, the interviews could take place with persons with disabilities living in a certain:

• neighbourhood (for example, a shantytown) OR
• city (for example, Bangkok in Thailand) OR
• state (for example, Tamil Nadu State in India) OR
• province (for example, Western Cape Province in South Africa)

Each different area where interviews will be held is called a monitoring site. In most countries, DRPI suggests that three monitoring sites are chosen in order to interview more people with different lifestyles and living environments. DRPI recommends that it is best to have one urban area, one rural area and one town or village taking into account the diversity of circumstances discussed below.

The areas that are chosen for monitoring sites will influence the conclusions that can be made in the report. For example, if three cities are chosen as monitoring sites, there will not be any information about the situation of people living in the countryside. When choosing sites, consider the circumstances of the country and decide which monitoring sites will give the most complete picture. Some examples of possible differences in circumstances to consider include:

• people who live in urban areas (cities) and people who live in rural areas (countryside) or people who live in small towns
• people from diverse ethnic groups and the locations where they live
• people who speak different languages and the locations where they live
• people who are rich, people who are poor, people in between rich and poor and whether there are different geographic areas where different income groups live
• people with different types of impairment or causes of impairment – where certain types or causes of impairment are more common in a certain areas (for example, physical disabilities caused by landmines in post-conflict areas)

The time and money available for monitoring will also affect where the interviews will take place. Some practical things to consider here include:

• how easy it is to travel in the area? (for example, how good is the transportation to and from that area and within it? are there places to stay? is travel more difficult at different times of the year – climate, holidays?)
• is there support from local organizations of persons with disabilities? – does the area have organizations of persons with disabilities who will assist with recruiting the Site Coordinator, Monitors and Interviewees?

Decisions about the monitoring sites are usually made by the disability organization(s) supporting the project and the Project Coordinator.

(b) Do you need permission from the government?

In some countries, governments require groups to get official permission before conducting monitoring interviews. If this is necessary in your country or in a region, the procedure required by the government must be followed. It is the responsibility of the Project Coordinator to find out what is required by the government.

In cases where official permission is required, it is important to be sure that the government understands that the monitoring will take place independently and without government involvement. Government officials will receive the final monitoring report but they will not be able to know who was interviewed or see transcripts of the interviews. The Project Coordinator investigates this issue.

(c) What research tools and methods will be used? Will changes have to be made to suit the country?

Monitoring will take place around the world, in areas with different cultures and social and economic conditions. The monitoring tools and methods will take differences into account while also making sure that information collected in different parts of the world can still be compared.

Monitoring Tools: The DRPI Interview Guide (Appendix A) and other Monitoring Tools (for example: Information Sheet (Appendix C) and Free and Informed Consent Form (Appendix D) are used by Monitors when conducting interviews. While most of these tools can apply in all cultures, some things will need to be adapted. For example, the section of the Interview Guide where the Interviewee is asked questions about the schools that he or she went to and the type of house he or she lives in will need to have options that reflect local customs and situations. Appendix B sets out the areas where local changes may have to be made to the Interview Guide.

Wherever possible, the Interview Guide should be translated into the language that will be used during the interview. In all cases, the Information Sheet and the Free and Informed Consent Form have to be translated into the language used by the Interviewee.

Monitoring Methods: Cultural norms will be taken into account in scheduling and carrying out interviews (for example, if it is not appropriate for a woman to be interviewed by a man; or if it is a religious holiday for some). Strategies will be developed to address them in the field (for example, ensure that there are pairs of female Monitors who could conduct interviews with women).

The Project Coordinator and the disability organization(s) hosting the monitoring project will be responsible for the adaptation of monitoring tools and methods for cultural, social and economic differences. When the training takes place, there will be an opportunity to for the Monitors and Site Coordinators to create a strategy for the interviews.

(d) Who will be the Monitors and Site Coordinators?

Site Coordinators: Each monitoring site has at least one Site Coordinator who is a person with a disability. It is best if the Site Coordinators live, or have lived for some time, in the monitoring site where they will work. Then, the Site Coordinators will know the local languages, customs and transportations systems. Site Coordinators do not need to have previous experience in this type of position but, they should be people who are organized, reliable, personable and able to identify and solve problems.

The Project Coordinator and disability organization(s) supporting the project work together to recruit the Site Coordinators.

Monitors: Like the Site Coordinators, it is best if Monitors live or have lived for some period of time in the monitoring site where they will be doing interviews. The number of Monitors that are needed for each Monitoring site can vary depending on:

• the number of interviews to take place in the site;
• the timeframe for the project, and
• how often the Monitors are available.

Within a team of country Monitors, there should be a balance in terms of gender, age, ethnicity and type of disability. Monitors do not need to have previous experience conducting monitoring interviews since they will have an opportunity to learn how to do interviews and to use the tools and methods. But, it is helpful if the people chosen have the qualities and skills of a good Monitor that were discussed earlier, in section 2.1(1)(c).

