2nd visit Guwahati

2.12.08 Land on, visiting OKD, booking at alankar hotel;


Evaluated training effectiveness following constant sum method at SC Johnson

4.12.2008
Gave lecture at OKD : QUESTIONNAIRE: TOOL FOR MANAGING SURVEY QUALITY
Scanned pictorial questionnaire;

5.12.08
Trnslated bengali statements into Assamees language by Shri Ratan Lahkar, Producer of Kahinoor theatre;
Ordered to Roopkar for adjusting Assam script;
Watched theatre - Anamika, tumi bujhle na;

6.12.2008Spent time at Bonda resurrection....finding lot of new experience by talking with Shri Aroop Ratan Bhattacharyee and Ms. Reina. They are following Alcoholoics Anonymous priciples.
http://www.resurrectionhome.org
aroop2000@yahoo.com


Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an organization of people who share a common desire to stop drinking alcohol.[1] AA suggests members completely abstain from alcohol, regularly attend meetings with other members, and follow its program to help each other with their common purpose; to help members "stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety."[2][3] AA created the twelve-step program used by similar recovery groups like Al-Anon, an auxiliary group for friends and family members of alcoholics; and Narcotics Anonymous, a group for substance abusers who do not identify as alcoholics. Although AA's attrition rates are high,[4] it is effective as a treatment for alcoholism.[5]
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous

7.12.08

Visiting
Doul Govinda Temple crossing Brahmaputra river.
Museum
Don Bosco school and met support groups of AA.






"Hi, I am alcoholic",

Have we ever heard of it ? Possibly not, because alcoholic patients try to alien themselves assuming that they have committed serious offense in life.

Alcoholic anonymous is a support group who takes care of alcoholics through resurrection program, and provides support to their children, wives, and parents through counselling and spiritual (not religious) principles.

Yesterday, in Guwahati, by the support of Mind-India, I visited resurrection programs of AA in Bonda. There I have heard of the above statement. They do not feel shy rather accepts it and pledge to the spiritual power for arresting alcoholism through 12-point programs.

Today, I am very much fortunate to attend Allatin (support group of alcoholic father's kids) and parents' group at Don Bosco school. I have learnt a lot from them.

Those who are coming to Guwahati, please visit Bonda resurrection centre and meet Ms. Reina at Don Bosco school on Sunday. School is near by IITG.

You can learn practical application of group dynamics and its effect on quality of lives of kids and parents of alcoholics here.

AA of Guwahati has obtained international recognition. AA is only for Alcoholics. It is a totally anonymous group maintains anonimity of all the discussions and identity of the members.

AA has several branches all over the world. They are not promoting themselves through advertisements by principle. For this reason, contribution of AA is not known to all.

If you are interested to know more about this support group, please visit here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous

Inviting Published Questionnaire

Dear friends,

Currently, our institute has taken one project titled " Orientation Training on Questionnaire design for Psychological and Educational Researches," The project will be completed in March, 2009. The project is mainly for researchers of North Eastern States. It includes two parts: (a) preparation of training manual and (b) the training to faculties, research fellows, project workers and college teachers.

Various principles of questionnaire design will be included in the training manual based on empirical researches. It is decided that some published questionnaires will be in the manual. Each questionnaire should focus on the problems of North-Eastern states. In this connection, I am inviting contribution of published questionnaire on issues related to (a) academic motivation; (b) human trafficking; (c) displacement of people; (d) attitude towards natural disaster (e) ethnic identity crisis; (f) epidemiological study in mental health (g) self efficacy of agricultural farmers and (h) training impact analysis.

Following format is proposed in publication:
1. Title
2. Author's name
3. Journal references or Sources
4. Brief description about operational definition of variables, underlying theories; and application,
5. Example of items with specific instruction to the subject
6. Scoring procedure
7. Item analysis
8. Reliability
9. Validity
10. Norm (if available)
11. Brief introduction about author/s
12. Related references of published articles

If any one in North-Eastern states possesses large data set, interested to contribute in the proposed document and not able to analyze the data, free support will be provided for data analysis and reporting.

With regards,
Dr. D. Dutta Roy, Principal Investigator of the project
==================================================
Dr. Debdulal Dutta Roy , Ph.D.
Psychology Research Unit
Indian Statistical Institute
203, B.T. Road
Kolkata - 700108
E-mail: ddroy@isical.ac.in, dduttaroy@yahoo.com
Fax : 91 - 33 - 25776925
Tel (o) : 91 - 33 - 2575 3454


N.B. Welcome any suggestion for preparation of training manual.

My workshop in Mind India

Sometime teachers are learning many things which can be understood just by reading the books. In Guwahati, I gave faculties, professionals and research fellows training on questionnaire design. I get very nice experience today.

Today is my most enjoyful day. Some trainees become independent, some become dependent and some become intervening variables. And they enact their roles. Their roles reflect lot of correlation, regression, etc. in reality. It is some super feeling in my life.
Finally, they have understood that variables in their mindsets. They have to feel them. Such feeling will help them to explore various dimensions of each variable.

3 projects were selected by them:

1. Human trafficking;
2. Ethnic Identity crisis
3. Perception of Disaster management.

NEHU experience

I went to NEHU, shillong by hired car from Guwahati. There I find good response from the department of statistics, sociology and economics to organize such workshop.

The Director of ICSSR is also interested to organize such workshop.

OKD experience

OKD institute for social change has very good infrastructure facilities for research and training. Professors are interested to organize such training programs there.

Medical Colleges

MIND INDIA

MIND India
187, Maniram Dewan Road
Chandmari
Guwahati 781 003
ASSAM, INDIA

info@mindindia.org
FOR ANY QUERIES KINDLY CONTACT

Sangeeta Goswami
President, Mind India
s.goswami@mindindia.org

+91 98640 67594


Abhijit Goswami
Secretary, Mind India
a.goswami@mindindia.org

+91 98641 10634




Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH) is an old mental hospital in India. The institute was set up by the Imperial British Government in April 1876 as “Tezpur Lunatic Asylum”. The institute was set up to provide service to the people of greater Assam, following its separation from Bengal Province, in 1875.

Gauhati Medical college and hospitals
Gauhati Medical College and Hospital

Principal Cum Chief Superintendant
Prof. M.M. Deka, MD
Tel: 0361-2460014 / 2130236 (O) / 0361-2486129 (R)

Superintendent
Prof. P.K. Bhattacharya, MD
Tel: 0361-2529457 / 2469169 (O) / 0361-2234168 (R)

Emergency Service
24 Hours Open
Tel: 0361-2529457

OPD Working Hours
Weekdays: 8 am to 2 pm
Closed: Sundays and Holidays

Psychiatry
Dr. P.D. Das - Tel: 0361-2223717 (R)

=================================================================================


Regional college of Nursing

Regional College of Nursing
Indrapur, Guwahati 781032
Assam, India

Tel: +91-361-2340913
Email: rcn-asm@nic.in

Banks

Allahabad Bank:

1. Hem Baruah Rd; Machkowa, 781009
   
2. Hemlata Market
   
3. Ranibari Panbazar
   
4. Fancybazar SCRB Rd
   

   
   AXIS BANK
   

5. LIC Divisional office, Jeevan Prakash, Fancy bazar
   
6. AT ROAD, Paltan Bazar
   

North Eastern Hill Council

North eastern hill Council

Report of Working Group on North Eastern Council and related issues for Eleventh Five Year Plan

