Data Collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Personal list of team members for 16 domains was composed out of Oblast/City Statistics Departments staff. Training on data collection techniques in the fields was conducted in November-December 2005. Four regional training workshops by 6 days each were conducted in Petropavlovsk City (21-26 November), Shymkent City (28 November - 3 December), Semipalatinsk City (5 - 10 December) and Aktobe City (20 - 25 December) for the staff of regional departments involved in fieldwork. In total, 129 Statistic Division's staff members were trained. 

Four teams by eight people from each Oblast participated in each workshop, in total 32 people. Training included lectures on interviewing techniques, contents of the questionnaires and mock interviews between trainees in practice interviewing. By the end of the training participants spent two days in practicing interviewing at the venue of training workshops. With the purpose of practical training, teams of interviewers and respondents were established that had mock interviews and answered each questionnaire followed with discussion of completed questionnaires, correction of mistakes and amendment of some questions for better comprehension. In addition, training on anthropometric measurements of children under 5 and testing of iodine in salt by testers was conducted in small group. In the frames of the same workshops, special 2-day training workshops were conducted for supervisors and editors on monitoring in the fields and editing of questionnaires. Each participant received Certificate upon completion of the workshop.

Prior to fieldwork, supervisors developed special routes and schedules for teams moving by clusters. Before fieldwork mass media (newspapers, TV and radio) in the fields elucidated MICS targets and terms to population. 

The data were collected by 16 teams; each was comprised of six female interviewers, two drivers, one editor and one supervisor - head of team. Qualitative composition of fieldworkers was very high; each team comprised of state servants, supervisors were deputy heads of Oblast/City Statistics Departments, editors - director or deputy director FSE DCC AS RK, interviewers - senior specialists and heads of departments. Special badge with colored photo, full name, MICS and AS RK logos was prepared for each team member. 

Fieldwork began in January and concluded in March 2006. In addition to collection answers, MICS teams tested iodine in salt households used for cooking and measured weight and height of children under 5. Details and results of these measurements are presented in the correspondent sections of the report.

Preparatory work and coordination of all structures involved in the Project was agreed with MICS coordinators from the Agency RK on Statistics with close cooperation of UNICEF and UNFPA MICS coordinators. 

Central office of RSE DCC of the Agency RK on Statistics dispatched all necessary tools and equipment required for MICS fieldwork ahead of time.

During fieldwork, Project Coordinators had a few monitoring visits to the following Oblasts in accordance with schedule for field teams: Akmola, Karaganda, Mangistau, Atyrau, Almaty, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and South  Kazakhstan. Representative from UNICEF Regional Office (Geneva) took part in monitoring in the first two Oblasts. 

Heads of Oblast, city (rayon and rural) Akimates, health workers as well as statisticians provided efficient assistance to MICS teams in the fields. After completion of fieldwork teams presented reports, photo/video materials, comments and suggestions for MICS to the Central Office of AS RK.

The Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Interviewing was conducted by teams of interviewers.  Each interviewing team comprised of 3-4 female interviewers, a field editor and a supervisor, and a driver.  Each teams used a 4 wheel dirve vehicle to travel from cluster to cluster (and where necessary within cluster).

The role of the supervisor was to coordinator field data collection activities, including management of the field teams, supplies and equipment, finances, maps and listings, coordinate with local authorities concerning the survey plan and make arrangements for accomodation and travel.  Additionally, the field supervisor assigned the work to the interviewers, spot checked work, maintained field control documents, and sent completed questionnaires and progress reports to the central office

The field editor was responsible for reviewing each questionnaire at the end of the day, checking for missed questions, skip errors, fields incorrectly completed, and checking for inconsistencies in the data.  The field editor also observed interviews and conducted review sessions with interviewers.

Responsibilities of the supervisors and field editors are described in the Instructions for Supervisors and Field Editors, together with the different field controls that were in place to control the quality of the fieldwork.

Field visits were also made by a team of central staff on a periodic basis during fieldwork.  The senior staff of ASRK also made 3 visits to field teams to provide support and to review progress.