New developments in data science offer a tremendous opportunity to improve decision-making. In the development world, there has been an increase in the number of data gathering initiative such as baseline surveys, Socio-Economic Surveys, Demographic and Health Surveys, Nutrition Surveys, Food Security Surveys, Program Evaluation Surveys, Employees, customers and vendor satisfaction surveys, and opinion polls among others, all intended to provide data for decision making.

It is essential that these efforts go beyond merely generating new insights from data but also to systematically enhance individual human judgment in real development contexts. How can organizations better manage the process of converting the potential of data science to real development outcomes? This ten days hands-on course is tailored to put all these important consideration into perspective. It is envisioned that upon completion, the participants will be empowered with the necessary skills to produce accurate and cost effective data and reports that are useful and friendly for decision making.

It will be conducted using ODK, GIS, NVIVO and STATA

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of course participants should be able to:

• Understand and appropriately use statistical terms and concepts
• Design and Implement universally acceptable Surveys
• Convert data into various formats using appropriate software
• Use mobile data gathering tools such as Open Data Kit (ODK)
• Use GIS software to plot and display data on basic maps
• Qualitative data analysis using NVIVO
• Workflow use commands in STATA
• Manage, edit and structure large databases in STATA
• Generating descriptive statistics in STATA
• Creating powerful publication-quality graphs in STATA
• Data Analysis/Estimations in STATA
• Write reports from survey data
• Put strategies to improve data demand and use in decision making

DURATION

10 Days

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This is a general course targeting participants with elementary knowledge of Statistics from Agriculture, Economics, Food Security and Livelihoods, Nutrition, Education, Medical or public health professionals among others who already have some statistical knowledge, but wish to be conversant with the concepts and applications of statistical modeling.

COURSE CONTENT

Module1: Basic statistical terms and concepts

• Introduction to statistical concepts
• Descriptive Statistics
• Inferential statistics

Module 2: Research Design

• The role and purpose of research design
• Types of research designs
• The research process
• Which method to choose?
• Exercise: Identify a project of choice and developing a research design

Module 3: Survey Planning, Implementation and Completion

• Types of surveys
• The survey process
• Survey design
• Methods of survey sampling
• Determining the Sample size
• Planning a survey
• Conducting the survey
• After the survey
• Exercise: Planning for a survey based on the research design selected

Module 4: Introduction

• Introduction to Mobile Data gathering
• Benefits of Mobile Applications
• Data and types of Data
• Introduction to common mobile based data collection platforms
• Managing devices
• Challenges of Data Collection
• Data aggregation, storage and dissemination
• Types of questions
• Data types for each question
• Types of questionnaire or Form logic
• Extended data types geoid, image and multimedia

Module 5: Survey Authoring

• Design forms using a web interface using:
• ODK Build
• Koboforms
• PurcForms
• Hands-on Exercise

Module 6: Preparing the mobile phone for data collection

• Installing applications: ODK Collect
• Using Google play
• Manual install (.apk files)
• Configuring the device (Mobile Phones)
• Uploading the form into the mobile devices
• Hands-on Exercise

Module 7: Designing forms manually: Using XLS Forms

• Introduction to XLS forms syntax
• New data types
• Notes and dates
• Multiple choice Questions
• Multiple Language Support
• Hints and Metadata
• Hands-on Exercise

Module 8: Advanced survey Authoring

• Conditional Survey Branching
• Required questions
• Constraining responses
• Skip: Asking Relevant questions
• The specify other
• Grouping questions
• Skipping many questions at once (Skipping a section)
• Repeating a set of questions
• Special formatting
• Making dynamic calculations

Module 9: Hosting survey data (Online)

• ODK Aggregate
• Formhub
• io
• KoboToolbox
• Uploading forms to the server

Module 10: Hosting Survey Data (Configuring a local server)

• Configuring ODK Aggregate on a local server
• Downloading data
• Manual download (ODK Briefcase)
• Using the online server interface

Module 11: GIS mapping of survey data using QGIS

• Introduction to GIS for Researchers and data scientists
• Importing survey data into a GIS
• Mapping of survey data using QGIS
• Exercise: QGIS mapping exercise.

