Questionnaire Guide and Reference

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• Questionnaire Guide
• Questionnaire Procedure - Single Dam
• Questionnaire Procedure - Multiple Dams
• Re-opening the Questionnaire Program and accessing an existing Questionnaire
• Questionnaire Information

Questionnaire Guide

Please fill in data to the extent that it is available:

• Unavailable select or type 'Unavailable'
• Does not apply then 'Not Applicable'
• Denied access to certain information, then 'Denied Access'

Do not leave any empty boxes. If no exact figures are available, please give the best estimate and make a note as an comment in the cell provided to you in the electronic version of the questionnaire, or on the last form titled Comments and Clarifications.

1. There are 4 menu options in the questionnaire program: File, Survey, Distribute, Help.
2. Please start by filling in the Settings found under File/Settings. These are crucial to the data that follows. Your questionnaire number, X will be given to you in the e-mail or letter accompanying the questionnaire. These are specific to the each selected dam in the crosscheck survey. If you are commissioned to fill out more than one dam, then you must make sure to change the questionnaire number and details under the Settings menu option before beginning with the new forms. Refer to Multiple Dams below.
3. The Survey menu contains all the questionnaire pages that should be filled in individually. Once you have finished each form or wish to return to it at a later time/date then please save and close each questionnaire form with the button at bottom of form. This will update the data. All forms must be completed and saved even where no information can be collected - refer to opening paragraph of this document.
4. The Distribute menu option allows you to finally build the questionnaire and distribute it to the stiffy disk #2 for posting back to the WCD Secretariat, or for attaching it as an e-mail attachment (preferred option). Please Be Sure That The Questionnaire Is Complete Before Selecting This Option. When clicking the 'Start' button on the distribute form, it will analyse the current status of the cross check questionnaire and assign a 'tick' next to forms that are complete or a 'cross' next to forms that are incomplete. You will need to complete all forms and save them before you will be allowed to distribute the forms.
5. Once all forms are checked, the distribution expert will prompt you to insert the disk #2 (if received by post) or any virus-free blank floppy/stiffy disk into your A drive. Two copies of the questionnaire will then be made. One copy to the disk and a duplicate to the directory on your local machine where the installation files where initially copied to.

   Please post back the floppy/stiffy disk #2 labeled 'Questionnaire Data Output' or any virus-free blank stiffy disk inserted during the distribution process, to:

   Christopher Clarke
   The World Commission on Dams
   PO Box 16002
   Vlaeberg, Cape Town
   8018, SOUTH AFRICA

   In addition, should you have e-mail, then this data file called "X_Distributed.txt" (where X is the questionnaire number assigned to each specific dam, see point 2. above), needs to be attached to a return e-mail to cclarke@dams.org
6. Help menu option allows access to this same document (Questionnaire Guide).

1. You may only fill in one dam at a time until it is complete and has been distributed using the 'distribute' option in the program.
2. After you have selected the 'distribute' option in the program which builds your final database file for that completed dam, you must begin with the new dam questionnaire by first selecting the 'file/settings' menu option and then changing the details to those of the new dam with the different questionnaire number as supplied to you. please note - this change in settings will reset the forms for the new dam information!

If you do not change the questionnaire number, when distributing your completed forms you may overwrite the previous dam's information. This same procedure must be followed for each consecutive dam. All information is stored according to this unique questionnaire number contained in the settings.

When you re-open the Questionnaire Program you will notice that the Settings are blank and that all forms selected under the Survey menu option are blank. This is the default setting. To access an existing incomplete dam questionnaire, do the following:

1. Select File / Settings menu option and fill in exactly the same settings as was initially input the first time, including the unique number given to you for that dam. If you cannot remember this then you can view it using Windows Explorer. Navigate to the path C:\Program Files\Wod and open the file called X_Settings.txt (where X is the questionnaire number used for that dam). The information you input will appear vertically in order (between inverted commas " "). Please copy this exactly into the Settings and select 'Save and Close'.
2. Select Survey from the menu option and open the forms you were busy with. You will see that the existing data will be there for continuation.

Note that the forms only accepts numeric and text answers where required. It will not allow you to input text in numeric fields or visa versa.

The questionnaire has one page for general information, one page each for the topics covered by the study; cost, benefit, irrigation (supplemental), environmental and social aspects, and two pages for descriptive parameters mainly relating to planning and decision-making.

The key question for each topic is how the actual performance compares to the expected performance. The original planning and project documents should be identified and the predicted or planned benefits, costs and impacts of the project should be extracted from those documents. For example: the document upon which the project was approved is likely to include predictions of total costs, expected hydropower output, number of displaced people and so on. These figures should be the baseline data for the questionnaire. In those instances where project plans were changed during the process, we would like you to fill out the questionnaire in a way that make a comparison between the original aim and the actual outcome at completion of the project possible.

The questionnaire covers diverse topics. If there is some topic for which you are not able to answer our questions, please let us know as soon as possible who might be able to assist us with that part.

General Data
This page asks for information that is necessary for identification of the dam and for some general data.

Cost Data
This information should assist in comparing the actual costs with those expected at the time of project planning. Please state what currency the costs are given in and if possible, provide exchange rate tables for local currency to US$ for the period concerned. Year refers to year after start of commercial operation.

Benefit Data
Please fill in planned and actual performance in the areas applicable for your dam. Under Hydropower, Energy refers to average annual generation since commencement of operation. Under Irrigated Agriculture, Intensity refers to the sum of the areas irrigated in different seasons of a particular year, divided by the command area. Water supply is measured at intake.

Irrigation Data
This is a supplemental data sheet, fill it out only if the dam has an irrigation component. Year refers to year after start of commercial operation. Sown area refers to total over the year, for all seasons.

Flood Control
This is a supplemental data sheet, fill it out only if the dam has a flood control component. Year refers to year after commissioning. For economic damage per catastrophic flood event, the amount in US$ must be for the year of the flood event.

Environmental Data
This page asks for qualitative answers to how the environment was either positively or negatively affected by the project. What mitigation measures were planned and how effective were they?

Social Data
Social impacts, especially resettlement. Fill in if applicable to your dam. Costs of resettlement and compensations refers to money actually spent. Please state what currency the costs are given in and if possible, provide exchange rate tables for local currency to US$ for the period concerned.

Decision-Making/Institutional data
The first sheet relates to the planning documents and which a aspects they addressed. The second sheet is about activities completed at the time of the project and about activities that would be required today.

Comments and Clarifications
On this sheet you are welcome to add any comments and clarifications you might have regarding data on the other sheets. For instance if you have two sources with somewhat conflicting data you can put a comment about that here. If the space isn't enough please feel free to continue on another page. If you fill in the electronic form of the questionnaire you can also add comments directly to the data cells.