I D E O H C D Field Guide

FIELD GUIDE
2ND EDITION

1

INTRo:

FIELD CHECKLIST
This Field Guide brings together the tools you’ll
need to lead successful group meetings and » C o M p L E T E T H E F o L L ow I N G :

individual interviews. Worksheet: Recruiting Plan

Included in the Guide are exercises to complete Worksheet: Research Schedule
before going into the field, tips for successful
Worksheet: Identity, Power & Politics
interviews, and a place to capture highlights
from the interviews while they are still fresh
in your mind. » FA M I L I A R I Z E Yo U R S E L F w I T H :

Tips: Observation

Tips: Conversation

Tips: Discussion Guide

Tips: Documentation

Exercise: Community Characters

Exercise: Resource Flow

Exercise: Factors & Forces

Exercise: Journey Of An Offering

Exercise: Aspirations

» B R I N G w I T H Yo U :

Camera

Video Camera (optional)

Pens & Markers

Gifts for participants (optional)

» T o D E B R I E F, F I L L o U T:

Highlights

Notes

3

wo R K S H E E T:

RECRUITING pLAN

Recruiting the right participants is critical to success.
Remember to recruit extremes and balance ethnic, class,
and gender considerations.

Keeping track of the people you speak with can also be
challenging. Use the worksheets to help keep a list of who For female participants, interviewers may
need permission from male family members
you have spoken with and who you plan to speak with next. or community leaders.
GENDER

» GRoUp MEETING LoCATIoNS » I N D I V I D UA L pA R T I C I pA N T T Y p E S :

Example Group Meeting Location: Example Participant Types:
Village 1: Ansoung Commune of Kg Trabek District Successful Villager
Unique Characteristic: Seasonal Flooding Person struggling to survive
Large family with relatives in the city
Female headed household
Village 1:

Unique Characteristic:
Participant types:

Village 2:


Village 3:


4

wo R K S H E E T:

RESEARCH SCHEDULE

There are many things to juggle when you’re out in the field. The more you plan
ahead of time, the more smoothly the process will go. However, be prepared to
adjust quickly; for example, you might need to increase the number of facilitators
if you show up and the group is twice as large as expected.

» DAT E » AC T I V I T Y » TEAM LEADS » D E TA I L S

Example:
7 June / 8:00 - 10:00 (including setup) Village 1 Group Meeting 2 Teams: Asha & Anand 2 groups of 10 participants
/ mixed gender

5

wo R K S H E E T:

IDENTITY, powER & poLITICS

Research with communities and individuals often involves issues of identity, power,
and politics. To help think through these issues, answer the following questions:

» R AC E & E T H N I C I T Y » GENDER » CL ASS & INCoME » T H E D I S E M p ow E R E D » THE ELITE

Are ethnic, racial, and/or Do women and men have Are communities divided Are any groups of people Who are the political or
tribal distinctions important unequal status in this along class or income disempowered in this economic elites in this
in this community? context? lines? community (i.e. landless, context?
children, disabled, etc)?
How might these issues What activities within and How might income and How might their influence
affect the research and outside the household class divisions affect How might the affect the research or
design challenge? do men and women do the research and design perspectives design challenge?
differently? challenge? of these groups affect
How will you deal with the research and design How will you mitigate
these issues in research? How might gender How will you deal with challenge? the influence of elites in
inequality affect the these issues in research? research?
research and design How might the research
challenge? take into account the
perspectives of the
How will you deal with disempowered?
these issues in research?

6

TIpS:

oBSERVATIoN
The things people say and what they actually do are
often not the same thing. In-context observations are
often useful for getting beyond what people say to
understand what people do and feel.

In-context means being with people in their real settings,
doing the things they normally do. TIp

The stories that emerge from these encounters in the
field show us new opportunities and inspire new solutions.
During observations, look for:
It is often very powerful to experience a process » Things that prompt
first-hand. Whenever possible, put yourself in the shoes shifts in behavior
of a customer and experience their activities directly.
» work-arounds and adaptations
For example:
» Work with a farmer for a day in his or her field. » Body language
» Live with a family for a few days. » Things people care about
» Go with a sick person to seek medical care.
» Anything that surprises you

» Anything that questions your
assumptions about how the
world works

» Anything that you
find “irrational”

7

TIpS:

