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Ricardo has just started work at RUMFI, the Rural Microfinance Institution. He is about to make his first field visit to meet some existing and potential clients. His supervisor wants him to collect enough information to put together a "balance sheet" and a "profit and loss account" for each one and use these to work out how each business is doing.

Ricardo has not carried out an assignment of this sort before and is relieved to be given the opportunity to watch Stefan, one of his colleagues, when he goes to meet some potential clients in order to gather information about their businesses and financial requirements. As he observes Stefan at work, Ricardo wonders whether he is doing the right things or not. Read through the following list of things that he notices and decide whether you think they are the right or wrong thing to do. Make your choice and then click on the "?" or query button to see if we agree with you.

Stefan sets off without making any appointments in advance. He says micro-business owners have plenty of time.

Right

Wrong

Stefan listens and asks many questions but he also keeps looking around and stopping to inspect things he sees.

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Wrong

Stefan uses a smart official clipboard to take his notes.

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Wrong

Stefan spends quite some time asking about and praising the things the business owners are making and selling.

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Wrong

Stefan works from his head; he does not make a checklist of things to ask because he thinks this will be too inflexible.

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Wrong

Stefan’s interviews take quite a long time, because he stops asking questions while the business owner deals with customers.

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Wrong

Stefan sits down on the ground to talk to people as they work or as they squat beside their goods in the market.

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Stefan goes over the same issues several times, asking information in different ways.

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Wrong

Stefan carries on interviewing even when crowds gather round, almost turning it into a public meeting.

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Wrong

Stefan is able to discuss prices, demand, diseases, regulations, input suppliers, types of machinery and so on for every business he visits, including the small farmers.

Right

Wrong

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