Organizing Sections

Organizing your questionnaire into sections helps create a clear structure for responders and improves the quality of feedback you receive.

A well-organized questionnaire is easier to complete and produces more meaningful results.

What are Sections?

Sections are used to organize related questions within a questionnaire, making it easier for responders to understand and complete. There are two types of sections:

Competency Sections – Used to assess a leader’s competencies, skills, and behaviors.

General Section (optional) – Used to collect information that is not intended to evaluate competencies or behaviors.

Competency Sections:

Each Competency Section represents a specific competency, skill, or area being evaluated. Grouping related questions under a clear heading creates a logical questionnaire structure and helps responders focus on one topic at a time.

A questionnaire usually includes a few Competency Sections. Examples of Competency Section headings include:

• Communication
• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Problem Solving

Each Competency section should focus on one skill or competency being evaluated. Within that section, include numeric rating questions that assess the behaviors that define that skill. A Competency Section typically contains several rating questions that assess behaviors related to that competency, followed by an optional narrative comment question where responders can provide additional feedback.

General Section (optional):

A General Section is used to collect information that is not directly related to competencies or behaviors. It can also be used to provide instructions or other information that applies to the questionnaire as a whole.

Examples of items you might include in a General Section are:

• Demographic questions
• Project-specific or organizational questions
• General comments

How to Organize Your Questionnaire

Use Clear and Descriptive section headings

Competency section headings should clearly identify the skill or competency being evaluated. For example: Communication, Leadership Effectiveness, Collaboration.

Avoid vague, generic, or overly technical labels.

Create a Logical Flow

Arrange Competency sections in a sequence that feels natural. For example:

• Start with general competencies
• Move into more specific or role-based areas
• End with broader or reflective topics

Keep Sections Balanced

Avoid sections that are too long or too short.

Try to distribute questions evenly so that no single section feels overwhelming.

Tips for Organizing Sections

• Keep the number of sections manageable
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Avoid overlapping topics across sections
• Ensure each section has a clear purpose
• Think from the responder’s point of view

Why Organization Matters

Organizing your questionnaire properly:

• Makes it easier for responders to understand
• Improves the flow of the questionnaire
• Reduces confusion and fatigue
• Helps produce clearer and more consistent responses
• Makes reports easier to interpret

Reviewing Your Structure

Before launching your project, review:

• Whether sections are clearly defined
• Whether questions are grouped logically
• Whether the flow makes sense from a responder’s perspective

Previewing the questionnaire can help identify areas for improvement.