Using appraisal to define a questionnaire

Rapid appraisal helps turn a broad question library into a focused instrument. The original note proposed reviewing secondary indicators and adapting questions for each study village. A defensible design keeps a comparable core while documenting the local questions needed to understand different impact pathways.

Move from an issue to a variable

For each priority issue, specify the decision, respondent, unit of observation, reference period and proposed analysis. Test whether a structured response can capture the concept. Use interviews, observation or participatory mapping when explanation, seasonal patterns or contested meanings require a different form of evidence.

Keep core definitions and measurement periods consistent across sites. Record local modules and their applicability in the variable dictionary. A question skipped because an activity is absent differs from an unanswered question and from a module deliberately omitted from one site.

Review the question list with the analysis team before translation. Conduct cognitive interviews to establish how people interpret terms and response categories, then pilot the complete form and its routing. Record revisions and repeat the tests for consequential changes.

The original Maluku question library remains connected through Indonesia survey design. The questionnaire and fieldwork guide covers stable variable IDs, respondent selection, translation, pilots and supervision. Rapid appraisal explains the broader method and its evidence limits; the references retain the source trail.