(I) As per instructions contained in Planning Commission Order No.M-12016///2006-SP-NE dated 09.05.2006, the Working Group on NEC for the 11th Plan and related issues met on 22nd June 2006 to formulate a report as per terms of reference (TORs) indicated in the above order. The discussions centered on the present role of NEC, actual resource availability for the Tenth Five Year Plan, appraisal of major aspects of the Tenth Plan and detailed discussion on the terms of reference formulated by the Planning Commission. NEC made a power presentation on their views on the terms of reference, whereupon the members were asked to submit their views and comments on the TORs. It was accordingly decided that Sectoral Working Groups for each sector would be formed and constituted of representatives from all eight states dealing with the subject including officers from the concerned central agencies. It was further decided that these groups would deliberate on strategies and fine tune approaches for the Eleventh Plan as also to prepare a shelf of schemes keeping the terms of reference of Planning Commission in mind as also the fact that NEC have been elevated to a regional planning body. Based on inputs from the members of the Working Group as also subject specialists and technical officers of the concerned State Govts, the Working Group met on 10th August, 2006 and had detailed discussions on the first report. On this basis, the following suggestions and observations on the terms of reference of Planning Commission are hereby submitted for consideration, etc.
(II) (a) To review NEC plan and programmes of the earlier plan and to suggest focused role of NEC in the identified aeas of intervention critical for balanced regional development.:
Hitherto, NEC concentrated primarily on infrastructure particularly in the Transport & Communication and Power Sectors. This was necessitated by its emphasis on effecting balance regional development and where only projects of regional nature were preferred. Suitable scope for this agenda lay in the above two sectors. Over the years, due to regular resource crunch and increased expectations of elected representatives and public, the role of the Council has become diluted and peripheral in development activities of the region. The addition of Sikkim as its eighth Member without commensurate increase in the Plan outlay has further weakened the authority and shortened the reach of NEC. Further, the location of Sikkim has blurred the image of NEC as a regional planning body. A major influencing factor on the direction of the 11th Plan is the spillover schemes from the current five year plan period amounting to Rs 1980 crores. Further, committed liabilities worked out at Rs 759 crores for funding recurring expenditure on institutions such as RIIMs, NEPA, RIPANs etc all from plan outlays have become significant considering the fact that the total releases for the 10th Plan will be Rs.2511.50 crores only. Therefore for NEC to play not only a focused but meaningful role, a special one time grant should be allocated for taking care of spillover liabilities and institutions under its control should be handed over to the concerned line ministries. Alternatively, the Planning Commission could consider allocating Rs 12000 crores for the 11th Plan.
NEC could, therefore, play a focused role in areas critical for balanced regional development only if its outlays in the Eleventh Plan are significantly increased. For the region to really develop uniformly, the working group has concluded that sustainable employment both in farm and non farm sector is a sine qua non. NEC could perhaps confine itself to those areas, which can generate sustainable employment and create sustainable performing assets towards this end. Subsumed within this attempt will be a strategy for creation of infrastructure necessary for actualizing the ‘Look East’ policy. In view of the ethnic and political divisions prevalent in the region, the Northeast can only develop uniformly through a prism comprised of common objectives in the area of economic and commercial development. NEC could play the role of a catalyst and facilitator for developing the region as a homogenous zone by intervening in covering critical gaps of infrastructure.

(II) (b). To formulate realistic and actionable plan for the region, keeping view the National plan perspectives and regional priorities and to suggest modalities for dovetailing of programmes of the states as per the regional plan;
By virtue of its mandate and keeping in mind the constitutional sovereignty of the States, NEC may not be able to formulate a comprehensive regional plan for all sectors, in view of the fact that major and significant shares of the states’ budget is earmarked for sectors such as rural development, civil supplies, social welfare and nutrition. NEC may also be restricted from playing a proactive role in ensuring community participation in view of the autonomy and mandate enjoyed by Autonomous District Councils under the Sixth Schedule in some states and the PRI Act in the others. It is however possible that NEC could encourage and motivate its member states to initiate community participation practices currently in vogue in Nagaland. NEC could be an omnipresent stakeholder in the states’ forays into the PPP arena wherever this tactic is found to be viable. Moreover, some thrust areas have been identified in the following sectors that could harmonize with the role of NEC as a regional planning body, as a catalyst in the Look East policy and as a supplementary factor in the developmental attempts of the member states. A realistic and viable regional plan could therefore be formulated based on the following suggestions:

(II) B.1 Agriculture and Allied Sector:
As a prerequisite, there should be adequate increase from the current five year Plan outlay to be earmarked for this sector.
A regional plan for capacity building for farmers, NGOs both outside the region and within institutes of the region, which could be assisted to impart skills and training, needs to be evolved.
NEC can devise a regional plan for increasing the areas under irrigation. Community management and participation should be ensured even if it entails extra costs in capacity building and training.
There should be special programmes for transfer of appropriate technology from the lab to the field. A plan should be evolved for transforming the agriculture landscape from a homestead to plantation mode preferably through the cluster method.
NEC should support production, marketing and certification of organic products.
Value addition facilities at strategic locations could be set up. Marketing tie-ups could be arranged and subsidy may even be released for making products competitive at the initial stages. Bamboo resources of the region are one example which could be harnessed using this approach.
Schematic design and DPRs formulation can be assisted from NEC fund. NEC could assist for seed farms and fodder farms to be established at strategic locations in the region for catering to all the States. Vaccine centers catering to the needs of each state government could be set up with NEC assistance. R&D and capacity building in the biotechnology sector should be supported. In the context of the announcement by RIL and other companies regarding their advent into retail marketing, the following programmes could be considered for tapping this opportunity.

1. Tissue Culture Laboratories need further support both for agriculture and horticulture crops.
2. Improvement of traditional method of cultivation and sustainable crop production technology.
3. Organized marketing system.
4. Setting-up of agro-based industries in the region.
5. Improvement of post-harvest technology
6. Integrated agriculture programme has to be taken-up for enhancement of food production.
7. Selected crops of short duration with high return have to be encouraged for plantation on cluster basis.
8. Farmers and officers of NE States should be imparted training with latest technologies.
9. Livestock and dairy development, control of diseases and production of livestock feed.
10. Integrated fish farming (fish combined with livestock) can generate more income to the farmers.
11. NEC to support innovative and exotic products and related technology.


Forest & Environment:
In the environment field, existing rainforests should be preserved and where feasible, elephant corridors could be maintained and protected to ensure passage of wild animals between the adjacent states.
Projects in the mould of IFAD and NEPED (in Nagaland) should be multiplied to improve rural livelihoods so as to ease pressure on forests.
In a pilot project mode, a small river or stream in each of the state capitals should be identified for regeneration. The State Pollution Boards could be mandated for the task and assisted suitably by NEC.
NEC could commission inventory of bio-resources including taxonomic and ecological studies on flora and fauna.
NEC could extend support for production and marketing of exotic and medicinal plants and jatropha.
The depredation of the environment caused by unregulated and haphazard mining and mineral extraction will need to be tackled.

(II) B.2 Manpower Development Sector (HRD):
The outlay for this sector needs to be enhanced as it has vast potential for regional programmes. For example, capacity building will need to be done for specific areas such as biotechnology, organic farming, veterinary, patent awareness, sports which will complement and tap the core competencies of the region. Capacity building for firming and strengthening the cluster approach to development can also be supported. The existing cooperative societies mechanism should be strengthened to further improve its efficacy and influence in each of the states.
Institutes of excellence within and outside the region can be identified for training deserving students in job-oriented courses.
In the handloom and handicraft sector, courses for fashion design and fabric value addition could be set up in some of the state capitals. To further deepen the impact and widen the scope, existing universities and colleges could be financially supported to include these subjects in their curriculum.
A policy under the aegis of NEREC could be evolved for channelising academically underperforming students from conventional courses to vocational schools. I.T.I.s need to be strengthened and their curriculum needs to be revised. This should be coordinated with a long-term industrial policy, which will generate employment opportunities at the appropriate time.
NEC may facilitate the setting up of additional engineering and medical colleges in the region particularly in those states that are still to be benefited.
Teaching departments on Bio-resource development, Tourism, Cultural and Peace Studies, languages of neighboring countries as also Spanish, Mandarin and Japanese could be set up in the universities with NEC funding.

