Mobile Data Collection, Mapping and Analysis with ODK and KoboToolbox Training Course

Duration 10 days 18 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Monitoring and Evaluation Officers, Programme Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-ME-148

Before you join: Participants should be comfortable using spreadsheets, managing files and working with structured tables.

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

Humanitarian and development programmes depend on timely, credible field data to track results, identify service gaps and account for resources. Paper forms, poorly structured digital questionnaires and unverified location data can delay reporting, introduce errors and weaken decisions. Teams need forms that work offline, enforce data-quality rules, protect respondent information and produce datasets ready for analysis and mapping.

This course teaches participants to design, deploy and manage mobile data-collection workflows using ODK and KoboToolbox. Participants develop XLSForms with relevant questions, constraints, skip logic, repeat groups, calculations, media capture and GPS points. They configure KoboToolbox projects, prepare devices, manage enumerator workflows, monitor incoming submissions and apply data-quality checks. The course also covers cleaning exports, calculating monitoring indicators, creating maps in QGIS and interpreting spatial patterns for programme decisions.

Teaching combines concise technical briefings, guided software demonstrations, realistic monitoring cases and structured group work. Cases reflect common development and humanitarian assignments, including beneficiary registration, post-distribution monitoring, needs assessments, health-facility assessments and WASH infrastructure mapping. Participants build a complete mobile survey and associated analysis products throughout the course. They leave with a tested XLSForm, deployment and fieldwork plan, data-quality protocol, cleaned dataset structure and mapped indicator outputs suitable for adaptation to their own programme.

The course suits monitoring, evaluation, research, programme and information-management personnel who need to collect field data directly or supervise teams that do. It is particularly useful for staff working in locations with intermittent connectivity, dispersed field teams and reporting requirements from donors, government counterparts or programme leadership.

What you will be able to do

  • Design mobile data-collection workflows aligned with monitoring questions, indicators and respondent safeguards
  • Build validated XLSForms using question types, relevance logic, constraints, calculations and repeat groups
  • Configure KoboToolbox projects, user roles, deployment settings and offline data-collection procedures
  • Manage enumerator preparation, device configuration, fieldwork controls and submission monitoring
  • Apply data-quality checks to identify missing values, duplicates, outliers and inconsistent records
  • Clean and structure KoboToolbox exports for indicator calculation and repeatable analysis
  • Create QGIS maps from GPS-enabled survey data using appropriate classification and labelling methods
  • Produce and present a complete ODK or KoboToolbox data-collection, analysis and mapping package

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Build deployable KoboToolbox and ODK forms without relying on external form developers
  • Diagnose common mobile data-collection errors before they compromise fieldwork
  • Produce location-based programme maps from GPS-enabled survey submissions
  • Improve credibility when discussing data quality with managers, donors and partners
  • Create reusable XLSForm components for future assessments and monitoring rounds

For your organisation

  • Reduce transcription errors and reporting delays caused by paper-based field forms
  • Standardise digital questionnaires, validation rules and enumerator instructions across projects
  • Improve early detection of incomplete, duplicate or implausible field submissions
  • Generate mapped evidence for targeting, coverage analysis and management decisions
  • Retain reusable form, quality-control and analysis assets after staff training

Course modules

18 modules over 10 days

Participants can translate a monitoring requirement into a structured mobile data-collection workflow.

  • Results frameworks translated into measurable data-collection questions and variables
  • Indicator reference sheets defining numerators, denominators, disaggregation and frequency
  • Unit of analysis selected for households, facilities, individuals or sites
  • Survey workflow mapped from form design through reporting and archiving
  • Cross-sectional, longitudinal and repeated monitoring designs compared for programme use
  • Data dictionaries linking variable names, labels, codes and indicator definitions

Participants can select and configure an appropriate ODK or KoboToolbox workflow.

  • ODK ecosystem components: XLSForm, Collect, Central and compatible servers
  • KoboToolbox project structure, asset library, deployment and data tabs
  • KoboCollect and ODK Collect compared for Android field collection
  • User accounts, project permissions and enumerator access controls configured
  • Server, device and form roles defined through responsibility matrices
  • Offline-first workflows planned for intermittent connectivity and delayed synchronization

Participants can build consent and protection controls into mobile data-collection plans.

  • Informed consent scripts structured for voluntary participation and withdrawal
  • Data minimisation applied to personally identifiable and sensitive information
  • Do-no-harm assessment for questions involving protection and vulnerability
  • Role-based access limits applied to identifiable survey records
  • Device security procedures covering screen locks, storage and loss reporting
  • Retention schedules and secure deletion rules documented before deployment

Participants can create a functional XLSForm with correctly structured survey, choices and settings sheets.

  • Survey, choices and settings worksheets structured using XLSForm conventions
  • Question types selected for text, integers, decimals, dates and geopoints
  • Choice lists built with stable codes and respondent-facing labels
  • Required fields applied only where missing responses prevent valid analysis
  • Field labels written in clear, neutral and locally appropriate language
  • Form identifiers configured using title, form_id and version settings

Participants can prevent invalid entries and tailor questions through XLSForm logic.

