Internships & first jobs · 2 min read
Community field work in Uganda: practice a respectful survey and handover
Learn to explain your role, ask permission and keep a fictional field record without exposing someone's personal information.
Community-facing positions can involve explaining a programme, collecting approved information and passing questions to a supervisor. The Joint Clinical Research Centre identifies field community engagement among the areas in which placement trainees may learn. That does not mean that everyone is eligible for a placement or that a particular role is currently open. This practice exercise is created by Work.co.ug. It is not the centre's research protocol or an actual hiring test.
Practise your introduction
With a friend acting as a participant, introduce yourself and explain why you are asking questions in one or two sentences. Ask whether they are willing to continue. For practice, use a fictional community-cleanup survey and do not collect real personal data.
If someone declines, thank them and end the exercise. In real work, follow the organisation's approved consent, safeguarding and privacy procedures; a practice script cannot replace them.
Ask neutral questions
Compare “What time would be convenient for a meeting?” with “Morning is best, isn't it?” The first leaves room for different answers. Listen without promising that every request can be met. If the answer is unclear, ask a respectful follow-up rather than changing it.
Make a useful handover
Record an invented summary: meeting date, general topic, actions agreed and questions for a supervisor. Avoid including private names, addresses or health details in examples shared with an interviewer.
Check the role before applying
Read the employer's own description for travel, languages, qualifications, reporting arrangements and whether a role is paid. Field officer, research assistant and volunteer are not interchangeable titles. Ask how safety and supervision work and do not pay someone who promises selection.