(II) B.3 Science and Technology:
Information Technology is yet another area which has tremendous scope in the region due to the absence of spatial constraints. Through timely mix of subsidies and infrastructural support, BPO and KPO projects could be encouraged. A dedicated bandwidth through an independent Internet gateway could be considered.
Updated and valid socio-economic database banks should be created for use by all member states as a tool for developmental planning of the region. In this connection a GIS resource map could be prepared for the entire region including Sikkim with NEC funding. NESAC could be mandated as the coordinator to help obviate duplication and to ensure synergies amongst all states.
IT assistance and Computer education programmes at school and college levels to be intensified.
NEC could facilitate provision of OFC backbone to cover all the states.
The hardware and software facilities in the CICs of the region could be updated and modernized through NEC assistance.

(II) B.4 Banking, Industries and Tourism:
Tourism:
A regional plan could also be evolved for the Tourism Sector where existing tourism activities and tourists arrivals can be enhanced by assisting genuine and creditable tourism operators and hotel owners. NEC can also create selective infrastructure and help in promotion and capacity building. A PPP funding model could be examined for covering critical gaps in the sector. Circuit development possesses ample scope for regional cooperation and in the Eleventh Plan tourist products evolved and supported through NEC funding should be compatible with the objectives for producing world-class circuits.
Publicity costs for promotion of specific destinations and circuits could be borne by NEC. NEC can support participation in domestic and international fairs.
Sponsoring appropriate curriculum in the respective universities in the eight states could ensure capacity building and skills imparting.
NEC could contemplate assisting the development of heritage and cultural circuits.
Tourism could be declared as an industry to gain access to subsidies.
Industries:
Outlays for this sector should be appropriately increased.
NEC could enter into a tie up with agencies like ILFS for product development and forming of Special Purpose Vehicles that the States could utilize for attracting external investment.
The SPINE scheme should be continued albeit with improved guidelines to plug loopholes, increase opportunities for generating local employment and expedite industrialization of the region.
Financing of value addition projects and technological assistance for tea growers would be a catalyst for industrializing rural areas.
The handloom and handicraft sector hitherto neglected should be identified as a thrust area in the 11th Plan. Existing sericulture and seed farms languishing due to resource constraints by the state governments could be repaired from NEC funds.
In the context of the Look East policy, it would be imperative for NEC to support and supplement ongoing Central Government schemes such as ASIDE (Assistance to States for Development of Export Infrastructure and other activities) and EDF (Export Development Fund). To achieve fast results, the mission mode for promoting industrial activities needs to be encouraged.
A formal patent regime should be activated for the region to protect ethnic and traditional design and fabric.
Infrastructure along existing and potential trade routes to neighbouring foreign countries should be funded to activate border trade.
Banking: Micro-credit mechanism would need to be improved particularly in under banked and rural areas.
NEC could manage coordination between financial institutions based in the region so that overlapping and duplication is avoided.
In view of the traditional land tenure system prevailing in most of the hill states, it would be necessary to involve the landowners as stakeholders and partners in projects.
Project design and capacity building particularly in accounts and book keeping should be mandatory requirements before funding is recommended for any project to ensure return on investment and build up investor and creditor confidence.
The Northeast Bamboo Mission should be actively supported.

(II) B.5 Power, Water Development & RRE:
All spillover schemes should be completed by the 1st year of the 11th plan.
In respect of regional projects, NEC could provide funding for systems improvements in the various states so that evacuation and transmission form the various grids are not constrained.
A protocol should be finalized for evacuation of power and compensatory measures for unutilized entitlements through mutually acceptable standard operating procedures.
With regard to water management, community managed irrigation projects for viable lands should be done on a regional basis to increase acreage under cultivation and increase yield so as to make the region self sufficient in rice and other food grains.
Water Catchments areas should be identified and mapped and protected through law and legislation where required.
NEC should keep out of major flood control and river erosion projects and hand over the responsibility to specialized agencies such as the Brahmaputra Board.
Only the concerned line ministries should handle Mega hydel projects. At best, NEC should confine its participation to subsidizing some portion of the 70% loan component.

(II) B.6 Transport & Communication:
All efforts should be made to complete spillover schemes from the 9th and 10th Plan period. For the 11th Plan, DONER and NEC could pool resources and share the responsibilities for funding new road schemes in this sector as the liability for spillover schemes would exclude any major projects keeping in mind the size of the outlays.
Besides stressing on roads of regional importance, roads linking important tourist sites and centres of economic activity should be constructed with NEC funding in the 11th Plan.
The arrangement with Alliance Air should not be extended into the 11th Plan, keeping in mind their poor track record. Alternative arrangements preferably with private players could be considered.
Funding of new airports and improvement of existing airports should handed over to DONER.
NEC may expedite the arrangements for a dedicated airline for the region
NEC could consider energizing the movement of goods and cargo through the Brahmaputra Waterway and proposed Barak Waterway by assisting stakeholders through the IWAI, supplementing infrastructure construction efforts and liaising with Bangladesh authorities. Internal waterways could be developed to provide arterial links.
NEC will further expand its ongoing programmes relating to construction of ISBTs and ISTTs.
Funding of important roads could be supplemented through BOT, BOLT, etc. even in neighbouring countries such as Myanmar to link strategic markets across the borders.
Railway links to state capitals and beyond to international borders could be contemplated.

(II) B.7 Medical and Health Sector
Institutes such as RIMs whose recurring expenditure consume a significant share of NEC’s capital outlay should be transferred to the concerned line ministries and the untied funds invested for plan schemes.
Efforts should be made to supplement specialized health care facilities and nursing colleges in the private sector through one time assistance.
Investments made by NEC in medical institutions should be commensurate with the benefits for all its members.
Involvement of NEC in revenue expenditure for running of new health institutions, whether government or autonomous, should be stopped forthwith.
The telemedicine programme should be continued, as it is a regional oriented scheme and ensures some level of medical service in remote rural areas.

(B)Contd …Suggest modalities for Dovetailing of Programmes as per the Regional Plan
Subsumed within the above framework for the regional plan dovetailing could be attempted in the following areas: -
(a) Tourism infrastructure in designated popular circuits
(b) Information & Communication Technology (preparation of multi-layer GIS resource maps for the whole region).
(c) Assist in setting up of Seed Farms and Fodder Farms
(d) Assist in setting up of Vaccine Banks
(e) Regulating inter State movement of cattle and pigs – construction of holding and quarantine facilities
(f) Talent Spotting and nurturing in selected sports
(g) Biotechnology development
(h) Funding product development
(i) For Bharat Nirman schemes several infrastructure elements could be dovetailed as follows:
(i) Electrification of remote villages through non-conventional, pico and mini hydel projects
(ii) Telephone connectivity in rural areas such as the TATA INDICOM scheme being implemented in Sikkim.
(iii) Providing computers such as UDAY-HCL to primary schools in non-electrified villages
(C) To explore the possibility and mechanism of preparing a shelf of projects of Regional Importance out of which states can accommodate a few projects each year in their Plans from the ACA/SPA allocated to the states
NEC could be a proactive regional planner if some critical prerequisites are put into place. Firstly, as suggested by some members the statutory recognition of NEC as a regional planning body will need to be clarified and if it is to fulfill its role it has to be vested with the powers and functions of a regional Planning Commission and should be strengthened and mandated with appropriate powers. Thereafter NEC could identify specific areas particularly on employment generation and infrastructure development that can be included under its rubric. Border security and inter regional environmental issues could be brought under the regional planning purview of NEC.

(D) Improvement of Guidelines for selection, preparation of Concept Note/DPR. Appraisal of projects funded by NEC
It is entirely possible that a majority of the projects being funded by NEC are not having the desired impact due to flaws in their schematic design thereby leading to poor execution and cost overruns. To bring about improvements it is suggested that guidelines may be drawn up comprising the following elements: -

(a) Member States may submit their priority list at the appropriate time accompanied by the concept notes for only projects amounting to Rs. 1 crore and above.
(b) After due examination, the priority list will then be put up to the Council and based on equitable funding and regional priorities schemes will be retained.
(c) Subject to adequate budgetary provisions being effected, the outlays will be circulated, state wise.
(d) Selected schemes will be vetted a panel of consulting agencies approved by the NEC. The Consultants will prepare the DPR and State Govt. will then submit it to NEC for funding, etc.
(e) Cost of preparation and formulation of DPR will be borne by the NEC.
(f) For schemes requiring EFC clearance and which will need to be vetted by the line Ministries, the services of reputed institutions like the IIT, Guwahati will be enlisted and a default deadline will then be communicated to the concerned line Ministries. This will obviate inordinate delays in obtaining the mandatory clearances.

