CSPro Data Collection and Management Training Course

Duration 10 days 18 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Survey Managers, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-DA-058

Before you join: Participants should understand the structure of a questionnaire, including questions, response codes, skip instructions and identifiers.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Poorly designed collection instruments create missing values, duplicate records, invalid skip patterns and delayed reporting. CSPro is widely used for censuses, household surveys, agricultural studies, humanitarian assessments and administrative data collection because it combines structured dictionaries, controlled data entry, field logic, validation and data export. Teams need more than a working questionnaire: they need a maintainable application, clear field procedures, secure file handling and evidence that records have passed defined quality checks.

This course teaches participants to design, build and manage CSPro data collection applications. Participants create dictionaries, value sets, rosters and forms; write CSEntry logic for skips, required responses and cross-field checks; configure batch edits; prepare Android data collection; and export cleaned data for analysis. The course also covers version control, operator workflows, synchronization, paradata, error review and recovery procedures. Participants learn how to translate a paper questionnaire or indicator matrix into a tested digital instrument that produces analysable data.

Instruction combines short technical briefings with guided builds, case work and structured review of completed applications. Cases reflect household surveys, monitoring projects and administrative registers. Participants work from the first week on a practical collection application and progressively add validation, field controls, reporting and management procedures. They leave with a tested CSPro application package, data dictionary, validation specification, field deployment plan and quality-control checklist that can be adapted for a live project.

The course suits professionals who design surveys, supervise field data collection, manage monitoring systems or prepare datasets for analysis. It is particularly relevant where data must be collected consistently across multiple interviewers, sites or devices.

What you will be able to do

  • Design a CSPro dictionary with identifiers, records, items, value sets and occurrences
  • Build CSEntry forms that reflect questionnaire flow and interviewer data-entry needs
  • Write CSPro logic for skips, required fields, range checks and cross-item validation
  • Configure Android and desktop data collection applications for controlled field use
  • Apply batch editing procedures to identify, classify and correct data-quality errors
  • Manage application versions, synchronization files and secure field data transfers
  • Export validated CSPro data into analysis-ready CSV, Stata and SPSS formats
  • Produce a tested CSPro data collection package with deployment and quality-control documentation

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Build deployable digital questionnaires without relying on external programmers
  • Diagnose skip, range and consistency errors before field deployment
  • Prepare cleaner datasets for reporting, evaluation and statistical analysis
  • Document collection applications for handover, maintenance and audit review
  • Supervise CSPro field teams using defined error-resolution procedures

For your organisation

  • Reduce transcription errors through coded responses and automated validation
  • Shorten time from field collection to analysis-ready data delivery
  • Standardise questionnaire versions across enumerators, locations and collection rounds
  • Improve auditability through documented edits, error logs and release procedures
  • Retain reusable CSPro assets for recurring surveys and monitoring cycles

Course modules

18 modules over 10 days

Participants can explain CSPro components and map a collection project from questionnaire to exported dataset.

  • CSPro dictionaries, forms, logic and data files within one application package
  • Collection workflow from questionnaire specification through field release and data export
  • Desktop CSEntry, Android CSEntry and batch applications compared by purpose
  • Identifiers, cases and records as the basis of CSPro data structures
  • Project folders, file extensions and dependency management for controlled releases
  • Roles of questionnaire designer, programmer, supervisor, interviewer and data manager

Participants can convert a paper questionnaire into a structured CSPro data model.

  • Questionnaire-to-dictionary mapping using identifiers, sections, repeats and coded responses
  • Unit of observation defined before creating household, person or facility records
  • Response domains documented with codes, labels, missing values and constraints
  • Roster questions modelled as repeating records with defined maximum occurrences
  • Derived variables separated from directly collected questions during instrument design
  • Questionnaire specifications reconciled with indicator definitions and reporting requirements

Participants can create and document a CSPro dictionary that supports valid data capture.

  • Dictionary items created with names, labels, lengths and decimal positions
  • Value sets configured for categorical responses, special codes and labels
  • Numeric ranges defined for dates, quantities, percentages and plausible limits
  • Record types assigned for household, individual and repeated-section structures
  • Item occurrence rules matched to roster size and questionnaire sequencing
  • Dictionary notes maintained for definitions, assumptions and change history

Participants can build CSEntry forms that support efficient and accurate interviewer entry.

  • Forms generated from dictionary structures before layout and navigation refinement
  • Question labels rewritten for screen display without changing response meaning
  • Field order aligned with interviewer script, respondent flow and roster sequence
  • Protected fields used for calculated values and supervisor-controlled identifiers
  • Rosters displayed using repeating forms and meaningful row labels
  • Visual prompts placed near complex questions, units and response instructions

Participants can write basic CSPro logic to control entry and validate individual responses.