  • Relevance expressions show questions only when respondent answers require them
  • Constraint expressions prevent impossible ages, dates and numeric quantities
  • Constraint messages explain acceptable values without directing respondent answers
  • Calculate fields derive totals, ratios, dates and classification categories
  • Read-only fields display preloaded information without field editing
  • XLSForm functions tested using realistic boundary and error cases

Participants can structure complex household and facility forms using logical sections and repeat groups.

  • Field-list groups organize short interview sections on mobile screens
  • Repeat groups capture multiple household members, commodities or observations
  • Indexed-repeat functions retrieve values from linked repeat records
  • Relevance logic manages conditional sections within repeat groups
  • Question appearance settings improve usability for long enumerator forms
  • Household roster structures tested for completeness and respondent burden

Participants can configure location and evidence capture appropriate to field conditions.

  • Geopoint questions capture latitude, longitude, altitude and accuracy values
  • GPS accuracy thresholds defined for infrastructure and service-location mapping
  • Image, audio and file questions managed with informed consent controls
  • Barcode scanning configured for asset, voucher and sample identification
  • Metadata reviewed for start time, end time and device identifiers
  • Offline basemaps and submission procedures planned for remote deployments

Participants can test, correct and release mobile forms without disrupting field operations.

  • Test cases cover normal paths, skip paths and invalid entries
  • Preview testing identifies layout, label and device-display problems
  • Pilot submissions reviewed against intended datasets and indicator requirements
  • Form versions managed using documented changes and release dates
  • Backward compatibility assessed before modifying deployed questionnaires
  • Issue logs assign defects, owners, severity and resolution status

Participants can deploy a KoboToolbox project with appropriate settings and user access.

  • XLSForms uploaded, validated and converted into KoboToolbox project assets
  • Project settings configured for deployment, data access and submission editing
  • Draft, deployed and closed project states controlled for field operations
  • User permissions assigned for enumerators, supervisors and data managers
  • Collection links and QR codes prepared for managed device distribution
  • Deployment records document version, users, locations and collection dates

Participants can prepare a practical fieldwork plan for mobile data collection.

  • Enumerator briefing plans cover objectives, consent, devices and escalation
  • Sampling instructions distinguish selected respondents from replacement procedures
  • Device allocation registers track custody, charging and return status
  • Daily team schedules include travel, interview targets and synchronization windows
  • Supervisor check-ins define verification, correction and safeguarding responsibilities
  • Contingency plans address connectivity failure, security incidents and device loss

Participants can configure Android devices and manage complete offline collection cycles.

  • Server settings entered through QR configuration and manual connection methods
  • Blank forms downloaded, updated and verified before field departure
  • Saved drafts managed when interviews pause or require supervisor review
  • Completed forms finalized only after enumerator review of key responses
  • Submission queues synchronized through available mobile or wireless connections
  • Android troubleshooting resolves permissions, storage, GPS and form-download errors

Participants can monitor incoming submissions and apply timely corrective actions.

  • Completeness checks identify missing records, sections and mandatory variables
  • Timeliness metrics compare expected, received and overdue field submissions
  • Duplicate detection uses respondent identifiers, timestamps and location patterns
  • Outlier rules flag improbable ages, quantities, durations and coordinates
  • Enumerator performance summaries distinguish training needs from possible falsification
  • Query logs record findings, corrections, approvals and unresolved exceptions

Participants can convert KoboToolbox exports into analysis-ready datasets and repeat tables.

  • CSV, XLSX and media exports selected for analysis and archive needs
  • Main submissions and repeat tables linked using parent submission identifiers
  • Variable labels, codes and missing-value conventions documented for analysts
  • Data cleaning logs record transformations, corrections and source justification
  • Date, text and numeric fields standardized before indicator calculation
  • De-identification procedures remove direct identifiers from shared analysis files

Participants can calculate and interpret monitoring indicators from cleaned mobile data.

  • Frequency tables examine coverage, response patterns and categorical distributions
  • Disaggregation matrices compare results by sex, age, location and vulnerability
  • Numerator and denominator checks validate percentage and rate calculations
  • Missing-data profiles distinguish nonresponse, inapplicability and collection errors
  • Trend tables compare monitoring rounds using consistent indicator definitions
  • Interpretation notes separate observed findings from unsupported causal claims

Participants can prepare GPS-enabled survey data for accurate mapping in QGIS.

  • Coordinate reference systems explained through geographic and projected coordinate models
  • WGS 84 GPS coordinates checked before importing mobile survey locations
  • CSV survey exports converted into point layers using latitude and longitude
  • Attribute tables reviewed for field types, nulls and duplicate records
  • Administrative boundary layers matched to current reporting geography and sources
  • Spatial joins link survey points with districts, catchments or service areas

Participants can produce clear thematic maps that communicate programme findings accurately.