(E) Measures for executive execution, monitoring and evaluation of NEC programmes implemented by member states, etc.
Measures suggested above under (D) will ensure improved execution. Proper design and conceptualization of projects at the planning stage will further guarantee certain standards in terms of quality. Wherever the Member States are by and large responsible for implementation of projects, monitoring per se will need to be done by them. NEC could strengthen the State Monitoring and Evaluation Cells. Capacity building and training programmes could be undertaken for example, in procedures followed by the Ministry of Transport for implementation of PMGSY. Foreign trainings could also be sponsored.
Infrastructural assets created through NEC assistance could also be monitored through satellite mapping (the Google method). Lat-Long configuration can be effected to the smallest possible detail through NEC assistance. Layering of these GIS maps through ground truthing can be entrusted to independent specialized agencies in coordination with State Governments and assistance by NEC can also be considered. Database could also be generated for natural resources and land profiles with NESAC participation can be hosted in the respective websites of NEC and States though administration of the database should be restricted to NEC only to maintain fidelity and authenticity. A cyber library for all the districts of the Northeast and SIkkim should be urgently prepared. Evaluation should invariably be entrusted to a third party and should be confined only to projects costing Rs. 1 crore and above.

(F) Measures for improvement of functioning of NERAMAC, NEDFI, and NEHHDC.
Some states have suggested that these institutions maybe strengthened through appropriate budgetary support. A downsizing (VRS)strategy should be implemented in NERAMAC and NEHHDC.
NERAMAC should be again handed over to NEC but it should get rid off its production activities and confine itself to procurement and marketing activities.
In addition their activities and their mandate should be well publicized and extended to cover the entire region.
Synergies with other related institutions should be developed so that there are no overlaps and duplications.
Some autonomy and flexibility of rules and procedures should be allowed both by regulatory bodies and the Central Government keeping in mind the peculiarities and backwardness of the region.

(G) Measures for improving financial procedure/discipline
Planning Departments of the States should be kept posted on all sanctions and releases.
U/Cs and Audit Certificate regime maybe improved
States may ensure that the fund flow from NEC to implementing departments is smooth and not diverted for ways and means.
Releases at the fag end of the financial year should be avoided as suggested by some of the states.
A sanctioning committee comprised of the Chief Secretaries of the Member States and headed by the Secretary NEC should be set up and invested with the power to sanction schemes up to Rs 25 crores with Chairman’s NEC’s approval.

(H) Boosting investment in NER
NEC could facilitate the development of international access corridors with cooperation of countries concerned. NEC could coordinate the assistance and involvement of agencies such as FICCI and CII.
Infrastructure development could be advised and catalyzed by agencies such as ILFS. For agro development and allied activities, NABCONS could be involved to make DPRS and provide technical support.
For existing activities, subsidy in transport could be extended to all terminal markets. Tax concessions to make products attractive in pricing should be considered.
Seminars, road shows, investor meets could be sponsored by NEC in metros, and abroad.
NEC could catalyse the setting up of an SEZ in a central location to cater to the regional requirements in the first phase.
As observed by some states, EAPs are the single most important and potential source of augmenting the States’ resources. NEC could act as a mediator and catalyst for obtaining EAP funding.
With the declaration of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal as special category states, investment has decreased in the Northeast. The centre could be moved to declare the region as a super special category state to correct the situation.

(I) Handing over NEC funded autonomous institutions like RIMs, NEPA etc. to concerned ministries
It is a fact that a significant portion of the NEC budget is being utilized for these institutions for their recurring costs and capital budget is affected. The concerned line ministries should take over the burden and the untied funds can be redeployed for funding other capital-intensive schemes.

(J) Any other issue
The South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) should be utilized to formalize the existing informal trade between the Northeast states and Myanmar and Bangladesh.
The proposed Trilateral Highway from Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand through Bagan in Myanmar is expected to be completed in 2011 and will dramatically increase the proximity of the Southeast Asian markets with the Northeast. NEC must research expected demands and product development within the region and urgently initiate a strategy. NEC should facilitate study of technologies in nearby countries.
Infrastructure requirements in terms of production centres and communication facilities including waterways and ports must also be planned out. The overriding objective would be to ensure that a goods container could seamlessly move from its point of origin anywhere within the region to its final destination or terminal market. The siege mentality prevalent in most of the inhabitants of the region because of its geographical isolation and landlockedness should change with opening of windows towards the East. NEC will prepare the roadmap through the mechanism of the Vision 2020 document.
A consistent representation from the member states is for NEC to petition Govt. of India to relax the procedure relating to the 10% loan component. The Centre could be petitioned to allow reversion back to the previous system of 90 percent grant and 10 percent loan.

Source: http://necouncil.gov.in/document/NEC_11THPLAN-FIN_APPROACH.doc

Assam Govt

Area : 78,438 sq km State Government Portal
Population : 26, 638, 407 District WebSite
Capital : Dispur
Principal Languages : Assamese
Assam at a glance
S.No. District Area 2001 Census Headquarters
in 000' sq km Population
1 Barpeta 3,245 1,647,201 Barpeta
2 Bongaigaon 2,510 904,835 Bongaigaon
3 Cachar 3,786 1,444,921 Silchar
4 Darrang 3,481 1,504,320 Mangaldai
5 Dhemaji 3,237 571,944 Dhemaji
6 Dhubri 2,798 1,637,344 Dhubur
7 Dibrugarh 3,381 1,185,072 Dibrugarh
8 Goalpara 1,824 822,035 Goalpara
9 Golaghat 3,502 946,279 Golaghat
10 Hailakandi 1,327 542,872 Hailakandi
11 Jorhat 2,851 999,221 Jorhat
12 Kamrup 4,345 2,522,324 Guwahati
13 Karbi Anglong 10,434 813,311 Diphu
14 Karimganj 1,809 1,007,976 Karimganj
15 Kokrajhar 3,169 905,764 Kokrajhar
16 Lakhimpur 2,277 889,010 Lakhimpur
17 Marigaon 1,704 776,256 Marigaon
18 Nagaon 3,831 2,314,629 Nagaon
19 Nalbari 2,257 1,148,824 Nalbari
20 North Cachar Hills 4,888 188,079 Haflong
21 Sivasagar 2,668 1,051,736 Sibsagar
22 Sonitpur 5,324 1,681,513 Tezpur
23 Tinsukia 3,790 1,150,062 Tinsukia

source
Source: With Input from Census of India 2001 & India 2008 - A Reference Annual


source

budget speech of CM

Assam Govt.

Assam educational and health insitutes

State govt

Central Govt

Assam Universities

The Map

Universities in Assam

* Assam Agricultural University
* Assam University, Dargakona, about 20 kms from Silchar
* Dibrugarh University,
The Dibrugarh University is located in the district of Dibrugarh in the state of Assam , India .

The University Campus is well linked by roads, rails, air and water ways. The National Highway No. 37 passes through the University Campus.

Nearest airport is Dibrugarh .

Nearest Railway Station is Dibrugarh Town .

Neatest International airport is Guwahati
* Dept. of Psychology,Gauhati University, Gauhati University Campus, Guwahati-781014

Ms. Bedawati Bora Kabir, Head, Dept. of Psychology, G.U.
Department of Psychology
Gauhati University, Guwahati- 781 014
Assam, INDIA

Phone No : +91-361-2674413 (Office),

* Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati



* National Institute of Technology (Deemed University)
ostal Address National Institute of Technology Silchar
Silchar-788010 INDIA
Fax no: +91-3842-233797
Email Phone
Director Prof. P.K. Banik director[at]nits.ac.in 233179

* Tezpur University

Guwahati to Tezpur.
National Highway No. 31 via Jalukbari upto Baihata Chariali and NH 52 from Baihata Chariali via Mangaldoi. Distance : 181 kms

National Highway No. 37 via Nagaon upto Kaliabor Tiniali and 52A from Kaliabor Tiniali via Kolia Bhomora bridge. Distance : 198 kms.

