[Country] Malaria Indicator Survey [Year]

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CountryMalaria Indicator Survey Year

• MIS Supervisor Training

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• This document is part of the  Malaria Indicator
  Survey  toolkit, developed by the RBM-MERG, with
  contributions from the following partners Center
  for Disease Control-CDC, Swiss Tropical
  Institute, Johns Hopkins University, The World
  Bank, The Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis
  and Malaria, Liverpool School of Tropical
  Medicine, MACRO International, Malaria
  Consortium, Malaria Control and Evaluation
  Partnership in Africa (MACEPA) PATH, Malaria in
  Pregnancy Consortium Secretariat, MEASURE
  Evaluation, WHO,WHO-AFRO, RBM-PS, Tulane
  University, UNICEF and USAID/PMI. This toolkit
  also largely benefited from national programmes
  from countries having conducted MISs.

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Introduction

• Field supervisors for the MIS have an important
  position.
• They are the primary links between the
  coordinator of field operations and the
  interviewers. As such, they are responsible for
  ensuring both the quality and progress of
  fieldwork.
• Therefore, they must be fully acquainted with the
  questionnaire.

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MIS Objectives

• Country Malaria Indicator Survey objectives
• To collect up-to-date information on Coverage of
  Core interventions in National Malaria Strategic
  Plan to guide planning and implementation.
• Assess malaria parasite prevalence according to
  the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Monitoring and
  Evaluation Reference Group (MERG)
  recommendations, and in accordance with national
  recommendations.
• Assess the status of (severe) anaemia among the
  target populations (children 6-36 months)
  according to the RBM-MERG recommendations
• Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Health
  (MoH) and local partners in implementation of
  malaria surveys.

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A few questions though

• Who is conducting this survey?
• Who are you in this survey?
• You are professionals and you are part of this
  survey because you can adequately represent the
  MoH in this work.
• In which age group are we measuring parasite
  prevalence?
• In which age group are we measuring anaemia?
• From who are we going to take blood for all the
  blood tests?

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Responsibilities of the Field Supervisor (1)

• He/she is responsible for the well-being and
  safety of team members, as well as the completion
  of the assigned workload and the maintenance of
  data quality.
• Receiving his/her assignments from and reporting
  to the coordinators.

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Responsibilities of the Field Supervisor (2)

• The specific responsibilities of the supervisor
  are
• Making the necessary preparations for the
  fieldwork.
• Organizing and directing the fieldwork.
• Monitoring interviewer performance with the aim
  of improving and maintaining the quality of the
  data collected.
• Closely supervising interviewers.

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Important!

• Because the collection of high-quality data is
  crucial to the success of the survey, it is
  important that supervisors are mature,
  responsible women/men who execute their duties
  with care and precision. This is especially
  important during the initial phases of fieldwork,
  when it is possible to eliminate interviewer
  error patterns before they become habits.

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To prepare for fieldwork

• The field supervisor must
• Obtain sample household lists and/or maps for
  each area in which his/her team will be working.
• Become familiar with the area where the team will
  be working and determine the best arrangements
  for travel and accommodations.
• Contact local authorities to inform them about
  the survey and gain their support and
  cooperation.
• Obtain all monetary advances, supplies, and
  equipment necessary for the team to complete its
  assigned interviews.

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During the fieldwork

• The supervisor will
• Assign work to interviewers, taking into account
  the linguistic competence of individual
  interviewers and ensuring that there is an
  equitable distribution of the workload.
• Make sure that assignments are carried out.
• Regularly (daily) keep headquarters informed of
  the teams location.
• Communicate any problems to the coordinator.

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During field work (2)

• Arrange for lodging and food for the team.
• Make an effort to develop a positive team spirit.
  A congenial work atmosphere, along with careful
  planning of field activities, contributes to the
  overall quality of the survey.
• Take charge of the team vehicle, ensuring that it
  is kept in good repair and that it is used only
  for project work.

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Monitoring interviewer performance requires that
the supervisor

• Observe at least one interview every day (and at
  least one anaemia test).
• Edit all completed questionnaires in the field
  editing must be completed before leaving the
  sample area.
• Conduct regular spotcheck re-interviews.
• Conduct regular review sessions with each
  interviewer and advise them of any problems.
• Put completed questionnaires from a sample area
  in order and pack them up to be sent to the
  central office.

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Preparing for field work

• Collecting materials for fieldwork
• Arranging transportation and accommodations
• Contacting local authorities
• Contacting the central office
• Using maps to locate clusters
• Finding selected households

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Organising and Supervising Field Work

• The following tips may be helpful to the
  supervisor in assigning work
• Make daily work assignments.
• Assign more interviews than an interviewer can
  actually do in one day.
• Distribute work fairly among the interviewers.
• Ensure that each interviewer has all the required
  information and materials for completing the work
  assignment.

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Organising and Supervising Field Work

• Maintain complete records each day.
• Make sure that all selected households and
  eligible women for that cluster have been
  interviewed before leaving an area.
• It is the responsibility of the supervisor to
  make sure that the interviewers fully understand
  the instructions given to them and that they
  adhere to the work schedule.

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Reducing Non Response
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Type 1The interviewer is unable to locate the
selected household

• Occupied structure inaccessible.
• Structure not found.
• Structure non-residential, vacant, or demolished.
  

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Type 2The interviewer is unable to locate the
woman eligible for the individual interview

• No one home at time of call.
• Respondent temporarily absent.

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Type 3The respondent refuses to be interviewed

• Suggestions for handling potential refusals
  include the following
• Approach respondent from her point of view.
• Postpone interview to another day.
• Carry out the interview yourself.

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Maintaining Motivation and Morale

• Creating and maintaining motivation and morale
  among the interviewers
• Understand clearly what is expected of them.
• Are properly guided and supervised in their work.
• Receive recognition for good work.
• Are stimulated to improve their work.
• Work in tranquil and secure conditions.

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A Few Principles

• Rather than giving direct orders, try to gain
  voluntary compliance before demanding it.
• Without losing a sense of authority, try to
  involve the interviewers in decision-making, and
  at the same time, see to it that the decision
  remains firm.
• When pointing out an error, do it with tact, in a
  friendly manner, and in private.
• When interviewers voice complaints, listen with
  patience and try to resolve them.
• Try to foster team spirit and group work.
• Under no circumstances show preference for one of
  the interviewers over another.
• Try to develop a friendly and informal atmosphere

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Observations and Organising Completed Work
Which of these Apply?

• Observing interviews
• Evaluating interviewer performance
• Re-interviews
• Editing questionnaires
• Organizing questionnaires for return to the
  office
• Forwarding questionnaires to the head office