Ahead of fieldwork for a nationwide brand audit for a client in the girls’ rights and development space, our research partner, NOIPolls, convened a comprehensive training session for the field team, with Credo Advisory participating to ensure methodological alignment and readiness for implementation.
The training was preparatory to fieldwork across the study’s three primary data collection components: Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs).
The training provided an opportunity to walk through the Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) questionnaire question by question, discussing the rationale behind each item, anticipating potential challenges in the field, and agreeing on practical approaches to ensure consistency in administration.
One of the most insightful aspects of the session was the discussion around translation. Beyond converting the questionnaire from English into local languages, the focus was on preserving the intent, nuance, and context of each question so that respondents across different linguistic backgrounds receive the same meaning. It was a reminder that effective translation is fundamental to producing reliable and comparable data.
The session also reinforced an important research principle: the quality of insights is only as strong as the quality of the data collected. Thorough interviewer preparation, careful translation, and close collaboration between research partners are essential to generating credible evidence that informs sound decision-making.
As fieldwork begins, the experience serves as a reminder that rigorous preparation is not just a procedural step; it is the foundation of quality research.
