FGI employs a team at its head office in Johannesburg that reviews and controls the quality of its research data. The field teams synchronize their mobile devices to transfer interview data electronically (via GPRS) to the FGI server in Johannesburg. This electronic data collection and delivery method allows the quality control team to review research data in real-time, discarding interviews that do not meet the FGI quality standard and communicating corrective actions back to the interviewers in field. The team looks specifically at the quality of open-ended type responses. The team also reviews the duration for every interview record as well as the GPS co-ordinate plotting the location of the interview.
To verify the data collected, selected questions in every survey are flagged to be audio recorded during the interview session. Every audio recording file is electronically submitted (with its interview data file) and then verified by the quality control team that a valid interview was being conducted. In addition to its 100% verification process, the team conducts telephonic back-checks with randomly selected respondents from every survey in accordance with ESOMAR guidelines.