Live Online Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course
Live online, instructor-led · next cohort Nov 16, 2026 · from USD 800
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.
At a Glance
How Live Online Training Works
Live online training, led by a trainer in real time, for participants anywhere.
More about live online training →- Format
- Live online, instructor-led
- Duration
- Mon - Fri (5 Days)
- Fee
- USD 800 (KES 80,000)
- Next start dates
- Nov 16, 2026, Dec 14, 2026, Jan 11, 2027
- Certificate
- Certificate of Completion
- What you need
- A computer with a reliable internet connection, a webcam and a headset
About this course
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.
Training Objectives
After the training, participants will 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.
- Build, test and deploy electronic forms using KoboToolbox and ODK.
- Train and supervise enumerators and apply quality control during fieldwork.
- Apply informed consent and data protection practices when collecting personal data.
- Clean, validate and document survey data before analysis.
What you'll learn
Key Takeaways
Participants complete the programme with:
- A working questionnaire built as an electronic form and tested on a device.
- A sample size calculation and sampling plan for their own study.
- An enumerator training outline with practice exercises.
- A field quality control checklist, including back-check procedures.
- A data cleaning log and codebook template.
- A consent script and data protection checklist.
Training Methodology
The programme is laboratory-led and mirrors a real survey assignment:
- Guided practice building forms on laptops, with tablets for testing
- Peer pilots where participants interview each other and fix errors
- Sample datasets with deliberate errors for cleaning practice
- Role play for enumerator training and consent conversations
- Feedback clinics on each participant's own questionnaire
Day 1: Planning Data Collection
- From information needs to research questions and indicators
- Primary versus secondary data and choosing methods
- Survey types: cross-sectional, panel and rapid assessments
- Ethics, consent and data protection principles
- Drafting a data collection plan and budget
- Exercise: framing a survey objective
Day 2: Sampling and Questionnaire Design
- Population, sampling frames and unit of analysis
- Probability sampling: simple, stratified and cluster
- Sample size calculation and design effect
- Question types, wording and response scales
- Avoiding bias, leading and double-barrelled questions
- Exercise: drafting a questionnaire
Day 3: Building Mobile Forms
- Overview of KoboToolbox, ODK and alternative platforms
- XLSForm structure: survey, choices and settings sheets
- Skip logic, constraints and calculations
- Repeat groups, GPS, photo and barcode capture
- Translating forms and testing on Android devices
- Lab: building a household survey form
Day 4: Fieldwork Management
- Recruiting and training enumerators
- Piloting and revising the tool
- Device management, offline use and syncing
- Supervision, spot checks and back-checks
- Managing refusals, replacement and field risks
- Practice: mock interviews and role play
Day 5: Data Quality, Cleaning and Reporting
- Downloading and exporting submissions
- Checking for duplicates, outliers and missing values
- Data cleaning in Excel and a short introduction to scripted cleaning
- Codebooks and metadata documentation
- Secure storage and sharing of survey data
- Summarising results and writing a methods note
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
- Humanitarian assessment and information management staff
Participants who attend every session and complete the lab work are issued with a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.
Choose Where You Want to Learn
Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course Venues
KenyaNairobiNext Nov 9· 13 dates$1,500- KenyaMombasaNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,600
- KenyaNaivashaNext Nov 2· 13 dates$1,500
- KenyaKisumuNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,500
- KenyaMachakosNext Nov 2· 13 dates$1,600
UgandaKampalaNext Nov 2· 13 dates$1,900
RwandaKigaliNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,900
TanzaniaArushaNext Nov 9· 13 dates$1,900- TanzaniaDodomaNext Oct 26· 13 dates$1,800
- TanzaniaDar es SalaamNext Oct 26· 13 dates$2,000
- TanzaniaZanzibarNext Nov 16· 13 dates$2,600
NigeriaLagosNext Nov 16· 13 dates$2,800- NigeriaAbujaNext Nov 9· 13 dates$2,800
South AfricaPretoriaNext Nov 2· 13 dates$3,200- South AfricaJohannesburgNext Nov 2· 13 dates$3,400
- South AfricaCape TownNext Oct 26· 13 dates$3,800
UAEDubaiNext Oct 26· 13 dates$3,800
GhanaAccraNext Nov 16· 13 dates$4,500
Scroll sideways to see all 18 cities →
Frequently Asked Questions About Live Online Applied Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course
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 November 16, 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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