If there is a lack of certainty on the exposure period necessary for key outcomes to develop, a small tracking survey is a low-cost alternative ahead of a full follow-up survey to understand effect levels and flag key factors to inform the household survey instrument. As land literature is in its infancy, it is not always clear when key effects will be realized, especially amid a rapidly changing environment—in Mongolia’s case rapid urban economic growth. Conducting a small, focused survey on a subset of the sample, or engaging in qualitative data collection ahead of a larger household survey, can help inform the best time for data collection and identify key issues. However, in the future, clear guidance should be given on how this tracking data should be analyzed, documented, and distributed. In the Special Hashaa Plot Survey case, the tracking data and related analysis was treated as interim data and an interim results report, respectively.
Lesson Learned