PALESTINIAN SOCIETY - Fafo

theoretical training course to prepare them. The pilot project in Gaza
enabled FAFO to design a course which went a long way to meeting
these requirements.
FAFO staff and consultants tirstly produced a booklet covering the
main aspects of tield work, namely: The role and importance of the
data collector; the aim of the project; technical aspects and detinitions
of terms used; contidence-building steps, and an explanation of each
section in the questionnaire.
In February 1992, a twenty-hour course was held for the supervisors
in the West Bank. The aims were to give the candidates the
background to the project, and to provide an in-depth knowledge ofthe
questionnaire, instructions on sampling, group management, conti­
dence building steps in the laeal community, practical approaches to
problem solving and office praeedures.
It must be emphasized that all these courses were a two way
exchange, as FAFO relied on brief lectures followed by group
discussions. This way laeal knowledge and experience shaped the
fmal outcome of the course and the questionnaire. Contributions and
comments from the candidates on all the courses were invaluable, and
helped give the participants a feeling of involvement in the project.
Employment was not guaranteed until the candidates had success­
fully completed the course, which was treated as part of the interview.
This led to increased commitment and participation in the course.
Followingthe supervisors' courseF AFO held twocourses for data
collectors in the West Bank, and one in Gaza. The latter course also
actedasarefreshercoursefortheoriginaldatacollectorsfromthepilot
survey. The tield workers were required to complete seven test
questionnaires at addresses selected by their supervisors. These
addresses were obtained using the maps generated from the supervisors
' training course. Only when these questionnaires were accepted
by the supervisors and the F AFO-coordinator were the tield workers
employed. Those who did not achieve the minimum standard were not
employed.
The aims of the data collectors' courses were similar to those of the
supervisors' course. However, the emphasis was more on the solving
of practical problems and learning how to deal with reluctant and
suspicious respondents, in addition to gaining an understanding of the
ideas behind the questions. The method of role playing possible
situations was used to train the data collectors in how to deal with all
sorts of respondents and to encourage them to anticipate problems.
Time was spent teaching the candidates how to explain questions
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