Survey results are only as reliable as the questions, samples and field procedures behind them, and paper forms or badly built mobile forms waste both money and credibility. Over five days you learn to plan a data collection exercise from first research question to clean dataset. You write clear questions and skip logic, choose between probability and non-probability samples, calculate sample sizes and plan household or facility listing. Practical labs then build forms in KoboToolbox and ODK, using constraints, calculations, repeat groups, GPS and photo capture, and deploy them to Android tablets.
Field sessions cover enumerator recruitment, training and supervision, pre-testing, quality control checks, consent and data protection. You finish by downloading submissions, cleaning and checking them in Excel and an introduction to R or Stata style workflows, and writing a short methods note. Research officers, monitoring and evaluation staff, statisticians, programme coordinators, academics and consultants who run surveys will find it relevant. The programme is offered in classroom cities, online and in-house, with a CPD-accredited certificate.
Organisations in every sector rely on primary data to target services, measure results and make the case for funding. Yet surveys are routinely undermined by ambiguous questions, unrepresentative samples, untrained enumerators and data that arrives late and full of errors. Mobile data collection tools have lowered the cost of doing it well, provided teams know how to use them properly.
This applied programme walks through the whole survey process. Participants start by turning information needs into research questions and indicators, then select a design and sampling strategy and write a questionnaire that respondents can understand. They then learn to build and test electronic forms, manage servers and devices, and plan fieldwork logistics, including enumerator training, supervision and back-checks. The final sessions cover cleaning, validating, documenting and securely sharing the dataset, and presenting initial results.
Most of the time is spent on laptops and tablets. Every participant builds a working survey form, runs a pilot with colleagues, and leaves with a data collection plan and sample tool kit for the next assignment, including a checklist for common problems in the field.
After the training, participants will be able to:
Participants complete the programme with:
The programme is laboratory-led and mirrors a real survey assignment:
Day 1: Planning Data Collection
Day 2: Sampling and Questionnaire Design
Day 3: Building Mobile Forms
Day 4: Fieldwork Management
Day 5: Data Quality, Cleaning and Reporting
The training is practical for anyone who plans or runs data collection exercises, such as:
Participants who attend every session and complete the lab work are issued with a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.
Upcoming cohorts
CPD-Accredited
Official invoice & confirmation letter provided
Team discount for 3+ seats
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Everything you need to know about this course before you register.
By the end of the Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools programme, you'll be able to translate information needs into research questions, indicators and a data collection plan, write clear, unbiased questions and structure a questionnaire with logical flow, select a sampling approach and calculate sample sizes for household and facility surveys, and build, test and deploy electronic forms using kobotoolbox and odk. The full breakdown of topics is covered session by session in the Course Outline tab above.
The training is practical for anyone who plans or runs data collection exercises, such as: Monitoring, evaluation and learning officers, Research assistants and research coordinators, Statisticians and data officers in government and NGOs, Programme and project coordinators, Academics and postgraduate students, Market research and baseline survey consultants, Health, education and agriculture field supervisors, and Humanitarian assessment and information management staff.
Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course typically runs as 5 Days. It's available as in-person classroom, live virtual, and in-house corporate training — every course can also be delivered on-site for your team on dates that suit you.
Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course is scheduled in-classroom in Nairobi, Kenya, Mombasa, Kenya, Naivasha, Kenya, and Kisumu, Kenya, and 14 other locations, plus a live interactive virtual classroom you can join from anywhere. Check the schedule panel above for exact upcoming dates and fees in each location.
The next live virtual cohort of Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools starts October 19, 2026, with new classroom cohorts also running on a rolling basis. Pick a date and location in the schedule panel above, then click "Register for the Course" — it takes a few minutes and your seat is confirmed once payment or a signed purchase order is received.
Yes — delegates who meet the attendance requirement receive a Certificate of Completion for Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course from Vision Reach Global Consultancy, issued in the name you register with, so double-check the spelling at checkout.
Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course is pitched at intermediate professionals. If you're unsure whether it's the right fit for your current role or background, message our training advisors before you register and they'll help you confirm.
Fees for Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course vary by delivery location and format and are shown in real time in the schedule panel above once you pick a date. Register 3 or more delegates on the same course together and a 5% team discount is applied automatically — larger cohorts can request a custom corporate quote.
Yes — Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course can be delivered on-site at your offices (or virtually for distributed teams), with case studies and examples tailored to your industry and the specific challenges your team is working through. Switch to the "In-House" tab in the schedule panel above to request a proposal.
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