CoNVERSATIoN
The in-context interview is a lengthy conversation
(often 1.5+ hours) that explores the values, desires,
frustrations, and aspirations of your interviewee.
The conversation should:
TIp
Be long enough to make your interviewee feel like they
are really being heard, and that allows them to go past TIp
their rehearsed “script” » Ask open-ended questions, or
questions that require a longer
Be focused enough so that you feel you are getting useful explanation than one word.
information to address your design challenge
» Listen and be attentive, even if
Be general enough so that it feels like an open-ended taking notes at the same time
conversation that can lead to unexpected insights
» Have a dynamic conversation,
Generate a true back-and-forth so that it feels like don’t interview from a script
a conversation and puts the interviewee at ease
» Allow long pauses
Make the interviewee feel that the conversation is about
» Ask naïve questions (even if you’re
them, not about the product, service, or organization you the expert) to hear the explanation
are representing in their words

» Don’t correct people; understand
their perceptions and why they
may perceive things differently
than you

» Remember: the participant is the
expert!

8

TIpS:

DISCUSSIoN GUIDE FoR FARMING

Ex AMpLE INTERVIEw GUIDE
» opEN SpECIFIC

Start the conversation with simple and » opEN SpECIFIC
specific questions your participants will feel
1. Farm demographics
comfortable answering. You may want to begin How many people live on your farm?
with a compliment and short introduction Can you give me a tour of your farm?
and then move on to questions about the
2. Stories of recent past
participant’s current life. This is your chance How did this year’s harvest compare to last year’s?
to build rapport with the person you are Do you expect next year to be better or worse?
interviewing and to ask basic questions that
3. What do different members of the household do?
will help you understand their overall life What activities do women & men do differently?
situation, the make-up of their household,
and their farming activities. » Go BRoAD

4. Aspirations for the future - use Aspiration Cards
» Go BRoAD Choose 3 cards that represent what you hope for your future.
What did you choose and why?
Prompt bigger more general topics that ask
the participant to think about life, business, 5. System-based questions - use Factors & Forces worksheet
and the future. Ask about their hopes and The innermost circle represents your household.
The middle circle your community.
dreams for the future, as well as the barriers The outermost circle the nation and the world.
to achieving their goals. This is the chance to What factors in each of these circles affect your prosperity?
understand how they want to change their
6. Household (or Community) Resource Flow —- use the worksheets
lives, what is standing in their way, and what to illustrate or write household revenues and expenditures.
they perceive the real paths to a better
future might be. 7. Who do you turn to for information on farming and marketing your
products? In your community? Outside the community?
» pRoBE DEEp Who do you trust the most? Who gives you the best information?

» pRoBE DEEp
Ask deeper questions about the design
challenge at hand & prompt with ‘what if’ 8. Questions specific to innovation challenge (i.e Perceptions of Credit
scenarios. The last half of the interview is the and Risk) Under what circumstances do people in your community
take credit or loans? Have you ever taken credit? What for or why not?
time to ask questions that are focused on your What was a recent, significant purchase? - Journey of an Offering Worksheet
design challenge. Make sure to ask concrete If you were offered a loan of $500, what would you do?
questions of the participant that will help
9. Sacrificial Concepts
you define what is and is not desirable to
Create 1 possible future product, service or agreement options for them to
this person. react to. It’s good to be provocative.

9

TIpS:

DISCUSSIoN GUIDE FoR HEALTH

Ex AMpLE INTERVIEw GUIDE
» opEN SpECIFIC
» opEN SpECIFIC
Start the conversation with simple and
specific questions your participants will feel 1. Home Setup
How many people live in your home?
comfortable answering. You may want to begin
What do different members of your household do?
with a compliment and short introduction
and then move on to questions about the 2. Home activities
What is a day like in your home?
participant’s current life. This is your chance
What kind of things do adults and children do differently? Women and men?
to build rapport with the person you are
interviewing and to ask basic questions that 3. Context, values
will help you understand their overall life How is life for you/your family/your community the same or different
than it was last year?
situation, the make-up of their household,
and their farming activities. » G o B R oA D

» Go BRoAD 4. Aspirations for the future – use Aspiration cards
Choose 3 cards that represent what you hope for your future.
What did you choose and why?
Prompt bigger more general topics that ask
the participant to think about life, business, 5. Inividual (or Household) Health Flow – use the worksheet
and the future. Ask about their hopes and Use the worksheet to illustrate or write what contributes to or takes
dreams for the future, as well as the barriers away from that person’s health.

