Guidelines for Impact Monitoring & Assessment in Microfinance ...

MONITORING & ASSESSMENT IN MICROFINANCE PROGRAMMES
MORE INFORMATION ON INTERVIEWS
BEST TYPE OF INFO TO GATHER
Exploratory and probing
Verbal, spontaneous
Good sources for impressions and concrete information
Useful for verifying other information collected through different means
BEST TYPE OF RESPONDENTS
Anyone willing to discuss personal matters, reactions, attitudes, etc. with an appropriate
interviewer
BENEFITS
Allows for gathering rich, in-depth information fairly quickly
Natural form for respondents to share information; answers are generally more reliable
when interviews are conducted face-to-face
Allows for spontaneity and further probing, which may lead to important, but unexpected,
issues
Respondents do not have to be literate
POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM): Interviews tend to be more
costly and time-consuming, and thus reach fewer people than surveys.
If appropriate, small group interviews can be done instead of individual interviews.
Use a facilitator who already has a good rapport with the respondents and train him/her
in basic interviewing skills. Facilitator biases and lack of skills in interviewing can jeopardize
the entire interview.
Provide training to facilitators in at least basic interviewing skills, covering basic guidelines
for interviewers. Less structured interviews may not provide the information
needed.
Prepare an interview guide with an introduction for facilitators to follow during interviews.
The guide should pose questions in the exact format and order in which they will
be asked.
Writing down responses during interviews can be difficult. Prepare a format for recording
responses and include it with the interview guide.
If appropriate, emphasize to the respondents that their answers are confidential.
Try to have two people facilitating interviews: one to conduct the interview and the
other to record responses.
If recording responses seems to slow down the interview, let respondents know that
their answers are being noted thoroughly because what they have to say is important.
Long, detailed responses are more difficult to analyse, especially if the interview has
gotten off track or if responses are vague.
When appropriate, include a data analysis plan with the interview guide.
Probe further for needed information.
Keep the respondent focused on the question being asked.
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