Information: Its Collection and Use throughout the Project Cycle

This manual is designed to help non-governmental organisations (NGOs) gather and use information from a wide variety of sources, including surveys, questionnaires, and participatory rural appraisals (PRAs). It presents both an overview of the information collection process and a description of the tools available for gathering the right information for an organisation.

The authors outline the three stages of the Project Cycle, and explain the types of information needed at each of these stages:

• assessment
• implementation stage
• evaluation

The manual follows with advice for choosing the right tool for one's information needs. Tools discussed include:

• participatory needs assessments
• PRAs
• surveys
• sickness surveys
• samples
• monitoring and information collection
• questionnaires
• focus groups

The authors also provide advice on issues such as gathering information with limited resources and selecting and training teams for performing questionnaires.