Developing a common, mode-independent, approach for evaluating interview quality and interviewer performance

Abstract

RTI is developing an interview quality monitoring evaluation system based on audio recordings of the survey interview to be used across all interviewer-administered survey modes. In-person and telephone interviewers are evaluated by similar quality metrics and their performance is tracked across projects. The interviewer evaluation, feedback, and coaching processes have been standardized, helping make the quality monitoring process more efficient. The system provides an easy-to-navigate front-end to all recorded survey interactions that quality supervisors, project staff, and clients can use. This paper examines the design of this new system, including the strategies used to standardize evaluation metrics across survey modes, store and analyze digital files, and develop interviewer- and survey item-level quality evaluation databases. We discuss the system’s fit across a wide spectrum of interview quality monitoring processes. The paper concludes with planned future uses and enhancements to the system.