Summary
This section describes the steps to follow when setting up and maintaining incentive payments associated with a survey.
For the NCD Mobile Phone Surveys, incentives are distributed through mobile network operators (MNOs). In order to accomplish this, a content agreement must be in place between a group sending the incentives and the MNO, to distribute them to the correct users. Details of the content agreement will often further articulate the specific parameters of incentive distribution.
Checklist for Sending Financial Incentives
Before the Survey Begins: Get Prepared
Determine the incentive size and type you wish to provide for individuals who complete the survey
Optional: Run experiments to see what is the right amount of financial incentive to sufficiently boost participation.
Optional: Explore other types of motivation in the survey (e.g., conveying the importance of participating in the survey introduction).
Determine how often you will send incentives to participants (e.g., Every day, once per week). Key determinants of the frequency include: (1) your agreement with the mobile network operator, (2) how much time you have, (3) desired messaging to participants for timing to receive incentives.
Update your questionnaire content - scripts, translations, audio files and SMS messages - to include details regarding the incentive amount and expectations for when a respondent will receive the incentive.
During the Survey: Carry Out Your Plan
Run your survey, allowing participants to complete the questionnaire.
On the schedule you determined above:
Download the list of respondents that have a successful disposition code by clicking on the green download icon in the survey’s Respondents Tab. (Remember this list is kept separate from the respondent’s answers to the survey questions.)
Share this list of phone numbers and the desired incentive amount with your contact at each MNO. Note: As part of the agreements with MNOs, you likely will send 1 file to each MNO, including successful participants in each network.
- Ensure that you pay your associated bill, as described in the content agreement for each MNO, in a timely fashion. Late payments could affect the expectations set with participants or place the content agreement at risk with the MNO.