  • Graduated symbols display counts, rates and proportional indicator values
  • Choropleth classifications compared using quantiles, equal intervals and natural breaks
  • Map labels prioritize readable place names, facilities and critical findings
  • Symbology choices distinguish categorical services from continuous measurement values
  • Print layouts include titles, legends, scale bars, sources and dates
  • Accessibility checks improve colour choices for print and screen viewing

Participants can use basic spatial analysis to identify geographic patterns and service gaps.

  • Buffer analysis estimates populations and facilities within service-access distances
  • Distance measurements compare respondent locations with health or distribution points
  • Spatial filters isolate records within targeted administrative or hazard areas
  • Density patterns assessed cautiously against population and sampling coverage
  • Coverage gaps identified by combining service points, boundaries and survey results
  • Map interpretations document limitations from GPS accuracy and sample design

Participants can build, review and present a complete mobile data-collection, analysis and mapping package for a programme scenario.

  • Monitoring question converted into indicators, variables and respondent eligibility rules
  • XLSForm built with validations, relevance, repeats, consent and GPS capture
  • KoboToolbox project configured with deployment settings and user permissions
  • Fieldwork plan specifies enumerators, devices, quality checks and escalation routes
  • Exported dataset cleaned and analysed using documented indicator calculations
  • QGIS map produced with appropriate symbology, layout and interpretation notes
  • Peer review assesses usability, ethical controls, data quality and reporting fitness

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

What you take back to work

  1. Tested XLSForm survey template
  2. KoboToolbox deployment checklist
  3. Enumerator fieldwork and device plan
  4. Data-quality monitoring protocol
  5. Indicator calculation and cleaning workbook
  6. QGIS thematic map template

Who should attend

  • Monitoring and Evaluation Officers — design reliable digital tools and produce usable monitoring evidence
  • Programme Managers — oversee field data collection and act on timely programme findings
  • Humanitarian Information Management Officers — manage location-linked assessment and response data
  • Field Coordinators — prepare enumerators, devices and controls for distributed fieldwork
  • Research Officers — structure surveys, clean exports and analyse respondent-level datasets
  • GIS Officers — convert survey coordinates and indicators into decision-ready programme maps

Skills and tools covered

XLSForm designKoboToolbox administrationField data qualityMobile survey deploymentQGIS thematic mappingIndicator data analysis

Tools and standards

KoboToolbox, ODK Collect, XLSForm, QGIS

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings followed by guided configuration in KoboToolbox, ODK-compatible XLSForms and QGIS. Participants work through programme cases such as household assessments, facility inspections and post-distribution monitoring. Group exercises address indicator translation, form review, enumerator controls, data-quality triage and map interpretation. Simulated fieldwork introduces offline collection, submission review and corrective action. Each participant progressively adapts the methods to a work-relevant data-collection need and receives structured peer and instructor feedback.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should be comfortable using spreadsheets, managing files and working with structured tables. Prior experience with monitoring indicators, surveys, assessments or routine programme reporting is helpful because the course uses realistic field-data scenarios. Participants should understand the purpose of their own organisation's data-collection activities and, where possible, bring an example questionnaire or indicator list. No prior coding, GIS, database administration or ODK and KoboToolbox experience is required. The course introduces XLSForm syntax and QGIS mapping methods from first principles, then progresses to intermediate form logic and analysis.

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 be able to use spreadsheets and work with structured tables. Experience with monitoring, surveys or programme reporting is useful, but no coding, GIS or previous KoboToolbox experience is required.

Bring a laptop capable of running a current web browser and QGIS, plus access to email for creating training accounts. If possible, bring an existing questionnaire, indicator reference sheet or fieldwork problem from your programme.

It is designed for M&E staff, programme teams, researchers, field coordinators, information-management officers and GIS personnel. It suits people who collect data themselves or supervise teams that do.

This course focuses on the operational chain from mobile form design through field collection, quality control, analysis and mapping. General M&E courses focus more broadly on results frameworks and evaluation design, while GIS courses often go deeper into spatial analysis without mobile survey configuration.

Participants can adapt the XLSForm, deployment checklist and quality-control protocol to an upcoming assessment, registration or monitoring round. The methods apply to offline fieldwork, routine reporting and location-based service monitoring.

Training runs for ten days from 08:30 to 16:30, with about 6.5 contact hours each day. The first part builds forms and deployment capability; the later part covers collection management, cleaning, analysis, QGIS mapping and a final capstone 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

More courses in Monitoring & Evaluation

Monitoring & Evaluation Mobile Data Collection Using CommCare Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Monitoring & Evaluation Mobile Data Collection Using ODK and KoboToolbox Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Monitoring & Evaluation Mobile Data Collection Using SurveyCTO Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Monitoring & Evaluation Mobile Data Collection for Monitoring and Evaluation Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Monitoring & Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation for Agriculture Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Monitoring & Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation for Community Projects Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Monitoring & Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation for Development Projects Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov Monitoring & Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation for Donor-Funded Projects Training Course 10 days · from USD 2,200 · next 16 Nov