| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | NGO and Social Sector |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Monitoring and Evaluation Officer |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | Fresher or up to 3 years in field survey work |
Field Investigator job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Field Investigator
Department: NGO and Social Sector
Reports to: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Field Investigator collects primary data for surveys, studies and evaluations by visiting households and sites and administering questionnaires. They follow the sampling plan, ask questions accurately, record responses on mobile tools, and complete assigned interviews on schedule. The role reports to the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer or a Research Supervisor. A good field investigator collects honest, complete data from the right respondents, handles people with respect, and returns clean records that stand up to quality checks.
Key responsibilities
- Visit the sampled households or sites as per the survey plan and locate the right respondents.
- Explain the survey, take informed consent, and reassure respondents on privacy.
- Administer the questionnaire accurately and record responses on the mobile tool.
- Complete the assigned number of interviews each day to the schedule.
- Check each completed interview for missing or inconsistent answers before moving on.
- Revisit or replace respondents as the sampling rules require.
- Sync collected data daily and report progress to the supervisor.
- Follow the field protocol, timings and safety rules during data collection.
- Keep respondent information confidential and secure at all times.
- Attend briefings and act on quality feedback from the supervisor.
Requirements
- Graduate in any stream
- Experience in survey work is an advantage
- Local language fluency
- Fresher or up to 3 years in field survey work
KRAs and KPIs for a Field Investigator
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Completion | Assigned interviews completed to the daily and weekly survey schedule |
| Data quality | Completed interviews passing quality checks above the agreed accuracy level |
| Sampling | Correct respondents interviewed as per the sampling plan with valid replacements only |
| Consent | Informed consent recorded for every interview |
| Timeliness | Data synced daily with no backlog during the survey |
| Confidentiality | Respondent data kept confidential with no breach |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: KoboToolbox or ODK, Survey tablet or smartphone, Questionnaire, Consent forms, Sampling list.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Field Supervisor, Research Assistant
Interview questions for a Field Investigator
- How do you make sure you interview the correct respondent from the sample?
- How do you take informed consent before starting a survey?
- What do you do when a respondent gives an answer that seems inconsistent?
- How do you keep data accurate when you are tired at the end of the day?
- How do you handle a respondent who refuses to take part?
- Tell me about a survey you worked on and how you kept quality high.
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What does a field investigator do?
A field investigator collects primary data for surveys, studies and evaluations. They visit sampled households or sites, take informed consent, administer questionnaires accurately, and record responses on mobile tools. They complete assigned interviews on schedule and return clean, honest data from the right respondents that stands up to quality checks.
What is the difference between a field investigator and an M and E officer?
A field investigator collects the data in the field by interviewing respondents. An M and E officer plans the data collection, verifies and analyses what comes in, and prepares report inputs. The investigator focuses on accurate field interviews, while the officer manages quality, analysis and reporting.
What qualifications do you need to be a field investigator?
Most field investigators are graduates in any stream, and experience in survey work is an advantage. Fluency in the local language is essential. Employers look for accuracy in administering questionnaires, discipline in following the sampling plan, care in taking consent, and the patience and respect to interview a range of respondents honestly.