Specific Monitoring Methods
Direct Observation Surveys/Interviews
What is it? Direct observation is about
visual assessment of a
situation or a change, such as
how a shelter has been built
or whether a latrine is clean.
Focus Group Discussions
Surveys and interviews are
structured discussions that
can collect useful information
about pre-determined topics
and information needs. These
discussions can last from 30
minutes to an hour or so. You
might conduct these
interviews with households to
learn whether a particular
distribution spot was
appropriate or with key
informants, like community
leaders, to ask about possible
conflict as the result of the
distribution. Typically,
interviews are done with
fewer respondents during
light monitoring, and surveys
are done with a larger
number of respondents
during more rigorous
monitoring.
Pile-Ranking Exercises
(FGD)
An FGD is a semi-structured
discussion among a group of
8- 12 individuals who share
specific characteristics,
experiences or perspectives.
Perhaps you bring farmers
together in a focus group to
learn more about that group’s
suggestions for improvements
to the response. Or you might
hold a focus group with
mothers of small children to
uncover their health
concerns.
Pile ranking is a participatory
group exercise, often
conducted as part of focus
group discussions, in which
participants are asked to
compare items or behaviors
by grouping them into
categories, such as very
useful, somewhat useful, or
not useful. Recipients
organize the items into
distinct piles and then explain
why they have organized
them in this way. Follow-up
probing can reveal useful
information about the
reasons behind the ranking
decisions.
Specific Monitoring Methods
Direct Observation
Qualitative or Either. Typically, a checklist is
quantitative used for direct observation
data? that results in quantitative
data. However, direct
observation can generate
qualitative data, as well.
Formal or Either. Informally, it means
informal? paying purposeful attention
to the context, such as field
staff noticing a change in the
community and noting it for
further discussion.
Formally, it means looking for
specific things or changes,
such as using a checklist
during a post-construction
observation to monitor
whether certain construction
techniques were utilized.
Surveys/Interviews
Either. You might conduct a
structured interview with
closed-ended questions to
collect quantitative data, or
you might conduct a
semistructured interview with
open-ended and probing
questions to get qualitative
data. Key informant
interviews are typically
qualitative, while surveys are
generally quantitative. You
generally would not want to
combine both qualitative and
quantitative data collection in
the same interview.
Usually formal and based
around pre-determined
information needs. While you
might have conversations
with individuals or families as
part of your informal
monitoring activities, an
interview or household survey
is a formal, structured
activity.
Focus Group Discussions
(FGD)
Qualitative. The strength of a
focus group discussion is
generating in-depth
descriptions of experiences
and perspectives, all of which
is qualitative data.
Formal. FGDs have a specific
purpose and utilize planned
questions. Based on the
group’s discussion and
answers, you can follow up
with more probing questions.
Pile-Ranking Exercises
Qualitative and quantitative.
The actual ranking in a
pileranking exercise is
technically considered
quantitative, but the primary
goal is find out why people
ranked items the way they
did, which is qualitative data.
Formal. You go in knowing
what items you want to rank
and into which categories.
You generally also have
predetermined discussion
questions to probe into the
ranking results.
Specific Monitoring Methods
Direct Observation
What are theThis method can only be used
limitations?for anything that can be
visually observed or inspected
and for behaviors that are
frequent enough to be
captured during monitoring.
As such, it cannot be used to
determine feelings or
perceptions.
Recommended Light monitoring of
use? observable behaviors or
characteristics, often used to
validate other monitoring
methods.
Surveys/Interviews Focus Group Discussions Pile-Ranking Exercises
(FGD)
Interviews and surveys may Focus group discussions can Pile-ranking has a very narrow
not be reliable for getting be influenced by one strong use. It can be an effective
information on practices. Self- participant and can fail to technique for understanding
reported behaviors may be represent the general position the usefulness of items, but is
influenced by what the of the group. FGDs are not not used for other
respondents think we want to appropriate for determining information needs.
hear. individual behavior change or
generalizing responses to
represent a community.
Learning what people feel or Qualitative data from specific Determining the relative
like, what they know, and groups about specific issues usefulness of items or services
what they do (although self- and why changes have or provided. This is also a great
reported practices should be haven’t occurred. FGDs are technique for participants
verified through observation, typically used to help who cannot read (and
if possible). Surveys and interpret quantitative data. therefore can’t answer survey
interviews are most useful to This is an especially effective questions).
validate individual knowledge, method for comparing
to determine preferences or feedback from various groups,
recommended changes, to such as FGDs with male
identify possible issues or to versus female residents, or
verify coverage of the comparing people who do or
response. don’t use the latrines.
Interviews with key
informants, such as
community leaders or
technical experts, might also
help identify potential groups
that are doing less well or
might need more assistance
or community-level issues
such as tension between
beneficiaries and non-
beneficiaries.
Specific Monitoring Methods