Trainer Survey Training 3.2. SG - Steps 3b. & 3.c.Questionnaires & Enumerator Trng.docx

3.2. Step 3: Elaborating the Trader Questionnaire

Session-at-a-glance

Content / Approximate Time / Instructional Activity
Trader and Market Questionnaires – an Overview / 30minutes / Plenary presentation & Q&A
Exercise 3.2. Adapting the Questionnaires / 150 minutes / Small group work
Exercise 3.2. Debriefing / 45 minutes / Small group feedback to plenary
Enumerator Training & Wrap-up / 15 minutes / Plenary presentation & Q&A
Total Time / 240 minutes

Session Objectives

After this session, participants will be able to:

  • List the six key sections of a trader survey questionnaire – and explain the purpose of each
  • Adapt a generic trader questionnaire as needed
  • List the three key sections of a market questionnaire – and explain the purpose of each
  • Adapt a generic market questionnaire as needed
  • Identify the key components of an enumerator training for market analysis

Session Supplies

  • Power-point: 3.2. Steps 3.b. & 3.c. Questionnaires & Enumerator Trng.pptx
  • Workbook Exercise 3.2. Adapting the Questionnaires (annexed to this Session Guide as Annex 1)

Key Messages

A food security analysis plan includes following sources:

  • Trader questionnaire
  • Market questionnaire
  • Household questionnaire
  • Community questionnaire
  • Secondary data analysis

In this Trader Survey training, the focus is on the trader survey and market questionnaires.

The generic trader questionnaire used to conduct interview with local traders is based on the indicators (column 3) in the market analysis plan; the questionnaire focuses on one product in each trader interview.

Four key areas of concern need to be considered by the design team each time the trader questionnaire is adapted. These include the following:

  1. In a sudden-onset emergency, the questions should compare the market situation before and after the shock; in a slow-onset emergency, the questions should compare the current situation with that of one year ago; in a baseline survey, the questionnaire should compare the current situation with the “usual” situation during the same period or season.
  2. Regional and/or (trans) national market interviews should contain the same questions as local market questionnaires, but with extra space added for other qualitative information that may be obtained.
  3. The “horizon” or outlook of conditions for the food security assessment and for the trader survey should be fixed (e.g. six or twelve months) and be reflected in any questions about future conditions.
  4. The questionnaires should reflect the local products being traded at the market.

The cover page of the questionnaires should be started before and completed after the interview. For the market questionnaire, the coordinates of the market should be included if available.

The trader questionnaire includes a number of components; the purposes of each component are noted in the table below:

TS Questionnaire Section / Purpose of the section (The section helps the team to…)
1.General characteristics / Select the right person and product for the interview.
2. Volumes & flows / Understand market competition, sales volumes, and sources of essential food items.
3. Constraints & response capacity / Understand the capacity of the markets to respond to increased demand (due to, for example, cash or voucher distribution or increased local purchases.
4. Credit & stocks strategy / Identify household demand for trader credit.
5. Prices & transaction cost / Identify the price households pay for food; and any trader transaction costs.
6. Price prospects / Understand possible future price evolution and the determining factors for these prospects.

The generic market questionnaire to be used for interviews with market chiefs is based on the analysis plan indicators. It generally focuses on market issues such as prices, local availability of food, the number of traders at the market, price-fixing practices, taxes, and observations of various market activities.

The generic market questionnaire should be adapted by (1) inserting the local products being traded in Section 1; and (2) inserting products selected for the survey in Section 2. Further changes to questions may be needed if the analysis plan and the survey questions are revised. Adding or deleting questions should be avoided without making corresponding changes to the analysis plan.

