[Country] Malaria Indicator Survey [Year]

1. [Country]Malaria Indicator Survey [Year] MIS Supervisor Training

2. [This document is part of the « Malaria Indicator Survey » toolkit, developed by the RBM-MERG, with contributions from the following partners: Center for Disease Control-CDC, Swiss Tropical Institute, Johns Hopkins University, The World Bank, The Global Fund against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, MACRO International, Malaria Consortium, Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa (MACEPA) – PATH, Malaria in Pregnancy Consortium Secretariat, MEASURE Evaluation, WHO,WHO-AFRO, RBM-PS, Tulane University, UNICEF and USAID/PMI. This toolkit also largely benefited from national programmes from countries having conducted MISs.]

3. Introduction • Field supervisors for the MIS have an important position. • They are the primary links between the coordinator of field operations and the interviewers. As such, they are responsible for ensuring both the quality and progress of fieldwork. • Therefore, they must be fully acquainted with the questionnaire.

4. MIS Objectives [Country] Malaria Indicator Survey objectives: • To collect up-to-date information on Coverage of Core interventions in National Malaria Strategic Plan to guide planning and implementation. • Assess malaria parasite prevalence according to the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group (MERG) recommendations, and in accordance with national recommendations. • Assess the status of (severe) anaemia among the target populations (children 6-36 months) according to the RBM-MERG recommendations; • Strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and local partners in implementation of malaria surveys.

5. A few questions though… • Who is conducting this survey? • Who are you in this survey? • You are professionals and you are part of this survey because you can adequately represent the MoH in this work. • In which age group are we measuring parasite prevalence? • In which age group are we measuring anaemia? • From who are we going to take blood for all the blood tests?

6. Responsibilities of the Field Supervisor (1) • He/she is responsible for the well-being and safety of team members, as well as the completion of the assigned workload and the maintenance of data quality. • Receiving his/her assignments from and reporting to the coordinators.

7. Responsibilities of the Field Supervisor (2) The specific responsibilities of the supervisor are: • Making the necessary preparations for the fieldwork. • Organizing and directing the fieldwork. • Monitoring interviewer performance with the aim of improving and maintaining the quality of the data collected. • Closely supervising interviewers.

8. Important! Because the collection of high-quality data is crucial to the success of the survey, it is important that supervisors are mature, responsible women/men who execute their duties with care and precision. This is especially important during the initial phases of fieldwork, when it is possible to eliminate interviewer error patterns before they become habits.

9. To prepare for fieldwork The field supervisor must: • Obtain sample household lists and/or maps for each area in which his/her team will be working. • Become familiar with the area where the team will be working and determine the best arrangements for travel and accommodations. • Contact local authorities to inform them about the survey and gain their support and cooperation. • Obtain all monetary advances, supplies, and equipment necessary for the team to complete its assigned interviews.

10. During the fieldwork The supervisor will: • Assign work to interviewers, taking into account the linguistic competence of individual interviewers and ensuring that there is an equitable distribution of the workload. • Make sure that assignments are carried out. • Regularly (daily) keep headquarters informed of the team’s location. • Communicate any problems to the coordinator.

11. During field work (2) • Arrange for lodging and food for the team. • Make an effort to develop a positive team spirit. A congenial work atmosphere, along with careful planning of field activities, contributes to the overall quality of the survey. • Take charge of the team vehicle, ensuring that it is kept in good repair and that it is used only for project work.

12. Monitoring interviewer performance requires that the supervisor: • Observe at least one interview every day (and at least one anaemia test). • Edit all completed questionnaires in the field; editing must be completed before leaving the sample area. • Conduct regular spotcheck re-interviews. • Conduct regular review sessions with each interviewer and advise them of any problems. • Put completed questionnaires from a sample area in order and pack them up to be sent to the central office.

13. Preparing for field work • Collecting materials for fieldwork • Arranging transportation and accommodations • Contacting local authorities • Contacting the central office • Using maps to locate clusters • Finding selected households

14. Organising and Supervising Field Work The following tips may be helpful to the supervisor in assigning work: • Make daily work assignments. • Assign more interviews than an interviewer can actually do in one day. • Distribute work fairly among the interviewers. • Ensure that each interviewer has all the required information and materials for completing the work assignment.

15. Organising and Supervising Field Work • Maintain complete records each day. • Make sure that all selected households and eligible women for that cluster have been interviewed before leaving an area. • It is the responsibility of the supervisor to make sure that the interviewers fully understand the instructions given to them and that they adhere to the work schedule.

16. Reducing Non Response

17. Type 1—The interviewer is unable to locate the selected household • Occupied structure inaccessible. • Structure not found. • Structure non-residential, vacant, or demolished.

18. Type 2—The interviewer is unable to locate the woman eligible for the individual interview • No one home at time of call. • Respondent temporarily absent.

19. Type 3—The respondent refuses to be interviewed Suggestions for handling potential refusals include the following: • Approach respondent from her point of view. • Postpone interview to another day. • Carry out the interview yourself.

20. Maintaining Motivation and Morale Creating and maintaining motivation and morale among the interviewers • Understand clearly what is expected of them. • Are properly guided and supervised in their work. • Receive recognition for good work. • Are stimulated to improve their work. • Work in tranquil and secure conditions.

21. A Few Principles • Rather than giving direct orders, try to gain voluntary compliance before demanding it. • Without losing a sense of authority, try to involve the interviewers in decision-making, and at the same time, see to it that the decision remains firm. • When pointing out an error, do it with tact, in a friendly manner, and in private. • When interviewers voice complaints, listen with patience and try to resolve them. • Try to foster team spirit and group work. • Under no circumstances show preference for one of the interviewers over another. • Try to develop a friendly and informal atmosphere

22. Observations and Organising Completed Work – Which of these Apply? • Observing interviews • Evaluating interviewer performance • Re-interviews • Editing questionnaires • Organizing questionnaires for return to the office • Forwarding questionnaires to the head office