The Project Coordinator, Site Coordinators and disability organization(s) supporting the project work together to recruit the Monitors.

As soon as Monitors and Site Coordinators have been selected, they should be asked to identify any disability-related supports or adaptations that they will need to do their jobs so that these can be provided.

 (e) What information and equipment will be needed for the interviews?

See the Checklist of Equipment and Forms in Appendix G for a full list of what each pair of Monitors will need for their interviews.

Important Tip: Since there are several different forms used during the interviews, some monitoring teams have found it helpful if the forms are copied on 3 different colours of paper: 1. forms that are kept by the Monitors and used at each interview (that is, the Interview Guide and a copy of the Information Sheet) are copied on 1 colour of paper (example, white); 2. forms that are kept by the Interviewee (a copy of the Information Sheet, a copy of the signed Free and Informed Consent Form) are copied on a 2nd colour of paper (example, pink); 3. forms that are given to the Site Coordinator after the interview (that is, 2nd copy of the Free and Informed Consent Form, the Identification Sheet and the Interview Notes) are copied on a 3rd colour of paper (example, yellow).

Monitors also need the brief report with background information about each monitoring site in section 2.1(1)(b) above. This background information will give Monitors and Site Coordinators an overview of the areas where they are working and will also be used in the final monitoring report. Developing this report is the responsibility of the Project Coordinator who will work with the Site Coordinator and Monitors to make sure the information is correct and complete.

Because monitoring interviews can raise issues that are stressful for some Interviewees and Monitors, it is important to know about places where Monitors and Interviewees could get counselling services following the interview if they need it.

The Project Coordinator needs to develop a list of resources setting out contact details for counseling services available at each monitoring site. The Project Coordinator can use the knowledge of the Site Coordinator and the Monitors in preparing the list. The list will be given to all Monitors and be available to Interviewees.

In a few countries, but not all, there are mandatory reporting requirements in the law for abusive, neglectful or self-destructive behaviour. Such situations might include child abuse or neglect, neglect or abuse of elderly people or persons with disabilities, or people who might be suicidal. In countries where there are mandatory reporting laws the laws must be followed and Monitors will have to tell potential Interviewees about the specific kinds of information that they, as monitors, would be legally required to report to the authorities. The monitors would tell the interviewees this information when they are asking for informed consent. The Interviewee will then be able to decide whether or not to talk about that type of information during the interview. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for finding out if there are any mandatory reporting requirements in the country and for giving Site Coordinators and Monitors the details about these requirements during the training.

2. How to Coordinate Data Collection?

Both the Site Coordinator and Project Coordinator play key roles in coordinating the interviews. Overall responsibility lies with the Project Coordinator while the Site Coordinators play a key role on a day-to-day basis. This section explains how the interviews are coordinated.

(a) Who will be interviewed?

What is ‘sampling’ and who is in the ‘sample’?

The process of deciding who to interview is called sampling and the particular people who are interviewed (who will all be persons with disabilities) are members of the sample.

Snowball sampling?

Making a snowball

One way of deciding whom to interview (gathering a sample) is through a method called snowball sampling. This technique involves beginning with a small group of people to interview (a small ball of snow) and then increasing the size of the group of people to interview by asking people who have been interviewed to suggest other people to be interviewed (rolling a snow ball along the ground makes it pick up more snow and get bigger).

At the beginning, in each monitoring site, a small group of people (5 or 6), who have different types of impairments, are interviewed. At the end of each interview, Monitors ask the Interviewee if he or she can suggest someone else to be interviewed. The Monitors record this person’s name, background and contact information on the Identification Sheet that they give to the Site Coordinator. The next people interviewed are chosen from these suggestions that come from all the monitors.

Snowball sampling is often used to reach groups of people who are marginalized or excluded from mainstream society. It broadens the sample of people interviewed beyond the boundaries of people with disabilities who are already involved in the disability organizations. As the snowball increases it includes more people from different income, ethnic, religious and types of disability groupings. This means that the study overall will be more likely to reflect the diversity of the whole population of people with disabilities.

Snowball sampling

How to make sure that the sample is balanced?

One way to ensure diversity of the sample is to choose a variety of monitoring sites. Then, within each of the monitoring sites, relevant characteristics measuring diversity are considered. The process of balancing the representation of these different diversity characteristics is called balancing the sample.

Ways to Balance the Sample

(i) Define the characteristics used to ensure the diversity of the sample in each monitoring site.

In DRPI projects, the characteristics used to ensure diversity of the sample in each monitoring site have been: type of disability, sex and age group (only age 18 and over) and socio-economic status (the Site Coordinator and Project Coordinator will have to determine what factors would best indicate socio-economic status – some examples could include type of housing, level of income or degree of education).