The market questionnaire includes a number of components; the purposes of each component are noted in the table below:

Market Questionnaire Section / Purpose of the section (The section helps the team to…)
1. Market prices & availability / Understand retail prices (on local markets) and wholesale prices (on regional or (trans)national markets
2. Market response / Assess level of market competition and identify any taxes or fees that may be inhibiting the smooth functioning of the market and that might possibly be lowered to reduce food insecurity.
3. Visual observations / Identify any changes compared to the “normal” situation

Guidance Materials

“Market Analysis Tool – How to Conduct a Trader Survey?”, Technical Guidance Sheet, WFP/VAM Food Security Analysis Service.

Facilitator Guidance and session preparation

Generic Trader and Market Questionnaires are included as Annexes2and 3 in the WFP “Market Analysis Tool - How to Conduct a Trader Survey?” guidance sheet.

These generic questionnaires should be used as a starting point in the training and by actual market analysis teams in preparing their trader and market questionnaires.

Room Setup

Arrange for small group work in the plenary conference room.

Session Activities

Trader and Market Questionnaires – an Overview

30 minutes

Use PPTs 1-11 to present the session objectives and an overview of, and recommended adaptations to, the generic trader and market questionnaires annexed to the “WFP Market Analysis Tool – How to Conduct a Trader Survey?” guidance sheet. To note in particular:

PPT 6: Note that adaptation of the trader questionnaire must consider closely the indicators in column 3 of the analysis plan. Have the participants turn to the generic analysis plan (Annex 1 in the “WFP Market Analysis Tool – How to Conduct a Trader Survey?”guidance sheet) to review briefly the column of indicators.

PPT 7: Note the importance of point 3: that to facilitate decisions about future responses, the horizon” or outlook of the conditions expected to characterize food security and market conditions should be fixed (e.g. six or twelve months) and be reflected in any questions about future conditions.

PPT 8: Present the table, have them turn to the questionnaire, and add any or all of the following comments as needed:

Section 1: General characteristics

This section helps you to select the right person:

In business for over 1 year;

In the right type of business (collector, retailer or wholesaler);

In the right market chain;

This section allows you to select the product that needs to be discussed:

First, the list of commodities should be adapted to reflect the local situation;

Then, this section permits to select from the three most important products for the trader, the product that you are interested in (see step 2C);

Section 2: Volumes and flows

Questions 2.1-2.2 linked to market response section of analysis plan;

Questions 2.3-2.9 linked to availability section of the analysis plan;

Includes questions on the number of clients, linked to competition analysis;

Includes questions on sales volumes (change, causes, recovery), but quantitative sales figures are not asked as they are probably not reliable;

Includes questions on the sources of essential food items (past and current source, causes, future);

Includes an optional question on changes to stock levels; generally traders will not provide reliable quantitative data on stock levels, but in some cases you may think it is likely that you may receive reliable qualitative information on changes of stock levels;

Section 3: Constraints and response capacity

Linked to the market response section of the analysis plan;

In case of a food item: all 7 questions are relevant; in case of a cash crop/product only questions 3.1-3.2 are relevant;

Includes two questions on constraints to increase sales;

The other five questions collect information for the possible use of cash or vouchers;

Please note that the 25% demand increase is subjective, it could also be 20%, 30% or 40%; the underlying idea is that a cash or voucher programme should not add more than 25% (or 20% or 30%) of demand to existing effective demand, as it would disrupt market functioning (too much);

Section 4: Credits and stocks strategy

Linked to the food access & market response sections of analysis plan;

This section includes questions on household demand for, and access to, trader credit; credit obtained by traders themselves is excluded from this section as it will come up during the constraints questions in the other section if relevant;

The last question provides an indication about the ability to quickly respond to higher demand;

Section 5: Price and transaction cost

Linked to the food access & market response sections of analysis plan;

This is a difficult yet important section:

Important: it provides information on the household purchase price (in case of a retailer) and the household selling price (in case of a collector), which may deviate from the market price series;Difficult: when asking a trader for his purchase and selling prices of a certain batch of commodities, you basically ask about his gross profit margin, which he may be reluctant to provide; it is also difficult as the enumerator will have to translate local measurement units in kilograms on the spot (he/she needs scales);

