Pexel Research Services has developed and maintains a comprehensive battery of Quality Control (QC) protocols for all projects, compliant with ISO 20252, and with MRS and ESOMAR Codes and Guidelines.

During the set-up of the project, the questionnaire will be re-checked at Pexel while it is programmed into the CATI software (NEBU), for sense, interviewer instructions, and question routing. Initial queries will be drawn up at the programming stage and then the questionnaire is checked by an additional three staff members (Project Manager, Project Supervisor and Quality Control (QC) Auditor). The questionnaire is also tested in-house using role-play to determine if questions can be misconstrued, or to identify responses not anticipated in pre-coded questions. Where this process raises any queries or issues, these will be referred back to the client for clarification or decision making.

Pexel telecom infrastructure includes a Mitel 3300 MXE Telephone System and Retell Call Analyser Pro.

Fieldwork QC includes live listening to interviewers and ongoing plausibility and validity tests on data; as well as an array of checks for bias, flat-lining, question-specific non-response, and respondent fatigue. All telephone interviews are audio recorded (subject to respondent permission) for quality control purposes.

The Project Supervisor and Team Leaders listen live to calls to ensure interviewers’ complete adherence to all parts of the introductory script and questionnaire. All telephone interviewers are evaluated throughout the fieldwork period, using a scorecard covering all aspects of their interview. The evaluation is based either on supervisory live listening or via audio recordings of the interview. A minimum of ten per cent of interviews from each interviewer are evaluated and documented.

Pexel’s internal project management platform generates a number of documents, including checklists for each phase of a project. Each project has a project plan detailing milestones, resources required, current progress, QC schedule, project specification changes, client flags (e.g. respondent complaints), and additional bespoke metrics where required. The Fieldwork Auditor audits projects for compliance at routine intervals. There is a daily management meeting for all projects, supplemented by additional weekly meetings in relation to data processing, sampling, resource allocation and QC. All management at Pexel has experience in frontline telephone interviewing, and attend knowledge/learning meetings with other departments to understand the project cycle in its entirety.