  • PROC blocks used to place logic at field, record and level events
  • IF statements applied to conditional checks and interviewer messages
  • Numeric comparisons test permitted ranges and logical response boundaries
  • Required-response checks distinguish valid nonresponse codes from blank values
  • errmsg statements provide specific correction instructions for interviewers
  • Logic comments explain rule purpose, source and intended maintenance action

Participants can program branching rules that direct users through eligible questionnaire sections.

  • skip statements move users past inapplicable items and sections
  • Eligibility criteria coded from age, sex, location and prior responses
  • Roster-driven loops repeat person-level questions for selected household members
  • Section entry controlled through household status and respondent eligibility
  • End-of-module checks prevent incomplete routes before leaving a section
  • Flow diagrams used to test every major questionnaire pathway

Participants can implement consistency checks and calculated values across related questionnaire items.

  • Cross-item checks compare dates, quantities, totals and related responses
  • Age calculations derived from birth date and interview date
  • Household totals reconciled against roster counts and member characteristics
  • Lookup tables assign classifications from coded location or programme values
  • Warning messages distinguish review prompts from data-entry blocking errors
  • Validation rules traced to questionnaire requirements and data-quality standards

Participants can test a CSPro application systematically and document defects before release.

  • Test cases cover valid entries, boundary values, skips and invalid combinations
  • Synthetic cases created for complete, partial and contradictory interviews
  • Boundary-value analysis tests minimum, maximum and adjacent numeric values
  • Defects logged with reproduction steps, expected result and actual result
  • Regression testing repeated after dictionary, form or logic changes
  • Acceptance criteria confirmed before authorising pilot or production deployment

Participants can configure and supervise a controlled desktop CSEntry data-entry process.

  • Data entry applications configured with operator identifiers and startup settings
  • Case management procedures assign forms, track completion and prevent duplication
  • Add, modify and verify modes selected for defined operator tasks
  • Double-entry comparison identifies discrepancies between independently entered records
  • Operator instructions address missing documents, corrections and escalation routes
  • Daily production logs capture volumes, exceptions and unresolved validation issues

Participants can prepare a CSPro application for Android-based field data collection.

  • CSEntry Android deployment packages built from tested application files
  • Device settings configured for date, language, storage and screen behaviour
  • Offline collection workflows planned for remote or intermittent-connectivity locations
  • Interviewer menus restricted to appropriate cases, forms and functions
  • Test devices used to verify layout, rosters and error messages
  • Device handover records document application version, operator and asset identifier

Participants can create field procedures that align CSPro controls with collection operations.

  • Enumerator assignments defined by geography, workload, language and collection period
  • Supervisor review points scheduled before synchronization and case closure
  • Call-back procedures record unresolved items, reasons and planned follow-up
  • Consent statements, respondent identifiers and sensitive fields handled appropriately
  • Daily field protocols specify backups, charging, storage and incident reporting
  • Escalation matrices assign responsibility for technical, ethical and data issues

Participants can manage CSPro synchronization workflows and resolve common transfer failures.

  • Synchronization architecture distinguishes client devices, servers and shared data repositories
  • CSWeb deployment options assessed against connectivity, hosting and access requirements
  • User accounts and permissions assigned according to fieldwork responsibilities
  • Incremental synchronization schedules balance timeliness, cost and connectivity constraints
  • Conflict resolution procedures address duplicate cases and competing record updates
  • Transfer logs reviewed for failed uploads, delayed devices and unusual volumes

Participants can protect collection data and maintain traceable application releases.

  • Data minimisation applied when designing identifiers, contact fields and sensitive questions
  • Role-based access limits application editing, case review and data extraction
  • Release registers record version numbers, changes, approvals and deployment dates
  • Backup schedules protect application files, dictionaries and collected data
  • Secure transfer procedures define encryption, passwords and approved storage locations
  • Retention rules distinguish working files, final datasets and archived source records

Participants can build batch edits that identify and classify errors in collected CSPro data.

  • Batch applications open CSPro data files without interactive data entry
  • Edit reports classify range, skip, consistency and duplicate-case errors
  • PROC GLOBAL logic stores shared constants, functions and edit parameters
  • Frequency checks reveal unexpected codes, missing values and rare categories
  • Error flags distinguish automatically correctable issues from manual review cases
  • Cleaning logs document corrections, justifications, reviewer and completion status

Participants can produce CSPro tabulations and operational reports for data-quality management.