Different Routes from Tezpur to University Campus

*

Tezpur Town - Darrang College -Paruwa Chariali - Paruwa Bagan-Amolapam-University Campus (shortest route)
*

Tezpur Town - Darrang College -Paruwa Chariali - Dolabari - Paachmile -University Campus
*

National Highway No. 52 A - Mission Chariali -Paruwa Chariali-Paruwa Bagan-Amolapam-University Campus
*

National Highway No. 52 - Solmara Army Base Camp - Amolapam - University Campus

Regular Bus service are available from Guwahati (Paltan Bazar) to Tezpur ASTC Bus Station via Nagaon or Mangaldoi. To reach Tezpur University, University Bus Services are available from Tezpur ASTC Bus Station to University Campus in scheduled time. Besides University Bus Service, Taxis are available from Tezpur Town (Near ASTC Bus Station) or Mission Chariali to reach University

North-East Issues

National Seminar on PEACE IN DIALOGUE, HSS, IITG

Illegal Bangladeshi Migrants: Agitation and Turmoil in Assam

Myanmar search

delivery of public goods

Proposal to the Indian Psychiatric Society for adopting a specialty section on addiction medicine (alcohol and other substance abuse)

abstracts

Self administered Questionnaire

Principles


How to design questionnaire

What is statistcial survey ?

Statistical survey is the methodology to collect information from selected sample of defined population for assessing the descriptive and inferential phenomena about the distribution of data.

Participatory Rural appraisal

Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) is an approach used by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other agencies involved in international development. The approach aims to incorporate the knowledge and opinions of rural people in the planning and management of development projects and programmes.

Origins of participatory rural appraisal

The roots of PRA techniques can be traced to the activist adult education methods of Paulo Freire and the study clubs of the Antigonish Movement. In this view, an actively involved and empowered local population is essential to successful rural community development. Robert Chambers, a key exponent of PRA, argues that the approach owes much to "the Freirian theme, that poor and exploited people can and should be enabled to analyze their own reality."[1].

By the early 1980’s, there was growing dissatisfaction among development experts with both the reductionism of formal surveys, and the biases of typical field visits. In 1983, Robert Chambers, a Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies (UK), used the term Rapid Rural Appraisal to describe techniques that could bring about a 'reversal of learning' [2]. Two years later, the first international conference to share experiences relating to RRA was held in Thailand [3]. This was followed by a rapid growth in the development of methods that involved rural people in examining their own problems, setting their own goals, and monitoring their own achievements. By the mid 1990’s, the term RRA had been replaced by a number of other terms including ‘Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)’ and ‘Participatory Learning and Action’ (PLA).

[edit] Overview of PRA techniques

Hundreds of participatory techniques and tools have been described in a variety of books and newsletters, or taught at training courses around the world. These techniques can be divided into four categories:

* Group dynamics, e.g. learning contracts, role reversals, feedback sessions
* Sampling, e.g. transect walks, wealth ranking, social mapping
* Interviewing, e.g. focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, triangulation
* Visualization e.g. venn diagrams, matrix scoring, timelines

To ensure that people are not excluded from participation, these techniques avoid writing wherever possible, relying instead on the tools of oral communication like pictures, symbols, physical objects and group memory. Efforts are made in many projects, however, to build a bridge to formal literacy; for example by teaching people how to sign their names or recognize their signatures.

[edit] A 'new professionalism' for development

A key idea that has accompanied the development of PRA techniques is that of a new professionalism. Robert Chambers has explained this as follows:

“The central thrusts of the [new] paradigm … are decentralization and empowerment. Decentralization means that resources and discretion are devolved, turning back the inward and upward flows of resources and people. Empowerment means that people, especially poorer people, are enabled to take more control over their lives, and secure a better livelihood with ownership and control of productive assets as one key element. Decentralization and empowerment enable local people to exploit the diverse complexities of their own conditions, and to adapt to rapid change”.[4]

To be an external agent of change within this discipline implies two-way learning. Development agents learn to both appreciate and lever the power of oral culture and the transformations that are possible within it. Walter J. Ong has argued that “many of the contrasts often made between ‘western’ and other views seem reducible to contrasts between deeply interiorized literacy and more or less residually oral states of consciousness.”[5]

[edit] The limits of PRA

There are those who see limits to PRA. This is on a range of grounds - for example that it doesn't work, that it reveals the secrets of rural communities to be managed by development agencies, or that it is a tool of cooptation into neo-liberal development agendas. These were summarized in Participation: The New Tyranny? [6]

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_rural_appraisal

Focus group

A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their attitude towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members.

Ernest Dichter originated the idea of having a "group therapy" for products and this process is what became known as a focus group.

In the social sciences and urban planning, focus groups allow interviewers to study people in a more natural setting than a one-to-one interview. In combination with participant observation, they can be used for gaining access to various cultural and social groups, selecting sites to study, sampling of such sites, and raising unexpected issues for exploration. Focus groups have a high apparent validity - since the idea is easy to understand, the results are believable. Also, they are low in cost, one can get results relatively quickly, and they can increase the sample size of a report by talking with several people at once. (Material based on: Marshall and Rossman, Designing Qualitative Research, 3rd Ed. London: Sage Publications, 1999, p. 115)

Traditional focus groups

In traditional focus groups, a screened (qualified) group of respondents gathers in the same room. They are screened to ensure that they are part of the relevant target market and that the group is a representative subgroup of this market segment. There are usually 6 to 10 members in the group, and the session usually lasts for 1 to 2 hours. A moderator guides the group through a discussion that probes attitudes about a client's proposed products or services. The discussion is loosely structured, and the moderator encourages the free flow of ideas. The moderator is typically given a list of objectives or an anticipated outline. He/she will generally have only a few specific questions prepared prior to the focus group. These questions will serve to initiate open-ended discussions.

Client representatives observe the discussion from behind a one-way mirror. Participants cannot see out, but the researchers and their clients can see in. Usually, a video camera records the meeting so that it can be seen by others who were not able to travel to the site. Transcripts can be created from the video tape. If the participants speak a different language than the clients, a simultaneous interpreter may be used.

Researchers examine more than the spoken words. They also try to interpret facial expressions, body language, and group dynamics. Moderators may use straight questioning or various projective techniques, including fixed or free association, story-telling and role-playing. Focus groups are often used to garner reaction to specific stimuli such as concepts, prototypes and advertising.

It is often suggested that respondents feel group pressure to conform and this can contaminate the results. Others hold that by using trained and experienced moderators who appropriately manage the discussion, this potential problem can be mitigated. Further, despite the potential for groupthink, marketers and sociologists find that group dynamics are useful in developing new streams of thought and covering an issue thoroughly.

Types of focus groups

Variants of focus groups include:

* Two-way focus group - one focus group watches another focus group and discusses the observed interactions and conclusions
* Dual moderator focus group - one moderator ensures the session progresses smoothly, while another ensures that all the topics are covered
* Dueling moderator focus group - two moderators deliberately take opposite sides on the issue under discussion
* Respondent moderator focus group - one or more of the respondents are asked to act as the moderator temporarily
* Client participant focus groups - one or more client representatives participate in the discussion, either covertly or overtly
* Mini focus groups - groups are comprised of 4 or 5 members rather than 8 to 12
* Teleconference focus groups - telephone network is used
* Online focus groups - computers connected via the internet are used

Traditional focus groups can provide accurate information, and are less expensive than other forms of traditional marketing research. There can be significant costs however : if a product is to be marketed on a nationwide basis, it would be critical to gather respondents from various locales throughout the country since attitudes about a new product may vary due to geographical considerations. This would require a considerable expenditure in travel and lodging expenses. Additionally, the site of a traditional focus group may or may not be in a locale convenient to a specific client, so client representatives may have to incur travel and lodging expenses as well.

