How to create a questionnaire

There are many steps to creating a questionnaire.  The first is the design which includes being clear about why you need a questionnaire.  That is, what information are you trying to collect and why?  There are also some important factors to exclude from a questionnaire such as more than one idea in a survey questions, asking for more information than you need.

 The questionnaire itself has format that is made up of a preamble or introduction.  This is what is said when the interviewer makes first contact with the respondent or the first part that a respondent reads when they open the letter that contains the questionnaire.  Questionnaires also include a question to collect demographic information such as age, gender, location and background.  The main body of the questionnaire includes the questions ask for what you really need to know.  These questions can ask for qualitative or quantitative data.  Finally, there is a question that is general that asks for any last comments and then closure by thanking the respondent for their comments.

View in depth details on how to create a questionnaire

The use of adult learning principles

Adults learn differently to children and the following principles are usually incorporated into learning material that is developed for this class of learners.

• Build on local experience, use the knowledge within the audience.
• Make the learning environment comfortable and encouraging.
  
• Ensure that the learning activity meets the needs and relates to the problems of the audience.
  
• Involve the audience in planning their own learning experience.
• Have activities that involve people, are stimulating and encourage participation.
• Allow time for people to reflect on what they are learning, be open to questioning.
• Build group and individual confidence in letting people know they are right. 

 View more information and references for adult learning

Observation Techniques

"First and foremost, some observational fieldwork is essential if the evaluator is to provide a suitably descriptive account of the core features of any program.' (Clarke, 1999:80).  There are three main types of observation.  The one that is described in more detail here is Participant as Observer.

View more details about Participant as Observer

Interviewing

We use interviews to collect data for surveys and the tips we talk about here reflect that.  There are several steps we take to set up the interviews.  Before we start the interviews we make sure we understand the project and sometimes send out the questions in advance.  There is definite process of interview that involves making sure that every question is asked as it appears on the questionnaire even though you may feel it has already been answered; often respondents have a different interpretation of the question.  There are ways to ask questions that will make it easier for respondents to reply such as speaking clearly, at the right speed for the respondent and being willing to repeat the question.  At the conclusion of the interview, thank the respondent and offer to send a transcript if appropriate.  Comments from respondents need to be recorded accurately and stored so that the privacy of the respondents is not compromised. 

View more details on telephone interviewing

Focus Groups

The purpose of focus groups is to bring together small numbers of people to discuss topics on which information is wanted.  To elicit data, researchers rely on interactions between individuals and observe and record how they collectively explore an issue.

View more details on running focus groups and facilitated discussion

Story telling

There are many ways of asking people to tell a story. Methods of story telling can be structured or unstructured.

The story based approach to data collection offers a more comprehensive qualitative form of evaluation and can make up for some of the gaps in evaluation left by more quantitative and less colourful data collection techniques.  The story based approach described here has also been referred to as monitoring without indicators.

For more information on story telling

History Trip

The use of a history trip or a turning points story allows evaluators to reconstruct the history of an intervention and identify the significance of the main events in its past.  By using an evaluation process which identifies the significant historical aspect, it is likely that a shared history and culture can be established and this can be built upon in the future.  Developing a history trip involves a process of compiling information and then identifying the significance of that information.  The steps to develop a history trip involve preparing a suitable surface to compile the information, choosing what information is recorded, having a discussion about and recording the significance of the information and what trends seem to be emerging.  The implications for the future are also discussed. 

For a more detailed process of history trip

Bennett's Hierarchy

Claude Bennett from the United States Department of Agriculture developed a hierarchy of cause and effect in the early 1970s in response to a need to justify spending on extension programs.  Funds had been expended but their impacts were sometimes not seen until long after the programs ended.

To be able to measure incremental change during the program, Bennett came up with the hierarchy that showed the causal links between the steps from inputs to outcomes and where along the continuum of change an extension program reached or was likely to reach in its funded life.  Bennett continues to work with his hierarchy and to be amazed that its value has been so long lasting to so many people.  His hierarchy is still widely used in evaluation of extension programs in Australian agriculture. 

For more information on Bennett's Hierarchy

Delphi Technique

The Delphi Technique is a structured communication process that can be used to collect, group, sort and rank data and reach consensus from a group of people without requiring face to face contact.

The technique was orginially developed in the 1950s and was used to draw on expert opinion, experience and intuition to forcast the impact of technology on warfare by the American military (Wikipedia 2006).  The method's popularity grew rapidly and it in now used in fields ranging from business forcasting (for example, to predict sales) science (for example to forcast technology) and welfare (for example to predict patterns of drug abuse.)

More details on Delphi Technique

Grants Programs

Many initiatives use incentives in the form of grants as means of financing and supporting different projects that together meet the objectives of the program.  Frequently, at  Roberts Evaluation we are called upon to evaluate these programs and while the methodology will vary for each review there are three broad issues which we would ordinarily examine. They are: the processes used in the program, its governance, and the impact and effectiveness of the projec to achieve the outcomes.

More detail on these aspects of Grants Programs  

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