Afghanistan Experience Project: Interviewer Guide
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CONTENTS:
Contact
Information
I.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
II.
EQUIPMENT
III. INTERVIEW SCHEDULING
IV.
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
1. Preparation
2. Explanation of the Project
3. Starting the Interview
4. Tips
5. Ending the Interview
6. A Final Note
V. POST INTERVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Interview Coordinator:
Jack Zetkulic
3316 Second Road North
Arlington, VA 22201
jzetkulic@afghanistanprt.org
703-302-6991
Project Coordinator:
Bob Perito
rperito@usip.org
202-429-4173
Project Assistant:
Noor Kirdar
nkirdar@usip.org
202-429-1988.
I. PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST) has been contracted by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) to interview Americans returned from serving on Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan. The goal of this effort is to explore the role of PRTs in rebuilding Afghanistan.
Collection of information on lessons learned in Afghanistan will be accomplished through interviews with U.S. government officials, military officers, contractors, and NGO personnel who have served in or are knowledgeable about the role of PRTs in Afghanistan. Interview questions will be provided. The Departments of State and Defense , plus the Washington offices of various NGOs will be asked to contact their personnel concerning the project and to encourage their participation in interviews.
ADST will coordinate the interview process, provide a team of interviewers, supervise the collection of information and prepare transcripts between December 15 2004 and March 30 2005.
Approximately 100
interviews will be conducted. Interviews will last 2 hours each and will
be tape recorded and transcribed. Interviewers will be responsible for
editing transcripts and providing a brief executive summary. ADST will
provide USIP with completed transcripts electronically within three weeks
of the date of the interview. Transcripts will be filed at USIP where
they will be used as a basic resource for project publications.
II. EQUIPMENT:
The coordinator will provide interviewers with a tape recorder, microphone and audio cassette tapes. Interviewers are responsible for maintaining equipment loaned to them as part of the project. Interviewers are also responsible for avoidable equipment failures (i.e. dead batteries, dropping damage). INTERVIEWERS SHOULD TEST THEIR EQUIPMENT PRIOR TO EVERY INTERVIEW!
Please note that the microphones issued by ADST are controlled by an "ON/STAND-BY/OFF" switch. If the switch is not turned "ON" (all the way left), the recorder will not record. Also note that if the switch is left "ON" when not in use, the battery inside the switch will drain and the microphone will cease to work.
In the event of an emergency, each tape recorder has a built in microphone that may be used. However, this microphone produces very poor sound-quality recordings, and should only be used as a last resort.
Batteries for tape recorders are not provided or recommended. Instead, ADST will provide (and recommends interviewers use) an adapter that can be plugged in to any wall socket. Interviewers may wish to provide their own extension cords.
Additional resources are available under the Interviewer Resources and Reference Tools sections of the project website.
III. INTERVIEW SCHEDULING:
Interviewers are asked to sign a release form prior to performing any interviews. This release will cover all interviews performed for the purposes of this project.
The interview coordinator (Jack Zetkulic) will provide interviewers with a pool of candidates who have agreed to be interviewed, along with pertinent information (i.e. availability, duties). Interviewers will then contact candidates and set up an interview at a mutually acceptable time and location. Interviews should to be conducted within two weeks of contact, if possible. Spaces for person-to-person and phone interviews will be available at ADST in Arlington and USIP in downtown Washington. To reserve ADST, contact the project coordinator (Jack Zetkulic). To reserve USIP, contact Noor Kirdar at nkirdar@usip.org or 202-429-1988.
1. Preparation
Check equipment prior to leaving for your interview. Upon arrival at the interview, set up the tape recorder and microphone. Plug in the microphone and flip the microphone switch to "ON". Put the first tape in the recorder and press "Record". The tape should rotate and the red light on the recorder should flash as noise is made. If the tape does not move, then the recorder is not receiving power. If the red light does not flicker on as noise is made, then the microphone is either (1) not "ON"; or (2) the battery inside the microphone has gone dead (see Equipment for details).
Note that there is approximately 5-10 seconds of blank "leader" space at the beginning and end of each tape.
2. Explanation of the Project
Explain the purpose of the project, how it will be used, and discuss ground rules (if necessary). Answer any questions the participant may have.
Explain that the interview is unclassified and will last approximately 2 hours. Interview recordings will be transcribed and then edited by the interviewer for clarity, not content. Transcriptions will then be handed over to USIP. The interviewee may request a copy for personal use, but will not have the opportunity to edit the transcript.
Before the interview can proceed, each interviewee must also sign two copies of the release form. The purpose of these releases is to ensure that USIP is able to use interviews for the following purposes; (1) to prepare a Special Report examining the model of PRTs as a model for civil-military cooperation in assisting reconstruction and promoting democracy; (2) to prepare a Training Simulation highlighting potential problems in relations between military and civilian relief organizations for use by military and non-governmental organizations; (3) to prepare a Case Study with applications in a number of training programs; (4) as the cornerstone of discussion at a USIP-hosted Conference, the results of conference will be made available as a USIP News Briefing.