to achieving their goals. This is the chance to 6. System-based questions – use Factors and Forces worksheet
understand how they want to change their The innermost circle represents your household.
lives, what is standing in their way, and what The middle circle your community.
The outer circle, the nation and the world.
they perceive the real paths to a better What factors in each of these circles affect your health?
future might be.
7. Who is the healthiest person/household in your community? Why?
» pRoBE DEEp Who is the least healthy? What can/should be done for them to be
more healthy? When you have questions about health, how do you find
Ask deeper questions about the design the answer? Where do you find the best information?
challenge at hand & prompt with ‘what if’ » pRoBE DEEp
scenarios. The last half of the interview is the
time to ask questions that are focused on your 8. Questions specific to the innovation challenge, e.g. perceptions of vaccines,
choices around cost/value of doctor visits for different ailments.
design challenge. Make sure to ask concrete Has anyone in your household needed to see a doctor recently?
questions of the participant that will help
you define what is and is not desirable to 9. Sacrificial concepts
Create possible future product, service, or agreement options for
this person.
them to react to. Use your assumptions and questions to generate sacrificial
ideas. Keep it simple; the more it’s just about one idea the better.

10

TIpS:

DoCUMENTATIoN
Capture everything you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste
during the observation. It’s important to capture the
experience to bring back with you to the office and to
share with team members who were not present.
TIp
Document the conversation with notes, photos, and/or
recordings. In addition to your Field Guide, bring a digital
camera and, if possible, a video camera or voice recorder. when documenting capture:

Write down first interpretations of what’s going on at the » personal details (family size,
moment it happened; this critical information is often lost acreage, crops, diet, location)
and difficult to remember later.
» Direct, unfiltered quotes (and
Immediately after the interview (or within 24 hours), your immediate interpretations)
jot down immediate big picture takeaways from the » The expressions and feelings of
conversation using the Highlights page. The longer the person, not just their words
you wait, the more details and specifics may be lost.
» ways they interacted with others
It’s often helpful to work with a partner—one person and things in the environment
responsible for leading the interview while the other is
capturing and documenting. Compare the experiences, » Things they care about most
perceptions, and interpretations of the two people, and » Moments or things that elicited
feel free to switch roles every day or so. emotional responses, positive
or negative

11

ExERCISE:

CoMMUNITY CHARACTERS
This exercise is good for:

» Group interviews

» Warming up the participants EYES BRAIN

» Identifying individuals you want to follow up
with after the session (often the eyes, ears or
mouth of the community) EARS MoUTH

HEART HANDS

» STEp 1:
Begin by saying you’d like to get to know the
community better by understanding the different roles FEET

people in the community play.

» STEp 2:
Ask the group to identify a specific person who
represents the eyes & ears of the community. You might
need to qualify this with a definition (i.e. someone who
is always looking outward beyond the community for
new ideas to bring into the community). People may
be reluctant to call out individuals, so remind them
that there are many who play this role and you are Community Characters worksheet

simply looking for one example.

This activity works differently with mixed-gender, men-only or a women-only group.
» STEp 3:
Ask the group to explain why this person is the eyes & If men are dominating in a mixed group, you may want to ask only
GENDER
ears. If possible, ask for a specific story that happened the women to identify someone for a given role.
in the last month when the person played that role.
Take notes in the appropriate box.

TIp
This can sometimes be a highly political activity, especially if there are community
» STEp 4: or government leaders present.
Repeat for mouth, brain, heart or whichever
It’s fine to abandon the exercise if the political environment is making this
feel most relevant.
activity difficult.

12

EYES BRAIN

EARS MoUTH

HEART HANDS

FEET

» ExERCISE NO. 1

ExERCISE:

RESoURCE FLow

» Group interviews

» Individual interviews

» F o R I N D I V I D UA L I N T E R V I E w S : » FoR GRoUp INTERVIEwS:
Use Worksheet No. 2 Use Worksheet No. 2A

» STEp 1: » STEp 1:
Ask if your participant or one of their Ask if anyone in the group likes to draw
children likes to draw. If not, it’s fine for (often a teenager will volunteer). If no
the participant or the interview leader one volunteers, the interviewer can
to write. make notes based on what people say.