The Site Coordinator and Project Coordinator will work together to determine the targets for each category of Interviewee based on the information collected for the background report on the monitoring site regarding the percentage of the total population of persons with disabilities in the area who have specific impairments or types of disability; who are men or women; who live in different areas, who have different socio-economic characteristics and who fall within particular age groups. Those targets are added to the Matrix Tables used by the Site Coordinator and Project Coordinator (see Appendix I) and discussed further below.

(ii) Consider the diversity characteristics when selecting people to be interviewed.

When selecting which of the people who have been suggested by the Interviewees to interview, Site Coordinators will use the diversity characteristics discussed above. In this way, they make sure that broad ranges of people are included in the sample. The Matrix Tables in Appendix I can be used to assist. The Project Coordinator has the final responsibility for making sure that the overall sample is diverse and representative and will talk to the Site Coordinators regularly to make sure this is happening.

Some groups of persons with disabilities are harder to find than others because they are more socially isolated. It is important to remember that the quality of the monitoring information collected will depend on making sure that members of these isolated groups are also included in the sample. This would include people who are living rough (on the streets); who are in refugee areas; who are living in families where they are isolated in their homes and so on.

As the interview sample grows, Site Coordinators may find that none of the people who have been suggested by Interviewees have the diversity characteristics needed to balance the sample. When this happens, Site Coordinators can return to local organizations of persons with disabilities for recommendations of people to interview who meet those characteristics and the Project Coordinator will also assist. It may take extra time and effort to locate Interviewees who represent the full array of persons with disabilities so this should be taken into consideration when planning the project timeline.

(b) How are the interviews set up?

Here are some ideas for the Site Coordinator about contacting people to ask them if they want to be interviewed:

• Explain briefly about the purpose of the interviews using the Information Sheet as a reference and see whether the person is interested in being interviewed (remember that the Monitors will still have to go through the formal process of obtaining informed consent before beginning the interview).
• Schedule the time and place for the interview and assign the interview to a pair of Monitors. Monitors can only do 2 interviews in a day so plan on that as your goal.
• Keep track of the letter assigned to each pair of Monitors for the Interview Code (for example, ‘A’ for Jean and Maria; ‘B’ for Sujit and Nur; ‘C’ for Jean and Esteban and be sure that the Monitors know which letter to use).
• Organize any disability-related adaptations required by the Interviewee.
• Organize how to cover the cost of transportation to/from interview location for both the Monitors and the Interviewee
• Keep records of all money given out for adaptations and transportation (collecting receipts where possible).
• Be sure that Monitors have all the necessary equipment and forms for the interview. (see Checklist in Appendix H)

A Checklist to assist with Setting Up Monitoring Interviews is found in Appendix J.

(c) Are the interviews moving along?

Site Coordinators will want to take steps to make sure that the interviews run smoothly in their monitoring sites. Here are some steps to take to make that happen:

• Talk with Monitors regularly to:
  • make sure that they are completing interviews on time
  • find out about challenges Monitors are facing (for example, problems with equipment , transportation, documents, etc.) and help find solutions
  • make sure that Monitors are able to deal with any emotional stress of interviewing (note that Monitors can use the same counseling services recommended to Interviewees)\
  • make sure the Monitors are keeping the interview information confidential
• Where possible, while the interviews are taking place, hold 1 or 2 meetings of all the Monitors in the monitoring site to discuss common problems and questions. Regular discussions with monitoring partners, other Monitors working in the monitoring site and the Site Coordinator will help Monitors to withstand the demands of doing the interviews and improve their ability to gather good quality information.
• Keep a record of the interviews each Monitor conducts (including: Monitor name, date, name of monitoring partner, interview code)
• Be in regular contact with the Project Coordinator. Whenever there are issues that the Site Coordinator cannot address him/herself, contact the Project Coordinator. It is a good idea for the Project Coordinator to try and visit the monitoring site at least once during the period in which the interviews are taking place and to meet with all the Monitors
• After all of the interviews at a monitoring site have been completed, transfer all records that have been used to coordinate the interviews (matrix tables, record of expenses, etc.) to the Project Coordinator

(d) Is good quality information being collected?

Site Coordinators play an important role in making sure that the information collected in the monitoring interviews is detailed and clear. It is very important that Site Coordinators take these steps to be sure the data is as good as it can be:

• Check the Identification Sheet, Interview Notes and Consent Form to make sure they are accurate and complete.
• Listen to a sample of the audio recordings of the interviews to ensure that:
  1. the recordings are good quality (make sure you can hear the voices clearly).
  2. detailed information is being collected (make sure that the answers given by Interviewees are not just one sentence long; Monitors are probing for more information, that is, asking follow-up questions about Who? What? Where? When? Why? - to get the full story from the person being interviewed.)
• If there are any problems with the quality of the information being collected, follow-up with Monitors to correct the problem for future interviews.

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