Looking and Listening : Surveying Incremental Housing

A Very Basic Survey Protocol

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A Very Basic Survey Protocol
SETTING UP THE SURVEY TEAM
General considerations	• 3 persons ideal! • What to wear? Neat, do not dress down/up to a perceived image • What ‘tools’: notebook/pad, pen, camera, tape measure (metric best)
Person 1: The TALKER	• Engages family, asks questions • Must know language
Person 2: The WRITER	• Records answers, must be able to write clearly • Best if knows language, otherwise talker translates
Person 3: DOCUMENTOR	• Three tasks: Sketches plan of house Measures room sizes (hint: have a family member help) Photographs front of house, rooms, family portrait
THE SURVEY START – Meeting the family
Tell them who you are (Introduction)	• Avoid overwhelming them which could frighten them. If you are a student it is less threatening, and people are more open with responses.
Tell them what you want to do (Purpose)	• You want to learn from their experience of building their house by documenting the development and growth.
Tell them why you want to know	• Lessons help future projects and families • If student, become better practitioner in future
Tell them what you will do with the information	• As examples for a Guide for future projects • If student, use in studies
THE SURVEY PROCEDURE (one option)
Narrative history – the starting point	• Focus on stages of expansion, the trigger that initiated the expansion, and the family circumstances (family size, income, employment)
Room walkthrough	• Go through each room, discuss expansion, and measure and photograph
Wrap up - summary	• Review what you recorded to make sure correct, and add anything omitted
ENDING THE SURVEY – The ‘Goodbyes’
Thank them!
What happens next	• Repeat what you will do with information
Permission to return	• Ask if OK to come back if need more information
Invite to a wrap-up summary session if being considered	• A wrap-up session shows them how their information is being used and contributes
The parting promises	• Will you send them a photo of the family that you took? • Anything else? • Will they see you again? • Gifts? Be careful, remember you will be doing several more surveys, and the word gets around.