Ask the participant to list everything that If someone voluteered to draw, ask
brings money INTO the household on the that person to work with the group to
left side of the page. (This might include draw representations of everything that
various crops, livestock, labor, etc) bring money INTO the community on
the left side of the page. (These means
of income might include various crops,
» STEp 3: livestock, labor, etc)
Ask the participant to list everything that
takes money OUT of the household on
the right side of the page. (This might » STEp 3:
include seed, technology, education, Next, ask them to draw or say
medical expenses, etc) everything that takes money OUT of
the community on the right side of
the page. (These expenditures might
» STEp 4: include seed inputs, water technology,
Ask the participant to circle the item Resource Flow worksheets
education, medical expenses, etc)
on the page that provides the largest
income and the largest cost. Alternatively,
you can ask them to rank order all the » STEp 4:
items listed. Ask them to circle the items on the
page that provide the largest income Different cultures will often determine
whether the man or the woman is in
and the largest cost.
GENDER charge of decision-making and finances
» STEp 5:
in the home. If one person is dominating
Ask which items listed are controlled by the conversation, invite the input of the
the women and which are controlled by » STEp 5:
other. Sometimes it is helpful for the
the men. Note this information down on If desired, ask them to rank all the items design team to split up into two groups—
the worksheet. from most money to least money. one to interview the husband and one to
interview the wife. This enables you to
cross-check and compare stories after
the interview.

18

ExERCISE:

FACToRS & FoRCES

» Group Interviews

» Individual Interviews

» Broadening the conversation beyond one’s
immediate individual needs and
circumstances

» Inviting conflicting opinions from different
members of community for rich dialogue

» FoR GRoUp INTERVIEwS: » F o R I N D I V I D UA L I N T E R V I E w S :

Tell the group that you want to Tell your participant that you want to
understand all the factors and forces understand all the factors and forces
that affect their prosperity. that affect their prosperity.

Describe the diagram: Describe the diagram:
» The innermost circle is the community » The innermost circle is the person
» The second circle is the nation and his/her family
» The third circle is the world » The second circle is their community
» The third circle is their country
» STEp 2: and the world
Ask what factors in the community,
in the nation and in the world BRING » STEp 2:
prosperity to the community (i.e. health, Ask what factors in the family, in the
work ethic, children in school, etc). Start community and in the nation BRING
Resource Flow worksheets
with the community level and build prosperity to their family. Start with
outwards to the world. Take notes in the household level and build outwards Factors & Forces worksheet
the appropriate circles. to the nation. Take notes in the
appropriate circles.
» STEp 3: In mixed-gender group sessions, the women
Different cultures will often determine
Ask what factors in the world, in the » STEp 3: will stay quiet in some cultures though they
whether the man or the woman is in
nation and in the community take Ask what factors in the nation, in the have many ideas to share. When asking for
GENDER
GENDER charge of decision-making and finances
prosperity AWAY from the community responses to these questions, you might
community and in the household take in the home. If one person is dominating
say “I’d like five people to respond to this
(i.e. violence, cost of fuel, legal status, prosperity AWAY from their family. the conversation, invite the input of the
question” and point to five people who
property ownership, climate change, Take notes in the appropriate circles. other. Sometimes it is helpful for the
represent a mix of genders.
globalization, etc). Take notes in the design team to split up into two groups—
one to interview the husband and one to
appropriate circles. Near the end of the exercise, ask what brings
interview the wife. This enables you to
prosperity to the women of the community
cross-check and compare stories after
or household. Note if these factors
the interview.
are different.

30

ExERCISE:

joURNEY oF AN oFFERING

» Individual interviews

» Understanding what a person considers
when purchasing a new product or service
for the first time

» STEp 1:
Tell the participant that you want to know what they
think about when deciding to make a purchase.

» STEp 2:
Ask the participant to think of the last time they
bought a new thing or service.

» STEp 3:
Show the participant the cards: talk, look, compare,
try, money. Ask them to tell you how they did these
things when making their purchase.

Talk: Did you talk to people about the product or
service? Who and why?
What were your questions? Did you
talk to anyone about it after you made
journey of an offering worksheet
the purchase?

