What is Key Informant Interview?
A Key Informant Interview (KII) is a one-on-one, semi‑structured interview with a person who has specialised knowledge about a community, service or issue. KIIs are used to gather detailed, contextual insights that surveys alone often miss.
A Key Informant Interview is a qualitative research technique: an interviewer uses a flexible question guide to talk in depth with people who know the community, topic or system well — for example community leaders, service providers, front‑line staff or long‑time residents. KIIs are purposive (you choose informants for their knowledge rather than at random) and focus on exploring experiences, barriers, attitudes and local context. They produce rich, explanatory information that helps interpret quantitative data, shape survey questions and reveal issues that one-off surveys or large-scale polling can overlook.
Usage example
A council planning a neighbourhood consultation conducts KIIs with local community centre managers and bilingual teachers to learn which languages people use at home, which terms are sensitive, and how best to announce the consultation — then uses those insights to set up a Hearo survey in the right languages and with clearer consent wording.
Practical application
KIIs matter because they improve the relevance and accessibility of community engagement: they help you choose which languages to offer, craft wording that resonates (and avoids offence), identify hard-to-reach groups, and interpret surprising survey responses. For teams using Hearo, KIIs are a fast way to reduce translation risk (by spotting problematic phrasing before broad translation), increase participation (by tailoring outreach and format) and ensure follow‑up actions are grounded in local realities.
FAQ
How many key informant interviews do we need?
There’s no fixed number — typically teams run 5–15 KIIs for a focused topic until new interviews stop adding major new information. The right number depends on the diversity of the community and how specialised the knowledge is.
How do we choose who to interview?
Select people with direct, relevant knowledge: community leaders, service staff, volunteers, advocacy groups or frequent service users. Aim for a mix of roles, languages and perspectives so you capture different experiences and avoid over‑reliance on a single viewpoint.
Can KIIs replace surveys?
No — KIIs and surveys serve different purposes. KIIs give depth and context; surveys measure scale and prevalence. Use KIIs to design better surveys (for example, to pick languages and phrasing) and to interpret survey findings.
What about language, consent and confidentiality?
Run KIIs in the informant’s preferred language where possible, using trained interpreters if needed. Always get informed consent, explain how information will be used, and anonymise notes or transcripts when reporting. These steps protect participants and improve the reliability of the insights you collect.