The use of focus groups has steadily evolved over time and is becoming increasingly widespread.

[edit] Problems and criticism

However, focus groups also have disadvantages: The researcher has less control over a group than a one-on-one interview, and thus time can be lost on issues irrelevant to the topic; the data are tough to analyze because the talking is in reaction to the comments of other group members; observers/ moderators need to be highly trained, and groups are quite variable and can be tough to get together. (Ibid.) Moreover, the number of members of a focus group is not large enough to be a representative sample of a population; thus, the data obtained from the groups is not necessarily representative of the whole population, unlike in opinion polls.

A fundamental difficulty with focus groups (and other forms of qualitative research) is the issue of observer dependency: the results obtained are influenced by the researcher, raising questions of validity. The issue evokes associations with Heisenberg’s famous Uncertainty Principle. As Heisenberg said, "What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning." Indeed, the design of the focus group study (e.g. respondent selection, the questions asked, how they are phrased, how they are posed, in what setting, by whom, and so on) affects the answers obtained from respondents. In focus groups, researchers are not detached observers but always participants. Researchers must take this into account when making their analysis (Based on: Tjaco H. Walvis (2003), “Avoiding advertising research disaster: Advertising and the uncertainty principle”, Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 403-409).

Douglas Rushkoff[2] argues that focus groups are often useless, and frequently cause more trouble than they are intended to solve, with focus groups often aiming to please rather than offering their own opinions or evaluations, and with data often cherry picked to support a foregone conclusion. Rushkoff cites the disastrous introduction of New Coke in the 1980s as a vivid example of focus group analysis gone bad.

[edit] Federal government use of focus groups

The United States Federal Government makes extensive use of focus groups to assess public education materials and messages for their many programs. While many of these are appropriate for the purpose, many others are reluctant compromises which federal officials have had to make as a result of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) The bureaucratic procedures require the federal researcher to go through a very elaborate justification of why he/she needs to conduct a survey or any study that will involve more than 10 people. The researcher must also have the complete methodology approved by the Office of Manangement and Budgetof the Executive Office of the President--not always the paragon of scientific objectivity. Often, the labor for the approval is far greater than the labor to do the research. Federal researchers most often take the path of least resistance and use 9 person focus group or even several of these with different questions asked. So there are many federal focus groups and few surveys or other type studies independent of whether a focus group is the best or even appropriate methodology.
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_group

Computer Assisted telephone interviewing

Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) is a telephone surveying technique in which the interviewer follows a script provided by a software application. The software is able to customize the flow of the questionnaire based on the answers provided, as well as information already known about the participant.


Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) is a telephone surveying technique in which the interviewer follows a script provided by a software application. The software is able to customize the flow of the questionnaire based on the answers provided, as well as information already known about the participant.

CATI may function in the following manner

* A computerized questionnaire is administered to respondents over the telephone.
* The interviewer sits in front of a computer screen
* Upon command, the computer dials the telephone number to be called.
* When contact is made, the interviewer reads the questions posed on the computer screen and records the respondent's answers directly into the computer.
* Interim and update reports can be compiled instantaneously, as the data are being collected.
* CATI software has built-in logic, which also enhances data accuracy.
* The program will personalize questions and control for logically incorrect answers, such as percentage answers that do not add up to 100 percent.
* The software has built-in branching logic, which will skip questions that are not applicable or will probe for more detail when warranted.

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-assisted_telephone_interviewing

Automated computer telephone interviewing (ACTI) is a telephone surveying technique by which a computer with speaker independent voice recognition capabilities asks respondents a series of questions, recognizes then stores the answers, and is able to follow scripted logic and branch intelligently according to the flow of the questionnaire based on the answers provided, as well as information known about the participant.

Ref: http://www.answers.com/topic/automated-computer-telephone-interviewing?cat=technology

Automated Computer Telephone Interviewing (ACTI) is a telephone surveying technique by which a computer with speaker independent voice recognition capabilities asks respondents a series of questions, recognizes then stores the answers, and is able to follow scripted logic and branch intelligently according to the flow of the questionnaire based on the answers provided, as well as information known about the participant.
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_computer_telephone_interviewing

Questionnaire

Questionnaire:
A form containing a set of questions, especially one addressed to a statistically significant number of subjects as a way of gathering information for a survey.

Importance to use
Questionnaires are a good survey technique, because the cost (printing, distribution, collection, analysis) is low relative to that of other methods such as personal interviews, because participants can respond at their own convenience, because no interviewer bias is introduced, and because responses can be kept completely confidential. The disadvantages are that the results may be biased toward the opinions of those who chose to respond to the questionnaire versus all those who had been asked to respond, and the results may be distorted if the questions were misunderstood.

Questionnaires can be used to examine the general characteristics of a population, to compare attitudes of different groups, and to test theories. Questionnaires appear simple, but they are very difficult to compile in a manner which establishes reliability and validity. A question worded in one way, for example, may elicit a different response from the same question worded slightly differently.

The biggest problem is to keep the size of the questionnaire small enough to avoid exasperating the subjects. It is also desirable to couch the questions so that the responses can be easily categorized and the results computerized.

Questionnaires are frequently used in quantitative marketing research and social research in general. They are a valuable method of collecting a wide range of information from a large number of respondents. Good questionnaire construction is critical to the success of a survey. Inappropriate questions, incorrect ordering of questions, incorrect scaling, or bad questionnaire format can make the survey valueless. A useful method for checking a questionnaire for problems is to pretest it. This usually involves giving it to a small sample of respondents, then interviewing the respondents to get their impressions and to confirm that the questions accurately captured their opinions.

Questionnaire construction issues

* The research objectives and frame of reference should be defined beforehand, including the questionnaire's context of time, budget, manpower, intrusion and privacy.
* The nature of the expected responses should be defined and retained for interpretation of the responses, be it preferences (of products or services), facts, beliefs, feelings, descriptions of past behavior, or standards of action.
* Unneeded questions are an expense to the researcher and an unwelcome imposition on the respondents. All questions should contribute to the objective(s) of the research.


* The topics should fit the respondents’ frame of reference. Their background may affect their interpretation of the questions. Respondents should have enough information or expertise to answer the questions truthfully.
* The type of scale, index, or typology to be used shall be determined.
* The types of questions (closed, multiple-choice, open) should fit the statistical data analysis techniques available.


* Questions and prepared responses to choose from should be neutral as to intended outcome. A biased question or questionnaire encourages respondents to answer one way rather than another. Even questions without bias may leave respondents with expectations.
* The order or “natural” grouping of questions is often relevant. Prior previous questions may bias later questions.
* The wording should be kept simple: no technical or specialized words.
* The meaning should be clear. Ambiguous words, equivocal sentence structures and negatives may cause misunderstanding, possibly invalidating questionnaire results. Double negatives should be reworded as positives.


* If a survey question actually contains more than one issue, the researcher will not know which one the respondent is answering. Care should be taken to ask one question at a time.
* The list of possible responses should be inclusive. Respondents should not find themselves with no category that fits their situation. One solution is to use a final category for “other ________”.
* The possible responses should be mutually exclusive. Categories should not overlap. Respondents should not find themselves in more than one category, for example in both the “married” category and the “single” category - there may be need for a “not living with spouse” category.


* Writing style should be conversational, yet concise and accurate and appropriate to the target audience.
* Most people will not answer personal or intimate questions.
* “Loaded” questions evoke emotional responses and may skew results.


* Presentation of the questions on the page (or computer screen) and use of white space, colors, pictures, charts, or other graphics may affect respondent's interest or distract from the questions.
* Numbering of questions may be helpful.
* Questionnaires can be administered by research staff, by volunteers or self-administered by the respondents. Clear, detailed instructions are needed in either case, matching the needs of each audience.

