Mobile Data Collection For M E Using Odk And Kobo Toolbox

Introduction

Data collection and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) have always been an integral part of development work. In the past, these tasks were performed with paper and pen, which made them prone to error, difficult to conduct on a large scale, and high in transaction costs.

ICT tools such as mobile devices and software that allows users to create surveys, collect, manage and upload data to storage facilities in real-time, have reduced the conventional challenges associated with remote data collection and M&E.

If you have always wanted to learn how to collect, manage and analyze project data using mobile devices, this training course is for you. This training course also comes with additional M&E and GIS Topics to help participants put the skills acquired into perspective. The GIS Topic will help participants work with spatial data.

Course Objectives

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

  • Understand ICT tools and methods to conduct data collection, statistical analysis and reporting
  • Gather data for project/programme using innovative Mobile data gathering tools.

Duration: 5 Days

Target Audience

The course targets government representatives, project teams, NGOs, multi and bilateral development organizations, consultancies, etc, who work as M&E specialists, project managers, researchers and technical specialists.

Course Content

Topic I: Introduction to the course

  • Refresher to M&E
  • Refresher to ICT
  • Introducing mobile data collection system architecture
  • Introducing common mobile based data collection tools, techniques and platform.
  • Mobile data collection benefits
  • Mobile data collection challenges
  • Best Practices.

Topic II: Introducing Survey Authoring/Digitization

  • Introduction to xls forms syntax for survey authoring – Digitizing questionnaires for ODK using xls forms.

Intermediate Survey Authoring/Digitization

  • Intermediate survey authoring: Digitizing questionnaires for ODK using xls forms.

Topic III: Advanced Survey Authoring/Digitization

  • Advanced survey authoring: Digitizing questionnaires for ODK using xls forms.
  • Questionnaire logic.
  • Troubleshooting Xls forms
  • Conversion of xls forms to XML
  • XML forms validation

Topic IV: Survey Data Hosting

  • Apps Engine Account set up
  • ODK aggregate server in a cloud server set up.
  • ODK Collect for Mobile data collection set up.
  • Uploading XML forms to ODK Aggregate
  • Management of hosting platform quota.
  • Data Visualization and analysis using ODK Aggregate.
  • Analysis by downloading/extracting data from ODK Aggregate.
  • Calibration of mobile device for data collection.
  • Management of field data collection.

Mobile Data Collection Using KoBo Toolbox

  • Using web-based interface to digitize questionnaires
  • KoBo Toolbox for hosting data
  • Mobile data collection using KoBo Collect set up
  • Calibration of mobile device for data collection.
  • Data Visualization and analysis using KoBo Toolbox.
  • Downloading/extracting data for analysis.

Topic V (GIS)

  • Spatial Mapping
  • Introducing GIS
  • Working with Spatial data (GPS Coordinates)
  • Introducing the Fusion Table
  • Exporting GPS Coordinates (Google maps) to Fusion tables
  • Using QGIS to export data to Fusion tables
  • Conversion of data to shape files
  • Platform choice
  • Platform choice discussion
  • Integration of tools of Mobile Data Collection into projects.