Module 12: Understanding Qualitative Research

• Qualitative Data
• Types of Qualitative Data
• Sources of Qualitative data
• Qualitative vs Quantitative
• NVivo key terms
• The NVivo Workspace

Module 13: Preliminaries of Qualitative data Analysis

• What is qualitative data analysis
• Approaches in Qualitative data analysis; deductive and inductive approach
• Points of focus in analysis of text data
• Principles of Qualitative data analysis
• Process of Qualitative data analysis

Module 14: Introduction to NVIVO

• NVIVO Key terms
• NVIVO interface
• NVIVO workspace
• Use of NVIVO ribbons

Module 15: NVIVO Projects

• Creating new projects
• Creating a new project
• Opening and Saving project
• Working with Qualitative data files
• Importing Documents
• Merging and exporting projects
• Managing projects
• Working with different data sources

Module 16: Nodes in NVIVO

• Theme codes
• Case nodes
• Relationships nodes
• Node matrices
• Type of Nodes,
• Creating nodes
• Browsing Nodes
• Creating Memos
• Memos, annotations and links
• Creating a linked memo

Module 17: Classes and summaries

• Source classifications
• Case classifications
• Node classifications
• Creating Attributes within NVivo
• Importing Attributes from a Spreadsheet
• Getting Results; Coding Query and Matrix Query

Module 18: Coding

• Data-driven vs theory-driven coding
• Analytic coding
• Descriptive coding
• Thematic coding
• Tree coding

Module 19: Thematic Analytics in NVIVO

• Organize, store and retrieve data
• Cluster sources based on the words they contain
• Text searches and word counts through word frequency queries.
• Examine themes and structure in your content

Module 20: Queries using NVIVO

• Queries for textual analysis
• Queries for exploring coding

Module 21: Building on the Analysis

• Content Analysis; Descriptive, interpretative
• Narrative Analysis
• Discourse Analysis
• Grounded Theory

Module 22: Qualitative Analysis Results Interpretation

• Comparing analysis results with research questions
• Summarizing finding under major categories
• Drawing conclusions and lessons learned

Module 23: Visualizing NVIVO project

• Display data in charts
• Creating models and graphs to visualize connections
• Tree maps and cluster analysis diagrams
• Display your data in charts
• Create models and graphs to visualize connections
• Create reports and extracts

Module 24: Triangulating results and Sources

• Triangulating with quantitative data
• Using different participatory techniques to measure the same indicator
• Comparing analysis from different data sources
• Checking the consistency on respondent on similar topic

Module 25: Report Writing

• Qualitative report format
• Reporting qualitative research
• Reporting content
• Interpretation

Module 26: Introduction to Statistical concepts and general analytics IN STATA

• Research design
• Samples and populations
• Comparison of experimental and non-experimental designs
• Exploring variable types

Module 27: Familiarizing with the application

• Datasets
• Commands
• Working with variables in Stata
• Basic analysis using Stata

Module 28: Charting and Graphical presentation using Stata

• Classifying different charts and processing them using STATA
• Understanding the Graph command syntax
• Graphs for categorical Vs Numeric variables
• Managing chart output in STATA
• Multivariate charting

Module 29: Statistical Tests using Stata

• One Sample T Test
• Independent Samples T Test
• Paired Samples T Test
• One-Way ANOVA

Module 30: Measures of Associations in Stata

• Chi-Square test
• Pearson’s Correlation
• Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation

Module 31: Predictive Models using Stata

• Linear Regression
• Multiple Regression
• Logistic Regression
• Ordinal Regression

Module 33: Panel Data Analysis using Stata

• Exploration of panel data
• Fixed effects model/LSDV
• Random effects model
• Choosing the appropriate model

Module 34: Time Series Analysis using Stata

• Introduction to time series analysis using Stata
• Plotting a time series
• Seasonal differences
• Auto correlations
• Forecast models in Stata

Module 35: Econometric Analysis

• Econometric Analysis of cross-sectional data
• Econometric Analysis of panel data
• Econometric Analysis of time-series data

Module 36: Report writing for surveys, data dissemination, demand and use

• Writing a report from survey data
• Communication and dissemination strategy
• Context of Decision Making
• Improving data use in decision making
• Culture Change and Change Management
• Preparing a report for the survey, a communication and dissemination plan and a demand and use strategy.
• Presentations and joint action planning

GENERAL NOTES

• This course is delivered by our seasoned trainers who have vast experience as expert professionals in the respective fields of practice. The course is taught through a mix of practical activities, theory, group works and case studies.

• Training manuals and additional reference materials are provided to the participants.
• Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be issued with a certificate.