Survey Pilot

The survey pilot is a field test of the questionnaire(s) and all survey protocols. Piloting is not just about the questionnaire: it is also an opportunity to test survey protocols (e.g. respondent selection, replacement, geo-data collection) and learn about relevant logistics. The Pilot is done before Enumerator Training. It is not the same as the field practice all enumerators do at the end of Training.

GUIDELINES FOR SURVEY PILOT

Stages of a Survey Pilot

A complete survey pilot includes 3 stages:

Figure 1: A Complete Survey Pilot Includes 3 Stages

Stage 1 - Pre-Pilot	Stage 2 - Content-focused Pilot	Stage 3 - Data-focused Pilot
Answer broad questions about survey design and context through qualitative interviews and focus group discussions	Refine overall order and structure, wording of specific questions, and translations. Check completeness of answer choice options, response variance, survey length.	Validate programming, export a sample dataset, check dataset structure and completeness, test all data quality checks
Early, printable draft, and/or qualitative instruments	A translated, printable, complete draft	A translated, programmed, final draft
Pen-and-Paper	Pen-and-Paper	Tablet/Phone-based

Are all 3 stages of piloting necessary for every survey? All three stages of piloting are not necessarily required for every survey. If your survey is a brand new survey instrument, then it is necessary to start with Stage 1 - Pre-Pilot. If your survey is an adaptation of a well-designed questionnaire from a reliable source in the same country, then you may start the survey pilot with Stage 2 – Content focused pilot.

If your survey is an adaptation of a survey instrument from a previous data collection for the same project, and if significant revisions or additions have been made then start with Stage 2 – Content focused piloting. Otherwise in cases where you have not done any major changes to the adaptation, skip directly to Stage 3 i.e. Data-focused pilot.

Why do a pen-and-paper pilot for a CAPI survey?

Pen-and-paper pilots hold an advantage over CAPI surveys due to their flexibility in recording answers and qualitative observations. Pen-and-paper pilots are especially useful to:

• Record open-ended responses (critical for a pilot) more quickly / easily
• Draw lines and arrows between questions to suggest restructuring
• Record their observations and feedback in the margins
• Make notes of questionnaire wording or translation problems directly in the text

A good pilot will provide significant inputs to questionnaire design, and result in significant changes to content and structure. Changing programming in CAPI software is time-consuming and can create bugs (e.g. if order of questions shifts and all skip codes need to be re-programmed).

What is the timeline for a survey pilot?

Piloting should start 4-6 months before survey launch. Do not confuse the Pilot with field testing during the enumerator training. It typically involves significant changes to the survey instrument and/or protocols – which should always be made before enumerator training starts. See Timeline of Survey Pilot for details The earlier you start the better!

What should be tested during the pilot?

The pilot should test: questionnaire content checklist: refining questionnaire, questionnaire programming [[]] and all survey protocols Piloting Survey Protocols

Who should be involved in a survey pilot?

Typically, survey pilots are done before the survey firm is on board. The DIME Field Coordinator plays a central role. Ideally other research team members (e.g. the Principal Investigator) will participate. For details, see Survey Pilot Participants

How to structure a survey pilot?

The success of a pilot often depends on logistics. See guidelines on effectively Structuring a Survey Pilot. You should develop a clear Pilot Protocol for each stage and share with the research team for approval in advance.

Tips and Reminders

• Throughout the questionnaire design process, and discussion with the research team, take notes of what needs to be piloted
  • Make sure all voices heard at feedback sessions (especially if age/ gender/ ethnicity differences)
• Take careful notes during the pilot, the discussions and clarifications will be important to include in the enumerator manual and to discuss at training
• You will get valuable feedback by observing pilot interviews even if you don’t speak the local language.
  • Bring a copy of the questionnaire in English, with the same question numbers / variable labels, so that you can follow along with the interview.
  • Focus on observing the respondent and the enumerator. It may be a good idea to ask the enumerator to explain if a significant discussion starts over any particular question (depends on the timing, if already a long interview may not want to make it longer, and on how confident you are that the interviewer will be able to report back later the substance of the discussion)
• Consider obtaining IRB approval before the pilot (when an IRB is needed)
  • When you are developing new instruments, there are some opportunities for publication even at the piloting level. The PIs will know when this is a possibility. This requires further planning but it can be well worth it.
• Do a data-focused pilot for your backcheck questionnaire
• Hiring a local "mobilizer" to coordinate with respondents can facilitate piloting, particularly in urban areas or settings in which people are particularly busy. They explain the purpose of the survey and get consent, reducing down time between surveys. (though do note this may not be consistent with piloting sampling protocols)

CHECKLISTS FOR FIELD COORDINATORS

Field coordinators can also use the Preparing for the Survey and Refining the Questionnaire checklists to make sure that they have not forgotten anything during a survey pilot.