Additionally, ADST would like to be able to include these interview transcripts in its large Foreign Affairs Oral History Collection. For almost 20 years ADST has been conducting unclassified interviews of retired Americans involved with foreign policy matters. The resulting transcripts are given to the the Lauinger Library at Georgetown University are publicly available through ADST. If the participant does not want their interview to become part of the public record, then they may strike the fifth paragraph ("I specifically consent to the inclusion...").
Interviewers will submit completed release forms to the interview coordinator along with the interview recording.
3. Starting the Interview
Start the interview by saying "Today is *****, this is an interview with *******(full name) being done on behalf of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training as part of the Afghanistan Experience Project. I am ********."
Acquire basic information from interviewee, listed at the top of the question sheet (name, age, job description, etc.). This information may be gathered on tape during the interview or be written down beforehand. This information is necessary for the executive summary, which you will be asked to submit along with your edit of the transcript (see Post-Interview Responsibilities for details).
Begin the interview using the basic format posed by the question sets. Remember: these questions should serve as guidelines. While they indicate the type of information we are looking for, they should not necessarily be asked in order or verbatim. Interviewers are encouraged to use their own insights and questioning skills to obtain detailed information beyond the broad scope of the question set.
Stay alert and pay attention to when the tape runs out. When finished with the first tape (record on both sides, each side is 45 minutes), put a new tape on and announce "This is tape two, side one of an interview with ***** as part of the Afghanistan Experience Project." The interview does not have to be exactly two hours, but should be close.
4. Tips
Remember the idea is to get the interviewee talking. You should interrupt only when it is necessary to keep the person going, keep on the subject, or to move the interview along.
Stories and examples are excellent fodder for those using the transcripts at a later date, so don't be concerned about the narration getting too personal. Ask normal follow up questions. Keep your ear attuned to interviewees showing reluctance to say something. Encourage them to let go. We are not after dirt, a sunny picture, or classified information. We want to know how the interviewee saw things at the time.
Try to get the dates served in a particular job or place. Ask about changes in work.
To help our transcribers, please take note of people and place names. You can ask for proper spelling during or after the interview. Acronyms and other unfamiliar terms should also be explained. Handwritten notes will also be helpful for composing the executive summary.
5. Ending the Interview
Thank the interviewee for his/her help. Try to answer any additional questions about the project. Ask if the interviewee knows of anyone else who has recently returned from Afghanistan and might have something to say about his/her work there.
Take cassette(s) and number them "1" and "2". Write the interviewee's full name on each side of each cassette. Do the same on the spine of the paper insert. On the back of the insert, write "Interviewed by (your name)" and the date of the interview (see example).Turn all equipment (especially microphone) off.
6. A Final Note
This project is in its first stages and there is a learning curve. Any thoughts or ideas regarding the questions, the approach to the interviewees, or other elements would be appreciated.
V. POST-INTERVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES:
Transmitting Tapes - After interviews are completed, the interviewer should either arrange a pickup time or send tapes and accompanying forms, via US Post Office Priority Mail, to the interviewer coordinator (Jack Zetkulic at ADST, see Contact Information). The coordinator will forward completed tapes on to a transcriber. Completed transcripts will be returned to the interviewer within 2 weeks. The interviewer then has 1 week to perform a light edit of the transcript and prepare an executive summary (see below). These should then be returned to the coordinator, preferably via email, as an MS Word document.
Editing - In addition to conducting the interview itself, interviewers are asked to perform a light edit of the interview transcript (this should take approximately 2-5 hours). Edits should focus on spelling, grammar, punctuation, and clarity. For more details, please refer to the editing guidelines.
Executive Summary - The executive summary should be approximately one page. It should contain basic information about the interviewee, as outlined at the beginning of the question set (i.e. name, area of specialty, etc.). It should also mention the main topics discussed during the interview. Please see Executive Summary Guidelines for more details. For more details, please refer to the executive summary guidelines.
Payment - Interviewers will be paid $150 for each interview. To receive payment, interviewers need to fill out and return an interviewer record (invoice) along with the edited interview transcript and executive summary (email versions are preferred). Please do not submit an invoice prior to completion of the executive summary and transcript edits.
Reimbursement - To receive reimbursement, interviewers must submit receipt for purchases to the interview coordinator. Interviewers will be reimbursed for shipping costs for US Post Office Priority Mail postage only ($3.95). Priority Mail envelopes are free, so any additional envelope purchases will not be refunded). Travel costs and any additional costs may be reimbursed on a case-by case basis. ADST will no longer make reimbursements for equipment purchases (i.e. tape cassettes, replacement batteries).
For
further information or to volunteer for an interview, please contact:
Jack Zetkulic
AEP Coordinator
jzetkulic@afghanistanPRT.org
703-302-6991