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SayPro How to Collate Information

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Collation of information is needed when:

  • you are scaling up your information from a smaller unit of analysis to a larger one, for example, compiling all individual interviews to develop an overview of a micro-credit group or pulling together all village-level information into a district-level analysis;
  • information has been collected from different sources with different methods, to lay the basis for making comparisons and finding patterns during analysis.

Collation of information requires an appropriate format. With some methods, this is a very straightforward process. It can simply involve filling in a statistical programme on the computer with numbers that represent measurements or it can entail entering numbers that are pre-identified codes representing specific ideas, following the form, questionnaire or notes used in the data collection process. With statistical data, compilation ensures that the many data are reduced to clearly labelled tables. These tables should integrate the findings according to your performance question. For example, it should show location-specific trends if you are trying to understand how impact varies per community or district.The collation of qualitative data requires special care and analytical skills (see Box 6-13). Box 6-14 describes the basic steps to order open-ended responses. Section 6.4.2 discusses this in more detail, since data collation and data analysis with qualitative data are overlapping processes.

Box 6-13. Gaining confidence with qualitative reportingStaff from an IFAD-supported project in Indonesia are comfortable with monitoring progress on physical, quantifiable indicators. They are also confident that NGO partners working as implementing agencies can use qualitative methods well enough for monitoring purposes. However, they are unsure about how to report on information from qualitative data – and on how to integrate it with physical progress monitoring. This is understandable. It is often easier to fill pre-determined forms requiring pre-determined information. This can be supplemented by getting M&E and field staff to make regular descriptive reports on their impressions from field visits. Initially, staff can write short impressions of one or two pages. Once practised, staff can focus their narrative reports on special aspects, such as poverty alleviation, food security or gender.
Box 6-14. How to synthesise and collate open-response information

  1. Produce a short summary of what each person says, including his/her main points.
  2. Look over the responses. Once you are about a quarter of the way through, note the points most frequently mentioned. Then read all the responses and record how many have responded to each of these main points. Alternatively, divide the responses into those for or against a certain issue, or divide them to show various degrees of enthusiasm about an issue.
  3. Identify any important quotes to emphasise certain points.
  4. Ask other people to look through the responses to prevent your own biases taking over the way you interpret responses.
  5. Number each respondent. Then, following point 2, number each main point so that you can code the responses (who has noted a main point) and analyse the information numerically, if needed.

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