About 40 minutes, plus time to prepare your own interview. By the end of this lesson you will be able to
decide what you want to learn from an interview
plan and conduct an interview using open questions, rapport and active listening
record what you learn and use it responsibly in your profile
An interview with an organization's leader fills gaps that public sources leave, clarifies points you are unsure about, and lets you check whether your analysis represents the organization fairly. Interviews also build trust, and they affect your reputation and the organization's.
Draft as much of Parts 1 to 7 as you can first, so your questions target real gaps. Then ask yourself three questions.
Where in the organization are you looking? Internal questions cover decisions, values, leadership and operations. Task environment questions cover donors, partners, communities and local officials. General environment questions cover laws, politics, the economy and culture.
What kind of relationship interests you? You might explore power, accountability, dependency, trust, or conflict and tension.
Which part of the organization's work? You might ask about inputs such as funding and staff, processes such as planning and management, outputs and the change it seeks, feedback from communities, or how it adapts.
Leaders tend to present their organization in a good light, so treat the interview as one source among several, and check key claims against documents where you can.
Request the interview in writing. Explain that it is for a learning project, how long it will take (30 to 60 minutes is typical) and how you will use the information.
Send your main questions in advance, so the leader can prepare documents or figures.
Ask permission to record, and agree on whether the leader can be named or quoted.
Build rapport first. Match the leader's tone, use their words and terms, acknowledge their values and be professional and friendly. Then move from broad opening questions to more focused ones, then to specific probing questions, and close with a reflective question. This funnel keeps the conversation natural while reaching the details you need.
Listen actively. Paraphrase to check your understanding ("Can I check if I have this right?"), reflect feelings ("It sounds as if that was difficult. Can you tell me more?"), summarize, and allow silence, which often brings the most thoughtful answers. Watch for non-verbal signs, such as hesitation or animation, that show where to follow up.
Near the end, summarize your main findings and ask whether anything is inaccurate or missing. Thank the leader and ask whether you may follow up with clarifying questions.
Write up your notes within a day or two, and complete the interview record in Part 8 of the template. Update the parts of your profile that the interview changed, and cite the interview as a source. Where the leader's view differs from public sources, record both and explain how you weighed the evidence.
Read this short interview between a student and the leader of an NGO that supports girls' education in rural Nepal. List as many problems as you can, then open the answers.
Student. Okay, let's just get started. So, um, what does your NGO do again?
Leader. We work to promote access to education for girls in rural districts by providing scholarships, and we advocate with the government for more funding for girls' education.
Student (interrupting). Right, so how do you get your money? Is it all just foreign donors?
Leader. Well, we do get support from international partners, but we also...
Student. Okay, cool. So how do you know your programs actually work? Is there any real proof?
Leader (after a pause). We have monitoring reports and evaluations. We also work closely with schools and...
Student. Okay. So how many people work for you? Do they get paid?
Leader. Yes, we have a team of 18, and...
Student. Wow, that's a lot. Anyway, I think that's enough. Thanks, I guess.
The student did no preparation and asks what the NGO does. There is no introduction, no explanation of the purpose and no request for consent to record or quote. The student interrupts repeatedly, and the questions are closed or leading, such as "Is it all just foreign donors?", which sounds like an accusation. There is no follow-up asking why or how, so the leader never gets to explain their reasoning, challenges or pride in the work. The tone is transactional, like filling in a form, and the interview ends abruptly, without a summary, thanks or a request to follow up.
A better opening shows that you have prepared and invites a story, for example "Thank you for meeting me. I have read about your girls' education program, and it sounds really impactful. Could you tell me how it started?" Follow-ups such as "How has the program changed since then?" and "How do you know whether it is making a difference?" invite the leader to tell the story in their own words.
Part 8 of the project template, Interview with the organization's leader, which includes suggested questions for each part of the profile and an interview record.
A good interview is prepared, respectful and curious. Ask open questions about real gaps, listen closely, check claims against documents, and close by testing your findings with the person who knows the organization best.