Types of questions

1. Contingency questions - A question that is answered only if the respondent gives a particular response to a previous question. This avoids asking questions of people that do not apply to them (for example, asking men if they have ever been pregnant).
2. Matrix questions - Identical response categories are assigned to multiple questions. The questions are placed one under the other, forming a matrix with response categories along the top and a list of questions down the side. This is an efficient use of page space and respondents’ time.
3. Scaled questions - Responses are graded on a continuum (example : rate the appearance of the product on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most preferred appearance). Examples of types of scales include the Likert scale, semantic differential scale, and rank-order scale (See scale for a complete list of scaling techniques.).
4. Closed ended questions - Respondents’ answers are limited to a fixed set of responses. Most scales are closed ended. Other types of closed ended questions include:
* Dichotomous questions - The respondent answers with a “yes” or a “no”.
* Multiple choice - The respondent has several option from which to choose.
5. Open ended questions - No options or predefined categories are suggested. The respondent supplies their own answer without being constrained by a fixed set of possible responses. Examples of types of open ended questions include:
* Completely unstructured - For example, “What is your opinion of questionnaires?”
* Word association - Words are presented and the respondent mentions the first word that comes to mind.
* Sentence completion - Respondents complete an incomplete sentence. For example, “The most important consideration in my decision to buy a new house is . . .”
* Story completion - Respondents complete an incomplete story.
* Picture completion - Respondents fill in an empty conversation balloon.
* Thematic apperception test - Respondents explain a picture or make up a story about what they think is happening in the picture

Question sequence

* Questions should flow logically from one to the next.
* The researcher must ensure that the answer to a question is not influenced by previous questions.
* Questions should flow from the more general to the more specific.
* Questions should flow from the least sensitive to the most sensitive.
* Questions should flow from factual and behavioural questions to attitudinal and opinion questions.
* Questions should flow from unaided to aided questions
* According to the three stage theory (also called the sandwich theory), initial questions should be screening and rapport questions. Then in the second stage you ask all the product specific questions. In the last stage you ask demographic questions.

Ref: http://www.answers.com/topic/questionnaire-construction

Army selection

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/astmp98/eb14.htm

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/docs/astmp98/index.html

Some relevant website

1. Navigation among conditional questions and answers in computer and network based questionnaires

2. Multidimensional data request


3. Police discretion and elder mistreatment A nested model of observation, reporting, and satisfaction

Participant observation

Source: http://uk.geocities.com/balihar_sanghera/qrmparticipantobservation.html


Qualitative Research Methods: Participant Observation

We shall discuss the historical roots of participant observation, its practice, and its analysis. Finally, we shall discuss some criticisms made of this method.

The history of participant observation

Participant observation has a quite distinct history from that of the positivist approach to research. Positivist researchers employing questionnaires and surveys assume that they already know what is important. In contrast, participant observation makes no firm assumptions about what is important. This method encourages researchers to immerse themselves in the day-to-day activities of the people whom they are attempting to understand. In contrast to testing ideas (deductive), they may be developed from observations (inductive).

In the Chicago School of participant observation and research, there are two intellectual traditions.

Pragmatism: this emphasises that social life is not fixed, but dynamic and changing. Therefore, if people’s social lives are constantly changing, researchers must participate in it, and record their experiences of those transformations, their effects on people, as well as their interpretations. Here, knowledge comes from experience and undertaking detailed inquiries. It is important to participate in the social relations and seek to understand actions within the context of an observed setting, as people act and make sense of their world by taking meanings from their environment. As such, researchers must become part of that environment for only then can they understand the actions of people who occupy and produce cultures. This technique is least likely to lead researchers imposing their own reality on the social world they seek to understand.

Formalism: this argues that while social relationships may differ from each other, they take forms that display similarities. In this way, researchers explore the typicality of relations and events. Formalism is also concerned with the way in which particular social and cultural forms of life emerge. Researchers are encouraged to stroll in order to understand the flux of social life in which the individual self is also subject to change. For example, to stroll or walk through the city to observe people’s sense of fashion.

The above ideas are combined with another strand of thought:

Naturalism: this proposes that, as far as possible, the social world should be studied in its ‘natural state’ undistributed by the researcher. According to this view, people are busy interpreting and acting within a social world infused with meaning. The process of learning behaviour is argued to be absent from other forms of research such as questionnaires which captures only a static snapshot of people’s attitudes. In contrast, participant observation is defined as a process in which a researcher establishes a many-sided and long-term relationship with individuals and groups in their natural setting, for the purposes of developing a scientific understanding of those individuals and groups. Ethnography leads to an empathic understanding of social science – it leads to researchers abandoning their preconceptions as they are exposed to a new social milieu that demands their full engagement.

However, the Chicago tradition does not dictate the nature of participant observation, as other perspectives frequently use the same method, or combine it with other methods. To be sure, the distinction between qualitative and quantitative social research is not as clear-cut as many researchers would like to claim. For instance, qualitative researchers often resort to the language of quantification in their work, and quantitative surveys tap into questions of meaning and must understand people’s frames of reference, and so have a qualitative dimension to their design and interpretation. In other words, numbers may equally appear in the representation of ethnographic studies, while there is a central ethnographic component to successful survey work.

In addition, participation observation has been used in conjunction with Marxist perspectives on factory work and urban development, realist perspectives on organisations and racism, and feminist perspectives on employment practices and household relations.

To sum up, there are three positive aspects of participant observation:

* it is least likely to lead researchers to impose their own reality on the social world;
* it seeks to understand action: as to how and why practices and relations change;
* observers record their own experiences in order to understand the cultural universe which their researched subjects occupy (subjective experiences), and convey these observations to a wide audience (from field-notes) within the (theoretical) context of explaining their data.

The practice of participant observation

On first glance, participant observation appears to be just looking, listening, generally experiencing, and writing it all down. However, it is the most personally demanding and analytically difficult method of social research to undertake. It requires researchers to spend a great deal of time in surrounding within which researchers may not be familiar (e.g., factory floor or bank office); to secure and maintain relationships with people with who, they have little personal affinity (e.g., criminals and market traders); to take a lot of notes on what appears to be everyday mundane happenings (e.g., people’s body language and speech patterns, and their arrival and departures); to possibly incurring some personal risk in their fieldwork (e.g., accidents at work); and to spend months of analysis after the fieldwork, analysing field-notes and diaries. Nevertheless, to those who are prepared and willing, it is also one of the most rewarding methods which yields fascinating insights into people’s social lives and relationships (e.g., the social world of factory workers or gang members).

We shall examine the role of the researcher, access to site and data, being flexible, writing field-notes, and adequacy of observations.

The researcher’s role

The ethnographer is the instrument of data collection. Ethnographers gather data by their active participation in the social world; they enter a social universe in which people are already busy interpreting and understanding their environments. One method involves getting close to the people, sometimes living among them (as anthropologists do). In adopting this form of study, it does not follow that researchers comprehend the situation as though it were uncontaminated by their social presence. For this reason, naturalism is regarded as dishonest by denying the effect of the researcher on the social scene. On the contrary, the aim of understanding is actually enhanced by considering how they are affected by the social scene, what goes on within it and how people, including themselves, act and interpret within their social situations.

In doing ethnography, engagement is used to an advantaged. In the process, ethnographers explicitly draw upon their own biographies in the research process; e.g., having been personally and politically engaged as part of an ecological group before deciding to analysing it. This is an example of reflexivity. It implies that the orientations of researchers will be shaped by their socio-historical locations (e.g., rural areas), including the values and interests (e.g., religious and cultural norms) that these locations confer upon them. What this represents is a rejection of the idea that social research is, or can be, carried out in some autonomous realm that is insulated from the wider society, and from the particular biography of the researcher.

