Enumerator Training

Read First

By the end of the Enumerator Training, all field staff should be familiar with the Survey Protocols and all survey instruments. The Enumerator Training is typically organized by the Survey Firm or agency responsible for data collection. Best practice is to have a Supervisor Training first, which functions as a Training-of-Trainers, as the supervisors can then help lead the Enumerator Training. Always train more enumerators than will be required for the field work, and at the end of the Training choose the top performers (based on performance on pop quizzes, participation in Training, and interview(s) completed during the Field Testing.

Guidelines

Agenda for enumerator training

Use the Enumerator Manual as the guide for structuring the training agenda. A typical agenda includes:

1. Introductions
2. Review of Survey Protocols
3. Review of Questionnaire (paper version)
   1. This is done module-by-module. Each question is read aloud and discussed. At the end of each module, a mock interview.
4. Introduction to tablets to be used for data collection
5. Review of Questionnaire (electronic version)
6. Mock interviews in-classroom
7. Field testing

The training should be highly interactive. Pop quizzes at the beginning of each day are a good way to keep people's attention, and to catch any comprehension gaps in real time.

Enumerator Manual

The Enumerator Manual should be the basis for the enumerator training. It is designed as a resource for field teams to consult as questions or issues arise during data collection. The manual should include the following:

1. Brief overview of study objectives
2. All Survey Protocols
3. Roles and responsibilities of field staff
4. Definitions of key terms
5. Instructions for using (and troubleshooting) tablets
6. Questionnaire conventions
7. Module-by-module description of Questionnaire Content

The Enumerator Manual is typically developed by the Field Coordinator, with input from the research team and the survey firm (or other data collection partner).

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