Look: Where did you see this product or service?
Different cultures will often determine whether the man or the woman is in charge
What did you think at the time? of decision-making and finances in the home. If the man is the dominant voice in
the conversation, listen to his explanation first, then ask for the woman to describe
Compare: What other options did you consider? the journey from her perspective.
What else did you compare this to?
GENDER Sometimes it is helpful for the design team to split up into two groups—one to
interview the husband and one to interview the wife. This enables you to cross-
check and compare stories after the interview.

This exercise can also be used to discuss a potential product or service.
TIp

36

TRY CoMpARE

SAVE LooK AT MARKET

GET CREDIT TALK

ExERCISE:

ASpIRATIoNS ExERCISE

» Engaging participants in group and individual
interviews

» Getting people to talk about what they desire
for the future

» Making people feel comfortable talking about
broader issues

» STEp 1:
Start by saying that you want to know what the
participants hope for and desire for the future.

» STEp 2:
Tell the participants that you have a set of cards with
various pictures on them.

» STEp 3:
Ask the participants to look through the cards and
journey of an offering worksheet
choose the three pictures that represent what they
hope for in the future.

Have the participants explain what the picture is in their own words, do not interpret
the pictures for them. Often people will choose something that represents one thing to
» STEp 4: them, but may represent something different to the researcher.
If a participant asks, “what is this?” to a picture, tell TIp #1

them that it is anything they think it is, or if the picture
doesn’t make sense to them, skip it and move on.
If appropriate, you can ask people to choose the three pictures that represent what
they fear in the future after they are finished with the first exercise.
» STEp 5: TIp #2
After the participants have chosen
their pictures, ask “Tell me what you chose” and have
them describe the picture. Then ask: “Why did you
choose this?”. Document both the pictures You may find that you need different pictures for your design challenge or the
and explanations. community you are working with. With the help of the internet, find some pictures
and print them out to add to this group of pictures.
TRY

39

wo R K S H E E T:

HIGHLIGHTS
It’s a good idea to catalog the details of your research while it is still fresh —
a good rule is to reflect upon what you learned at the end of each day in the
field. You can complete this activity during a meal, in the car, or before bed.

A sample template is provided here to prompt the capture of the highlights.

NoTES:

HIGHLIGHTS
» DAT E : » NAME: » T Y p E o F AC T I V I T Y: Group Interview In-Context Immersion
Individual Interview Other
» L o C AT I o N :

T H I N G S T H E pA R T I C I pA N T ( S ) S A I D o R D I D T H AT S U R p R I S E D Yo U T H I N G S T H AT M AT T E R M o S T T o T H E pA R T I C I pA N T ( S ) :
oR MoST MEMoR ABLE qUoTES:

M A I N T H E M E S o R L E A R N I N G S T H AT S T o o D o U T F R o M T H I S I N T E R V I E w : NEw TopICS oR qUESTIoNS To ExpLoRE IN FUTURE INTERVIEwS:

48

wo R K S H E E T:

HIGHLIGHTS
» L o C AT I o N :

T H I N G S T H E pA R T I C I pA N T( S ) S A I D o R D I D T H AT S U R p R I S E D T H I N G S T H AT M AT T E R M o S T T o T H E pA R T I C I pA N T( S ) :
Yo U o R M o S T M E M o R A B L E q U o T E S :

M A I N T H E M E S o R L E A R N I N G S T H AT S T o o D o U T F R o M NEw TopICS oR qUESTIoNS To ExpLoRE IN FUTURE
THIS INTE RVIEw: INTERVIEwS:

49

wo R K S H E E T:

HIGHLIGHTS
» L o C AT I o N :



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wo R K S H E E T:

HIGHLIGHTS
» L o C AT I o N :



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wo R K S H E E T:

HIGHLIGHTS
» L o C AT I o N :



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wo R K S H E E T:

HIGHLIGHTS
» L o C AT I o N :



53

NoTES
Everyone has a unique style of notetaking. Here, we provide a column at
the right to capture realtime interpretations, questions to follow up on
later in the interview and keywords to help you capture your notes later
on. This practice is useful in distinguishing between what you hear and
what you interpret and facilitates sharing as you solicit other possible
interpretations from your team members.

interpretations,
questions to follow up
& keywords
NoTES

54

NoTES
interpretations,
& keywords

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NoTES
interpretations,
& keywords

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NoTES
interpretations,
& keywords

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NoTES
interpretations,
& keywords

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I D E O H C D Field Guide