Question

Which of the following survey techniques is the one most suitable, for gathering information on garbage collection method from households in a slum area?

• A. Sample household survey
• B. Key informant interviews
• C. Focus Group Discussions
• D. Observation

Hint:

Data Scale Rule: When a planning objective requires clear data about domestic household logistics (like water use, sanitation habits, or garbage collection methods), choose Sample Household Surveys. It is the only approach that delivers verifiable quantitative data from the primary family unit.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: Socio-economic research and urban municipal management require selecting the correct social data collection method based on the target population and data requirements:
• Quantitative/Granular data (such as finding the exact percentage of families utilizing municipal trucks, dumping waste in open drains, or practicing composting) requires collecting data directly from the primary units of consumption: individual households.

Step 1: Assessing the value of a Sample Household Survey.
A municipal solid waste management plan needs accurate, localized data on household behavior. By employing a Sample Household Survey, researchers visit randomly selected domestic dwellings across a slum area to complete structured questionnaires. This provides granular data on:
• Real-world frequencies of garbage disposal per home.
• The percentage of households paying informal waste pickers.
• Real-world storage practices within cramped informal layouts. This granular information can then be statistically scaled up to accurately represent the entire neighborhood.

Step 2: Evaluating the limitations of the other methods.

• Key Informant Interviews: Involves speaking to a few community figures (like local leaders or NGO workers). While excellent for gaining high-level historical overviews, it cannot capture the diverse day-to-day garbage habits of thousands of individual families.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGD): Group debates that clarify community opinions and cultural attitudes. However, they do not provide the precise, quantitative household metrics needed to dimension a municipal truck fleet or container placement.
• Observation: Useful for verifying visible illegal open dumping sites, but it cannot tell researchers where individual households dispose of their waste throughout the day or confirm participation in collection services. Hence, the sample household survey remains the most suitable method to collect household-level waste management data.