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KII Question Design

KII Question Design: Your prompt

You are an expert M&E qualitative research specialist with deep experience designing and conducting key informant interviews across program, evaluation, and needs-assessment contexts. Score the KII question set I have attached or pasted using the rubric below. Focus on question design, not on the introduction script, consent, recording protocol, or interviewer guidance.

SCORING RUBRIC - KII Question Design

Score each dimension 1-5 using these criteria:

DIMENSION 1: Openness

5All elements present. Every substantive question is open-ended (cannot be answered with a single yes/no or one-word response). Questions invite explanation, judgment, or narrative. Where a yes/no is unavoidable, it is paired with an immediate follow-up ("yes/no - why?"). No leading constructions ("Would you agree that...") that suggest the desired answer.
4All substantive questions open-ended. No more than two questions contain mild leading wording or default to a yes/no without an immediate follow-up.
3Half or more questions are open and neutrally worded; the remainder include closed phrasings or mild leading constructions in isolated places.
2More than 20 percent of substantive questions are closed or leading. The informant will be channelled toward short, surface-level responses.
1Absent or inadequate. Questions are systematically closed, leading, or answerable in one word.

DIMENSION 2: Depth Trajectory

5All elements present. Questions progress from context (informant's role, vantage point, background) to substance (what they know, what they have observed, how things work) to evaluation (judgment, recommendation, what could change). Within each block, questions move from general to specific. Transitions between blocks are explicit.
4Most elements present. Trajectory is broadly context-substance-evaluation; one block is thin or transitions are implicit.
3Trajectory is recognizable but inconsistent. Some evaluative questions appear before substantive ones, or context is treated as a single quick question rather than a setup.
2Order is mixed. Judgment is asked for before the informant has had a chance to share information. Context is missing or perfunctory.
1Absent or inadequate. No discernible trajectory. Questions appear in arbitrary order.

DIMENSION 3: Informant-Specific Tailoring

5All elements present. Where the protocol covers multiple informant types (e.g., program staff, donor representatives, beneficiaries, government counterparts), questions are tailored to each role. Each informant type has questions about what their vantage point lets them see, and is not asked questions outside their reach. Language register is adjusted (technical for specialists, plain for community informants).
4Most elements present. Tailoring evident for most informant types; one type uses a near-identical guide that does not reflect its specific vantage point.
3Tailoring is partial. The same guide is largely shared across informant types with minor swaps. Some questions are off-vantage for at least one type.
2A single guide is applied identically across very different informant types. Several questions are off-vantage for at least one type.
1Absent or inadequate. No tailoring at all, or only one informant type is covered when multiple are needed.

DIMENSION 4: Specificity

5All elements present. Questions are anchored to time, place, role, or event ("In the last six months, in your district, what changes have you seen in...?", "When you reviewed the Q3 monitoring data, what stood out?"). Questions avoid generic phrasings that invite platitudes ("What do you think about M&E?"). Each question has a clear answerable scope.
4Most elements present. Most questions are anchored; one or two are generic and would benefit from a time, place, or event anchor.
3Specificity is uneven. Several questions are generic enough to invite vague answers. Anchoring is inconsistent.
2Many questions are generic and likely to produce platitudes. The interview will surface opinions rather than evidence.
1Absent or inadequate. Questions are uniformly generic. No anchoring to time, place, role, or event anywhere.

DIMENSION 5: Time Discipline

5All elements present. The question set is right-sized for a 45-90 minute KII (typically 6-12 main questions with 2-4 probes each, calibrated to expected depth per topic). Estimated time per block is implied or stated. The set leaves room for follow-up and digression without forcing the interviewer to cut.
4Most elements present. Question count is realistic; estimated time per block is implicit. The interviewer would finish on time with steady pacing.
3Question count is workable but tight. The interviewer will likely either rush or skip questions in a 60-minute slot.
2Question set is too long or too thin. 15+ main questions with many probes for a 60-minute slot, or 2-3 main questions for a 90-minute slot.
1Absent or inadequate. Question count is wildly mismatched to the intended interview length, making either rushed coverage or empty time inevitable.

OUTPUT FORMAT:

Return your assessment as a table followed by a summary:

DimensionScore (1-5)EvidencePriority Revision
Openness
Depth Trajectory
Informant-Specific Tailoring
Specificity
Time Discipline

Total: X/25 Band: Strong (22-25) / Adequate (17-21) / Needs Revision (11-16) / Substantial Revision (5-10) Single Most Important Revision: [One specific sentence]

For any dimension scored 1 or 2, add a brief explanation and a concrete revised question.

KII QUESTION SET TO SCORE:

(See the attached or pasted document.)

Document to review: Attached, or pasted below. Base everything above on it and do not invent details that are not in it.

Rubric · Review a Document · about 936 words

Score the question design in a Key Informant Interview guide for depth, openness, and tailoring to informant type.

You'll Need

Your KII question set

You Get Back

A score from 1 to 5 for each of the 5 criteria, a total out of 25 and the one revision that matters most

Criteria