  • CSPro tabulation applications define tables, universes and output formats
  • One-way frequencies monitor completeness, distributions and invalid code patterns
  • Cross-tabulations identify inconsistent relationships between key questionnaire variables
  • Enumerator-level summaries compare productivity, missingness and error rates
  • Daily dashboards specify indicators, thresholds, owners and corrective actions
  • Outlier review combines statistical flags with supervisor and field context

Participants can export validated CSPro data with documentation suitable for downstream analysis.

  • Export specifications select records, items, formats and output filenames
  • CSPro data converted to CSV, Stata and SPSS-compatible files
  • Variable labels and value labels checked after each export
  • Multiple-record files reshaped using documented household and person identifiers
  • Missing-value conventions aligned between CSPro and analysis software
  • Data dictionaries accompany extracts with definitions, codes and derivation notes

Participants can maintain a CSPro application through revisions without compromising collected data.

  • Change requests assessed for questionnaire, logic, database and reporting effects
  • Impact analysis identifies affected forms, skips, exports and test cases
  • Version branching separates pilot fixes from approved production releases
  • Migration procedures protect existing cases when dictionary structures change
  • Reusable question libraries preserve tested codes, rules and wording
  • Handover packs include source files, test evidence and operating procedures

Participants can build, test, review and present a complete CSPro collection package for a defined data requirement.

  • Project brief translated into a dictionary, forms and collection workflow
  • CSEntry logic implemented for eligibility, skips, ranges and consistency checks
  • Test dataset prepared with valid, incomplete and contradictory cases
  • Batch edit and quality report configured for supervisor review
  • Deployment plan specifies devices, synchronization, roles, backups and release controls
  • Peer review tests application acceptance criteria and records corrective actions
  • Final presentation explains design decisions, risks, controls and export outputs

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. CSPro questionnaire specification template
  2. Tested CSPro dictionary and CSEntry application
  3. Validation rules and test-case register
  4. Field deployment and synchronization plan
  5. Batch-edit and data-quality reporting model
  6. Application release and handover checklist

Who should attend

  • Survey Managers — need controlled instruments and dependable field-data workflows
  • Monitoring and Evaluation Officers — need valid indicator data from distributed collection teams
  • Data Managers — need repeatable procedures for cleaning, versioning and exporting datasets
  • Research Officers — need digital questionnaires with defensible validation rules
  • Field Coordinators — need to deploy, supervise and recover CSPro collection applications
  • Statistical Officers — need structured microdata ready for tabulation and analysis

Skills and tools covered

CSPro dictionary designCSEntry logic programmingSurvey form constructionData validation rulesField data managementBatch data editing

Tools and standards

CSPro, CSEntry, CSWeb, SPSS

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings followed by guided CSPro builds, case-based design decisions and peer review of instruments. Participants convert sample questionnaires into dictionaries, forms and logic, then test records containing realistic errors. Group activities cover field workflows, release control and data-quality escalation. Simulated collection and synchronization scenarios show how application decisions affect field teams and data managers. Each participant prepares an application plan for a current or planned collection project and receives structured feedback against defined acceptance criteria.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should understand the structure of a questionnaire, including questions, response codes, skip instructions and identifiers. Experience using spreadsheets to review data is useful, as is familiarity with the subject matter of a survey or monitoring form. Participants should be comfortable working with files, folders and basic Windows settings. Prior CSPro programming, database administration, statistical modelling and mobile application development are not required. The course introduces CSPro logic from first principles, but participants should be prepared to read and test simple conditional statements.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should understand questionnaire structure, response codes and basic file management. No prior CSPro programming or mobile application development is required.

Bring a Windows laptop if possible, along with a paper questionnaire, indicator matrix or collection form from your work. Training materials and sample data are provided, and participants can use supplied cases where no current project is available.

It suits survey managers, monitoring officers, research staff, field coordinators and data managers responsible for structured collection. It is appropriate for teams working with household surveys, facility assessments, programme monitoring or administrative records.

This course focuses on creating and managing valid data at the point of collection using CSPro. General analysis courses usually focus on statistical methods, dashboards or programming after a dataset has already been prepared.

You can convert an existing questionnaire into a tested CSPro instrument, improve validation rules or document a field deployment process. The templates can also support application maintenance, supervisor review and data handover.

The first part covers dictionaries, forms, logic and testing, with participants building working components early. The later sessions cover Android deployment, synchronization, quality management, exports and a final capstone build and presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

Related courses in Data Analytics