Request for Participation for Food Consumption Survey as an Interviewer
1. Background
The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate is looking for Interviewers to assist
in the collection of dietary recall data for an ongoing National Food Consumption Survey
(NFCS) which is currently being undertaken by the Directorate.
2. Project Description
The project is related to the collection of data during the National Food Consumption Survey
for Malta. The Survey is being conducted using standardised electronic software (GloboDiet)
to facilitate 24-hour dietary recall interviews. Each interview will be carried out face-to-face
with survey participants in their homes. Interviewers also carry out height, weight and waist
circumference measurement.
The project is expected to last until December 2016.
3. Job Description
a. Successful applicants will be expected to undertake the following duties and
responsibilities:
i. Be available for conducting interviews during all days of the week including
Sundays where necessary
ii. Contact allocated survey participants to set up an appointment for each
interview
iii. Conduct the first interview of the allocated batch of interviews within four weeks
iv. Respect all deadlines set by the directorate
v. Ensure that the information collected is of good quality
vi. Undergo training on the use of GloboDiet and anthropometric weight, height
and waist measurement prior to commencement of the survey.
vii. Be available for refresher training at regular intervals during the survey
viii. Duties include data cleaning and uploading to a central database after each
interview, hence a home internet connection is required.
ix. Applicants will work closely with fellow team members to ensure that data of
high quality is collected
b. Working hours
The number of hours that applicants will be expected to work per week is negotiable
and may vary depending on the stage of implementation of the project.
Applicants should be ready to work at least 10 hours a week (40 hours per month).
Interviews will be conducted by appointment in the participants’ homes during or
outside of office hours at a time mutually agreed upon with study participants.
Interviews are expected to last around one hour, with additional time allocated for data
cleaning and uploading onto a central server. A minimum of two interviews per week
will be completed by each interviewer.
Interviewers will be expected to be available for work between 1st June 2016 and 31st
December 2016. The Directorate reserves the right to terminate the employment if
interviews are not conducted to its satisfaction.
c. Training
Interviewers will be required to attend training and briefing sessions.
3. Applicant Requirements
Applicants are required to:
a. Have good communication skills in Maltese and English
b. Be willing to install and use the GloboDiet software (provided and installed by the
directorate) on his/her own laptop for use during fieldwork. Minimum laptop
specifications are outlined below. A home internet connection is also required.
c. Make use of their own car/ transport means to conduct home visits
Successful applicants will be expected to work accurately and independently, showing
flexibility and perseverance in their approach to interviewing. Possession of adequate
knowledge of Maltese food habits and dietary traditions will be considered an asset. A science
background, and good computer skills are desirable.
4. Minimum Laptop specifications
The minimum system requirements to run the EPIC-Soft application are:
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Intel or compatible Pentium III
Windows XP/Windows 7/Windows 8 or higher
At least 512 MB of Ram
600 MB of available hard disk space
15” screen with a resolution of 1024x768 or higher
Apple/Mac laptops are not compatible with GloboDiet
5. Remuneration
Interviewers will be remunerated at the all-inclusive rate of €40 per completed set of
interviews. For the purposes of the Directorate, a completed set of interviews refers to
successful completion of two 24-hr dietary recall interviews with the same participant, spaced
4-6 weeks apart. This rate includes, inter alia, all costs incurred by the interviewer in contacting
interviewees as well as transport costs. Payment will only take place upon successful
completion of both assigned interviews and may be withheld, in part or in full, if the assignment
is terminated prior to the successful completion of the assigned interviews. Upon completion
of 10 good quality sets of interviews, the remuneration rate will increase to €45 per completed
set of interviews.
6. The selection procedure
Applicants are requested to express their interest in joining the project and submit a copy of
their curriculum vitae to the following email address by May 25th 2016:
fcsm.meh-health@gov.mt
Applicants will be contacted again in June with the intent of starting the selection process and
immediately undergoing training. Applicants may be required to attend an interview during the
selection process.
Instructions to Applicants :
Expressions of interest should include the following information:
o
Full name and surname
o
Postal Address;
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Contact Telephone Number / Mobile Number & Fax Number,
o
Email Address