Organisations across Africa depend on household surveys, facility assessments, market studies and beneficiary feedback to steer their work. Yet many collection exercises are undermined at the outset by poorly framed questions, unrepresentative samples and weak supervision, which produce numbers nobody trusts. Mobile technology has made fast, geo-referenced collection possible, but only for teams who know how to set it up and control quality.

The Management of Data Collection, Survey Design & Mobile Tools Training Course takes participants through the lifecycle of a survey. They start by turning a decision problem into research questions and measurable indicators, then choose methods and sampling strategies that match budget and precision needs. Participants design questionnaires, test them, programme them in mobile platforms, and plan fieldwork logistics, training and supervision. The later sessions concentrate on data quality assurance, ethical practice, secure storage and the preparation of analysis-ready files with a proper codebook.

Most of each day is practical. Participants build a complete survey tool, run a mock field test with devices, review the incoming data and correct errors, so that the process is understood from the inside rather than only described.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Translate information needs into research questions, indicators and a data collection plan.
• Choose appropriate sampling methods and calculate sample sizes.
• Write clear, unbiased questions and structure questionnaires with sensible logic.
• Build and test electronic forms using XLSForm.
• Deploy surveys on KoboToolbox or ODK and manage devices, users and submissions.
• Recruit, train and supervise enumerators for consistent fieldwork.
• Apply quality control checks during and after collection.
• Clean and document datasets ready for analysis.

The programme is meant for people who commission, design or supervise data collection, including:

• Monitoring and evaluation officers
• Research officers and survey coordinators
• Statisticians and data managers in public agencies
• Programme managers in NGOs and development projects
• Market research and consultancy staff
• University researchers and postgraduate students
• Field supervisors and team leaders
• Information management officers in humanitarian agencies

Participants return to work with usable outputs, including:

• A sampling plan with a worked sample size calculation.
• A pre-tested electronic questionnaire built in XLSForm.
• A deployed KoboToolbox project with user roles and a test dataset.
• An enumerator training outline and field supervision checklist.
• A daily data quality monitoring sheet.
• A cleaned dataset with a codebook and data management plan.

Sessions run largely in the computer lab and the field simulation space. They are made up of:

• Short technical inputs followed immediately by practice
• Individual build of an electronic questionnaire on a laptop
• A mock field test using tablets or phones across the group
• Review of live test submissions to spot and fix quality problems
• Group critique of each other's questionnaires and sampling plans

Vision Reach Global Consultancy presents a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion to participants who attend all sessions and finish the practical build and field test.