Programme decisions are only as good as the data behind them, and weak questionnaires, biased samples or untrained enumerators quietly ruin both. Paper forms add delays, transcription errors and lost files. Five days take beginners through the full path from research question to clean dataset. You learn to define indicators, choose between quantitative and qualitative methods, write unambiguous questions, pre-test instruments and select samples using simple random, stratified and cluster approaches.
Most of the practical time is spent on digital collection: building forms in KoboToolbox and ODK with skip logic, constraints and GPS capture, deploying them on smartphones and tablets, working offline, syncing and monitoring submissions. Sessions on enumerator training, informed consent, data protection and ethics keep fieldwork responsible. Finally, you export, clean and summarise data in Excel. Monitoring and evaluation officers, programme staff, research assistants, enumerators and supervisors, statisticians and students from NGOs, government and universities will find it useful. Choose classroom, online or in-house delivery and receive a CPD-accredited certificate. Afterwards you can plan and run a small survey end to end.
Surveys and routine monitoring feed almost every funding report, evaluation and policy decision in the development sector. When data are collected badly, the consequences travel a long way: wrong baselines, targets that cannot be verified and findings that donors and communities do not trust. Moving from paper to mobile collection can improve speed and quality, but only if the underlying design is sound.
The Fundamentals of Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course gives newcomers a complete, practical foundation. Participants start with research questions, indicators and data sources, and compare methods such as household surveys, key informant interviews, focus groups and observation. They then learn the craft of questionnaire design, including question types, wording, response options, ordering, translation and pre-testing, followed by sampling basics, sample size thinking and bias.
The second half of the course is a digital workshop. Participants program forms in KoboToolbox and ODK, test them on devices, manage a mock field team, check incoming data for errors and prepare datasets for analysis. Principles of consent, confidentiality and safe data storage run throughout. Participants finish with a tested form and a field data collection plan they can reuse on live projects.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Participants complete the course with:
This is a learn-by-doing course for beginners, so lectures are brief. The approach uses:
Day 1: Planning Data Collection
Day 2: Designing the Questionnaire
Day 3: Sampling and Qualitative Tools
Day 4: Mobile Data Collection Tools
Day 5: Fieldwork Management and Data Quality
The course is a good starting point for anyone who collects or manages data in the field, such as:
Participants who attend all sessions and complete the questionnaire and digital form exercises will be awarded 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 Fundamentals of Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools programme, you'll be able to translate a research or monitoring need into clear questions and indicators, choose suitable quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, write clear, unbiased questionnaire items and pre-test them, and apply basic sampling methods and recognise sources of bias. The full breakdown of topics is covered session by session in the Course Outline tab above.
The course is a good starting point for anyone who collects or manages data in the field, such as: Monitoring and evaluation officers and assistants, Programme and project officers in NGOs and government agencies, Research assistants and survey enumerators, Field supervisors and data managers, Statisticians and planning officers, Graduate students conducting fieldwork, Community development and health programme staff, and Staff of donor-funded projects responsible for baseline and endline surveys.
Fundamentals of 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.
Fundamentals of 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 Fundamentals of Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools starts October 12, 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 Fundamentals of 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.
Fundamentals of Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course is pitched at beginner 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 Fundamentals of 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 — Fundamentals of 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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