There are four roles of field research that assist in the process of analysing field notes:

* Complete participant: the researcher employing this role attempts to engage fully in the activities of the group or organisation under investigation. Their role is also covert (hidden) for their intentions are not made explicit (e.g., a researcher investigating a racist or fascist organisation). Among its advantages, it is agreed to produce more accurate information and an understanding not available not available by other means.
* Participant as observer: the researcher adopts an overt (open) role, and makes their presence and intentions known to the group. Despite traditional concerns with ‘establishing rapport’ or ‘going native’, for many researchers, this view of scientific inquiry has been subjected to scrutiny and criticisms. The researcher often becomes a ‘fan’ or supporter, though this does not mean attempting to act as one of the group – for instance, in studying prostitution, it does not entail being a prostitute.
* Observer as participant: the researcher moves away from the idea of participation. This usually involves one-visit interviews, and calls for relatively more formal observation (e.g., ownership and structure of a firm, rather than its internal practices and norms) than either informal observation or participation. Here, there is a possibility of mis-understanding as it is more of an encounter between strangers that does not utilise the strengths of time in the field, so unable to understand the rules, roles and relationships.
* Complete observer: the researcher is uninvolved and detached, and merely, passively records behaviour at a distance (e.g., a researcher sitting in a classroom, making observations of pupils and their teacher).

Access

Participant observation does not simply mean ‘hanging around’. To become part of a social scene and participate in it requires that the researcher be accepted to some degree. This period of ‘moving into’ a setting is both analytically and personally important. For the researcher, it is important to regard the normal as unfamiliar – i.e., to make familiar strange; e.g., people’s shopping habits and routines should be seen as strange and challenged. Further, in negotiating access into a social setting or organisation (say, village community or corporate firm), the researcher should be aware of power relations (say, gendered and clan relations or management-worker relations) within the setting.

Initial reactions to researcher’s presence can cause a sense of personal discomfort, but this tells the researcher a great deal about relations and concerns of people, and should be recorded and not regarded as personal problems or weaknesses. For instance, senior managers may challenge a researcher in order to protect or promote their vested interests, and ensuring their point of view in the final research report.

Utilising flexibility

One of the main advantages of participant observation is its flexibility. Fieldwork is a continual process of reflection and alteration of the focus of observations in accordance with analytic developments. It permits researchers to witness people’s actions in different settings and routinely ask themselves in myriad of questions concerning motivations, beliefs and actions. For instance, initially, a researcher may explore relationship between market traders and customers, and then gradually change to examine the nature of state regulation of market places and bazaars.

In addition, participant observation often employs the unstructured interview as a routine part of its practice. These two methods are compatible: observation guides researchers to some of the important questions they want to ask the respondent, and interviewing helps to interpret the significance of what researchers are observing.

The decision as to when to withdraw from fieldwork may be taken when there is theoretical saturation – when observations no longer serve to question or modify the theories generated from earlier observations.

Fieldnotes

The data logging process is often regarded as boring (sometimes taking up three hours in a day in writing the fieldnotes in a daily journal), but if the researcher lacks any personal emotional attachment to the concerns of the research, the quality of the project and, even its completion, may be jeopardised. The quality of the project relies not only upon emotional commitment but also on the quality of the researcher’s observations, fieldnotes and analytical abilities.

In recording their observations, researcher use exercise books with wide margins on the left-hand side to enable to highlight particular observations of interest, to make analytic notes, and to remind themselves to investigate an event or relationship in more depth or to read other literature on a topic which relates to an observation.

There are three rules to note-taking:

* to take notes to familiarise oneself with the social setting and the people within it;
* one’s theoretical interests ought to guide one’s observations, and, in turn, modify and alter those interests – it is impossible and undesirable to record everything;
* minimise the time from observations to full notes to maintain good recall.

While the nature of relationships is noted, the order and setting in which events unfolded are important to record. Over time, a picture is constructed of the roles, rules and relationships between people. In addition, a particular short-hand, abbreviations, notions and filing system will emerge. Whatever the short-hand and filing system are used, it is important to ensure consistency, clarity and accessibility in recording and storing data.

Subjective adequacy

In writing notes, it is felt that something is missing, or the observations are too selective or too general. There are six indices to subjective adequacy to enhance the understanding of the setting, and ensure validity of the research:

* time: the more time that the observer spends in a setting, the greater the adequacy (i.e., understanding, interpretation and meaning) achieved;
* place: concentration on a physical setting ensures greater consistency, relevance and understanding;
* social circumstances: the more varied the observers’ opportunities to relate to a social group and milieu in terms of status, role and activities, the greater the depth;
* language: the more familiar the researcher is with the language (includes culture) of a social setting, the more accurate will be the interpretation;
* intimacy: the greater the personal involvement with a social group and milieu, the greater the understanding of and feeling for meanings and actions;
* social consensus: the greater the mutual and shared understanding between the observer and the researched, the better the interpretation.

The analysis of observations

There are four stages of analysis whose overall aim is the categorisation of collected data within the context of a developed theoretical framework.

* To select and define problems, concepts and indices (e.g., inequalities, social classes, class mobility, wages and status). Once established, observed phenomena are then placed within a theoretical framework (say, theory of market inequality) for further investigation.
* A check on the frequency and distribution of phenomena (e.g., percentage of sample population in different social classes). This means to see what events and relations are typical and widespread. It is at this point that the distinction between qualitative and quantitative work breaks down (but not between good and bad research).
* The construction of a social system model; i.e., moving from substantive to formal theory, and the need to make broader links in observational studies (e.g., social class tensions and mobility in other parts of society). In analysing different contexts (say, various households, communities, and/or places), the researcher can then move to more formal theory composed of abstract categories (say, Marx’s theory of class). Assisting in this stage of analysis is the use of units. A unit is a tool to use in scrutinising the data. Types of unit include ‘class’, ‘status’, ‘practices’, ‘roles’, ‘relationships’, ‘organisations’, ‘settlements’, etc. Each of these different units may have different questions asked of them by the analyst. Here, the development of an analytic framework during fieldwork renders the data both manageable and intelligible.
* The withdrawal from the field to a final analysis and write-up. Both distance and time are needed for reflection and analyse of the data. No matter how well the data are analysed, the results must be presented and communicated in a way that is both persuasive, well argued and accessible to the audience, demonstrating the authenticity of the descriptions and their analyses.

Writing ethnography

There are several points to writing up the fieldwork:

* The researcher has to maintain a focus on the topic, and continually ask the question, ‘What is this really a study of?’ However, a mixed-up early draft is no cause for shame. Rather, it shows the researcher what its earlier choices were, and what ideas, theoretical viewpoints and conclusions it had already committed itself to before it began writing. There will be many drafts, and the process of writing is one of discovery, not presentation.
* Much of the data must be rejected as the researcher focuses on the topic.
* The researcher will lack much evidence, but there is little that can be done since the researcher cannot claim to know everything.
* The researcher can write in the first person (viz. ‘I’), but must not be overdone.
* The researcher can illustrate analytic points by using specific instances from fieldnotes.
* Always consider the audience for whom the text is written – so improving its clarity and accessibility.
* Brevity is essential to writing, and inherent in this is the process of correcting, adding, revising and editing. Having a supportive and knowledgeable friend or supervisor is equally necessary to make useful suggestions.

Issues of participant observation

We have characterised the method of participant observation as compatible with several perspectives (e.g., realism, feminism, Marxism and positivism). Nevertheless there are several criticisms:

* The issue surrounding data production as mediated by the researcher is not peculiar to participant observation, but as it relies so heavily upon the researcher’s powers of observation and selection, then it is directly reliant upon their abilities. It is possible that researchers will omit a whole range of data in order to confirm their own pre-established beliefs, leaving the method open to the charge of bias.
* The observation of small-scale settings leaves it open to the charge that its findings are local, specific and not generalisable: it lacks external validity. This may be countered arguing that the observed social scene is ‘typical’ and adopting a realist perspective on reality.
* Naturalism often becomes translated as positivism by concentrating upon the production of data about the social world whose validity is based upon it being untainted or uncontaminated by the medium of its collection. Hence, the emphasis on ‘going native’ or ‘getting close to the people’. Yet, to produce untainted data is a myth. To be sure, observations are always theory-laden, so trying to reach a natural setting is questionable. There is a constant interaction between theory and data.
* There are practical limitations to participant observation. It demands that researchers spend time with relatively small groups of people in order to understand fully the social milieu that they inhabit. It is poor, however, at dealing with large-scale cases such as large organisations or national economies.

1