The International Centre for Reproductive Health Kenya (ICRHK) in collaboration with Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 (PMA2020) at the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health hosted a 10-day training in Kenya in April for data collectors (known as resident enumerators) and coordinators ahead of round two data collection for the PMA2020/Kenya nutrition survey. Data collection is set to begin in May 2018.
The main objective of the training was to prepare Kenya’s resident enumerators and coordinators to collect high quality data for the second round of the PMA-Nutrition survey. The training covered reviewing survey content and questions, how to conduct survey interviews, and how to use Open Data Kit (ODK) installed on the questionnaire instrument - a smartphone. It involved comprehensive presentations, demonstrations, and mock interviews to familiarize the participants with what they will encounter in the field.
“As PMA2020/Kenya we always endeavor to produce high quality data that will inform policies and interventions in our country. One of the ways of doing this is by making sure we have gotten it right at the beginning by preparing and familiarizing our enumerators on what is ahead of them,” says Mary Thiongo, ICRHK, PMA2020/Kenya, Technical Advisor. “Trainings are very important because they not only provide the enumerators with content on the subject matter but also give them a chance to practice how to capture and submit data before they go back to their communities to collect the actual data.”
Alice Chebet, one of the resident enumerators in the training from Sarmach West Pokot County in Kenya shares that, “From this training, I learned how to use the platform to capture data. I am happy now because I have gotten all the information of what is expected of me while conducting this survey. I am ready to go back to my community and play my role to the best.”
PMA2020/Kenya round two survey will be conducted in Siaya, Bungoma, Kericho, Kitui, Kilifi, Nairobi, Kiambu, Nyamira, Nandi, West Pokot, and Kakamega counties in Kenya. The first round of the survey was conducted between May and August 2017.
The PMA2020 nutrition survey rapidly generates actionable data on nutrition interventions at the national level in Kenya. PMA2020/Kenya is led by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with ICRHK, National Council for Population and Development, and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Overall direction and support is provided by Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The survey is funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Photo: Christine Muthoni (left), Nairobi County, PMA2020/Kenya Nutrition round two survey resident enumerator coordinator engages other participants in a discussion during the ongoing PMA2020/Kenya Nutrition enumerators training at Gardens Hotel, Machakos County, Kenya. Looking on is Mary Thiongo (middle), ICRHK PMA2020/Kenya Technical Advisor and Rebecca Heidkamp from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health