Mobile Data Collection Using SurveyCTO Training Course

Participants can design respondent-centred questionnaires that produce usable indicator data.

• Question flow mapped with screening, skips, repeats, and termination logic
• Operational definitions converted into observable questions and response options
• Recall periods, response scales, and neutral wording reduce measurement error
• Translations managed through source text, labels, and enumerator instructions
• Sensitive questions sequenced using privacy, rapport, and risk principles
• Instrument specification records variable names, codes, constraints, and rationale

Participants can create and upload a structured XLSForm to SurveyCTO.

• XLSForm workbook structure: survey, choices, and settings worksheets
• Question types selected for text, numbers, dates, locations, and media
• Relevant names, labels, hints, and required fields configured consistently
• Choice lists built with stable codes and multilingual labels
• Form settings define versioning, submission rules, and instance naming
• SurveyCTO form upload identifies syntax errors before deployment

Participants can build form logic that captures complex field data accurately.

• Relevance expressions control conditional questions using XPath operators
• Calculate fields derive scores, dates, and hidden metadata
• Constraint expressions prevent invalid ranges, dates, and inconsistent entries
• Groups and field-list appearance improve interview flow on mobile screens
• Repeat groups capture household members, facilities, visits, and commodities
• Choice filters restrict lists using prior answers and linked attributes

Participants can configure preventive and detective controls for field data quality.

• Requiredness, constraints, and soft warnings calibrated to field realities
• Range checks and cross-field validations detect implausible responses early
• SurveyCTO quality checks flag duration, location, and enumerator anomalies
• Audit logs preserve question-level edits, timestamps, and user actions
• Field plug-ins collect standardized signatures, barcodes, and structured inputs
• Paradata thresholds define review triggers without penalizing legitimate cases

Participants can test, document and release forms through controlled deployment stages.

• Form versions managed through draft, test, production, and retirement states
• Server folders, naming conventions, and metadata support controlled releases
• User roles separate form design, field access, monitoring, and administration
• Test submissions verify logic, labels, calculations, and export structure
• Deployment checklist confirms devices, assignments, consent text, and support contacts
• Change logs document corrections without corrupting longitudinal data

Participants can prepare mobile devices and manage offline data collection operations.

• SurveyCTO Collect configured with server address, user credentials, and updates
• Blank-form downloads and completed-form uploads managed under intermittent connectivity
• Device preparation covers storage, batteries, time settings, and security
• Enumerator login procedures protect accounts on shared field devices
• Offline submission queues and synchronization failures diagnosed systematically
• Field protocols address lost devices, duplicate submissions, and urgent escalation

Participants can prepare samples and follow-up workflows for controlled respondent management.

• Sampling frame fields prepared for sites, households, participants, or facilities
• Random selection procedures documented using spreadsheet-generated random numbers
• Unique identifiers prevent duplicate interviews and preserve longitudinal linkage
• SurveyCTO cases assign, track, and resolve respondent follow-up work
• Preloaded data populate roster details and reduce enumerator entry
• Replacement rules distinguish ineligibility, refusal, absence, and inaccessible units

Participants can configure datasets to support preloaded records and controlled lookups.

• Server datasets store reference lists, rosters, and controlled lookup values
• Dataset keys designed for reliable matching across forms and rounds
• Lookup fields retrieve assigned cases, locations, and prior responses
• Dataset updates governed by ownership, version control, and refresh schedules
• Preloading protects identifiers while minimizing unnecessary personal data
• Case status fields record contact attempts, outcomes, and next actions

Participants can use submission evidence to monitor coverage, productivity and data quality.

• Submission monitoring combines completion counts, timeliness, and geographic coverage
• Quality-check review queues prioritize high-risk records for follow-up
• Enumerator performance metrics separate productivity from data-quality signals
• Daily field dashboards report progress against targets and sample disposition
• GPS, duration, and audit-log evidence interpreted with contextual caution
• Supervisor feedback loops document corrections, coaching, and reinterview decisions

Participants can apply ethical and security controls to mobile data collection projects.

• Informed consent scripts distinguish voluntary participation, risks, and withdrawal
• Data minimization limits collection to approved monitoring and evaluation purposes
• Personally identifiable information classified before collection, transfer, and retention
• SurveyCTO encryption options matched to project sensitivity and access needs
• Role-based access and account hygiene reduce unauthorized data exposure
• Incident response steps cover breach reporting, device loss, and participant protection

Participants can export and prepare SurveyCTO data for analysis and reporting.

• Export formats selected for Excel, CSV, Stata, SPSS, and R
• Variable labels, value labels, and codes preserved during export
• Repeat groups reshaped into linked tables using parent and child keys
• Cleaning log records corrections, exclusions, queries, and responsible reviewer
• Duplicate detection uses identifiers, timestamps, and matching attributes
• Data quality summaries quantify missingness, outliers, and unresolved queries

Participants can structure collected data for defensible indicator analysis and reporting.

• Indicator calculations reproduce approved numerator, denominator, and disaggregation definitions
• Tabulation plan maps variables to monitoring questions and reporting audiences
• Disaggregation analysis checks sex, age, disability, location, and vulnerability
• Missing-data patterns assessed before interpreting coverage or outcome estimates
• Data visualization selects charts that preserve denominators, uncertainty, and context
• Results narratives distinguish observed findings, limitations, and operational implications

Participants can select advanced SurveyCTO functions for suitable collection workflows.

• Web forms extend collection to remotely reachable respondents and partners
• SMS invitations and links managed with consent and respondent-cost considerations
• Image, audio, and GPS capture configured with purpose-specific safeguards
• Barcode scanning supports asset, commodity, and beneficiary verification workflows
• External integrations planned through SurveyCTO APIs and documented data contracts
• Automated notifications route urgent submissions to designated review staff

Participants can prepare an operational plan for a controlled mobile data collection rollout.

• Data collection plan defines roles, milestones, sample release, and escalation
• Enumerator training agenda covers protocol, device handling, and respondent protection
• Pilot protocol tests comprehension, timing, logic, and operational feasibility
• Standard operating procedures specify supervision, synchronization, and quality review
• Risk register covers connectivity, access constraints, fraud, and data protection
• Closeout plan addresses archiving, retention, destruction, and lessons learned

Participants can build, review and present a complete SurveyCTO mobile M&E data collection system.

• Requirements brief translated into an XLSForm instrument and deployment configuration
• Skip logic, repeats, calculations, constraints, and choice filters implemented
• Dataset and case-management design supports assignment, follow-up, and status tracking
• Quality checks, audit trails, and monitoring thresholds configured for review
• Export schema, cleaning log, and indicator tabulation plan prepared
• Peer review tests usability, data protection, and decision-readiness against criteria
• Presentation defends design choices, risks, and implementation controls