The transaction cost questions are optional; generally they are not to be included in trader surveys, except in case of procurement or in-depth surveys;

Section 6: Price prospects

Linked to the food access section of the analysis plan;

Includes a question on the direction of future price and the causes;

This information can be compared by normal cyclical price evolutions from price series;

PPT 11: Note with regard to the third section (Visual Observations) that these are generally observations made at the market with regard to the following:

  • The number and profile of people accessing markets
  • The Amounts and type of products for sale on the market
  • Access and market infrastructure
  • Activity levels on the market during the visit

Note as well that it is important that someone on the market analysis team be familiar with the “normal” market situation in order to be able to compare the current situation (i.e. the current observations) with what the market normally looks like.

Take questions and comments as long as needed to ensure comprehension.

Exercise 3.2. Adapting the Questionnaires

150minutes

Form the participants into their trader survey teams.

Show PPT 12 and have them turn to Annexes2 and 3 of the WFP “Market Analysis Tool - How to Conduct a Trader Survey?” guidance sheet.

Tell them that this exercise is a continuation of the effort they began earlier in the day.

Note that they are to use the exercise time to review, discuss, and adapt as needed the trader and market questionnaires to be used for the Day Four trader survey. (These adaptations will generally be minor, with some wording changes needed. In the event that wholesale revisions are needed, they may need additional time to complete the exercise. If this is the case, it is recommended that you shorten lunch and, if yet more time is needed, have the participants work after hours until the adaptations are completed.)

Tell them once again to use their laptops or flip charts to record their decisions and/or adaptations, and to be prepared to present their results to the plenary group. Tell them they will have ample time – up to 150 minutes if needed – to complete the exercise.

As they work, move about the room and offer guidance as needed. If one team is “stuck” on a particular part of the questionnaire(s), suggest that they meet with another team to figure out the best response. (Remind them, once again, that this is not a competition, but an opportunity to share and listen to others’ ideas.)

Option: It may be appropriate as well to develop a semi-structured interview checklist to guide the interviews with key informants. If there is time, suggest that the teams do so.

Exercise 3.2. Debriefing

45 minutes

Debrief the exercise as follows:

Have each team present its adapted questionnaire from its laptop or, if flip charts are used, arrange the flip charts around the room and have everyone stand and approach the first chart. The group’s reporter should present the group’s adaptation to the plenary group. Allow about 10 minutes for the presentation, and another few minutes for questions and comments from the plenary group. Continue this process until all groups have presented and received comments. Use any remaining time to take questions or comments from the plenary group.

Be sure the following points are addressed:

  • The scenario used in your training for the Day Four market visit (i.e. they should make use of the guidance: “In a sudden-onset emergency, the questions should compare the market situation before and after the shock; in a slow-onset emergency, the questions should compare the current situation with that of one year ago; in a baseline survey, the questionnaire should compare the current situation with the “usual” situation during the same period or season.”
  • Outlook: What is the “horizon” or outlook of the supposed scenario / conditions? Have they decided on 6 months? 12 months? Is this decision reflected in the questions?
  • Local Products: Which local products have they selected? Are these indeed traded at the market which will serve as the site of the Day Four market visit?

Enumerator Training

15 minutes

Use PPTs 14-16 to present an overview of the issues to consider when planning for training enumerators to interview traders. In particular, note:

PPT 15: Time will most often be a key concern, but it is nonetheless important to field test the questionnaire. This may be done with a short visit to a local market, whether or not the market is one that will be included in the assessed area. Also note that not everyone trained will be able to actually participate as enumerators; while it may be disappointing to some, it is important for the sake of the market analysis to be able to “take the best.”

PPT 16: Review the steps. Ask for participant experience in training enumerators: Which steps were difficult to undertake? What worked well? What were the constraints? How were these overcome?

Finally, wrap-up with PPT 17. Stress the point that questionnaires are intrusive and make many people nervous. It is incumbent on the team to be wise, sensitive, and polite.

Page 1 of 8