Define the decision first
Good forms start with the decision the data must support.
- assessment purpose
- minimum data needed
- decision and audience
Free foundation course · 6 hours
Field Data Collection With KoboToolbox.
A practical starter course for humanitarian staff and local organizations who need better surveys, safer data collection, KoboToolbox-compatible forms, and clearer reporting from field evidence.
Status
The full six-module learning pathway, practice assessment, downloads, notes, and private foundation learning record are available free. Identity-verified certification remains a separate paid pathway.
Lessons
Six lessons for safer field data.
Consent and do-no-harm
Before asking questions, define consent, safety, referral, and privacy rules.
- informed consent
- sensitive data minimization
- enumerator safety
XLSForm basics
Understand survey, choices, and settings sheets before building complex forms.
- question types
- choice lists
- required and relevant logic
Test before collection
Every form needs testing before enumerators use it with real people.
- skip logic checks
- device testing
- translation review
Clean and protect data
Data quality and privacy are part of the same workflow.
- duplicates and outliers
- access control
- safe export
Turn findings into action
Field data should lead to decisions, learning, and responsible reporting.
- summary tables
- findings and limitations
- action memo
Starter downloads
KoboToolbox-compatible forms plus the controls that make them usable.
XLSForm
Rapid needs assessment
Starter form for needs, severity, constraints, and recommended action.
XLSFormMEAL monitoring
Starter form for activity status, indicators, quality risk, and follow-up.
XLSFormOrganization capacity
Starter form for governance, finance, safeguarding, MEAL, HR, and procurement.
XLSFormConsent readiness
Checklist for consent, do-no-harm, device security, and data ownership.
CSV checklist
XLSForm deployment readiness
Check purpose, consent, logic, language, devices, access, data quality, and retention before live collection.
CSV agendaEnumerator briefing agenda
A practical session plan for consent, do-no-harm, device practice, skip logic, safety, and daily review.
CSV logField data quality review log
Track missing values, duplicates, outliers, correction actions, owners, and remaining caveats.
CSV briefField findings action brief
Turn cleaned field data into findings, limitations, urgent actions, follow-up data needs, and owners.
After the starter pack
Turn the templates into a team-ready workflow.
The free course builds individual practice. A team clinic helps adapt the workflow to a real programme, language, referral pathway, enumerator team, and reporting need.
- For individual learnersUse the downloads to practice XLSForm structure, consent wording, skip logic, and basic data-quality review.
- For local organizationsAdapt the workflow around a real programme, referral pathway, language, field team, and donor reporting need.
- For registered learnersYour dashboard keeps course progress, notes, bookmarks, assessment attempts, and the foundation learning record together.
Use responsibly
Templates are a starting point, not a field authorization.
Before live use, review context, language, informed consent, data protection, safeguarding, referral pathways, donor requirements, and local law. KoboToolbox is referenced as an external tool; no partnership is implied.