Course Details

Designing Baseline, Midline, and Endline Surveys Training Course

INTRODUCTION

This essential training course provides comprehensive knowledge and practical skills for designing robust and effective baseline, midline, and endline surveys for projects and programs. Recognizing that these surveys are foundational for measuring progress, demonstrating impact, and ensuring accountability, this program equips participants with a systematic approach to questionnaire development, sampling strategies, data collection planning, and ethical considerations. Participants will gain deep insights into crafting clear questions, ensuring data comparability across time points, and aligning survey instruments with program objectives, all crucial for generating credible evidence and informing adaptive management. This course is ideal for M&E specialists, project managers, researchers, and anyone involved in assessing program outcomes and impact.

DURATION

10 days

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is specifically designed for professionals involved in monitoring, evaluation, research, and program implementation who are responsible for designing data collection instruments, including:

• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialists.
• Project and Program Managers.
• Researchers and Data Analysts.
• Field Supervisors and Coordinators.
• NGO and Development Practitioners.

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the distinct purposes of baseline, midline, and endline surveys.
• Design comprehensive and aligned questionnaires for each survey phase.
• Select appropriate sampling strategies for robust data collection.
• Plan for ethical considerations and data quality throughout the survey lifecycle.
• Ensure data comparability across different survey time points for meaningful analysis.

MODULES

Module 1: Understanding Baseline, Midline, and Endline Surveys

• Define baseline, midline, and endline surveys and their specific roles in the project cycle.
• Explore the purpose of each survey type in measuring change and impact.
• Understand the link between these surveys and the Theory of Change or Logical Framework.
• Discuss the importance of consistency and comparability across time points.
• Examine the resource implications and timelines for each survey type.

Module 2: Formulating Survey Objectives and Key Questions

• Understand how to translate program objectives into measurable survey objectives.
• Discuss the process of identifying key M&E questions that each survey should answer.
• Explore the relationship between indicators and survey questions.
• Examine the level of detail and scope appropriate for each survey phase.
• Learn about stakeholder engagement in defining survey needs.

Module 3: Questionnaire Design Principles

• Understand best practices for crafting clear, concise, and unambiguous survey questions.
• Discuss different question types (e.g., open-ended, closed-ended, Likert scales, multiple choice).
• Explore strategies for avoiding leading or biased questions.
• Examine techniques for sequencing questions logically and maintaining respondent engagement.
• Learn about incorporating skip logic and validation rules for efficiency.

Module 4: Designing Baseline Survey Instruments

• Understand the unique requirements of a baseline survey questionnaire.
• Discuss how to capture initial conditions and pre-intervention status across all relevant indicators.
• Explore methods for establishing a robust baseline for comparison.
• Examine the importance of collecting demographic and contextual information.
• Practice drafting baseline survey questions for a given project scenario.

Module 5: Designing Midline and Endline Survey Instruments

• Understand how to adapt baseline questionnaires for midline and endline data collection.
• Discuss strategies for ensuring comparability of questions and response options across time points.
• Explore methods for tracking changes in indicators and outcomes.
• Examine the inclusion of questions related to program activities, perceptions, and relevance in midline/endline.
• Practice refining questionnaires for repeat data collection.

Module 6: Sampling Strategies for Longitudinal Surveys

• Understand the importance of appropriate sampling for baseline, midline, and endline surveys.
• Differentiate between cross-sectional and longitudinal sampling approaches.
• Discuss probability sampling techniques (e.g., simple random, stratified, cluster) suitable for these surveys.
• Explore considerations for tracking respondents across multiple survey rounds.
• Learn about calculating appropriate sample sizes for different survey objectives.

Module 7: Data Collection Planning and Quality Assurance

• Understand the various data collection modes for surveys (e.g., face-to-face, phone, online).
• Discuss planning for field enumerator training, supervision, and ethical conduct.
• Explore strategies for ensuring data quality at the point of collection (e.g., pre-testing, piloting, real-time validation).
• Examine data management protocols for handling multi-wave survey data.
• Learn about tools for digital data collection and their role in quality.

Module 8: Ethical Considerations and Survey Logistics

• Understand the ethical imperative of informed consent in all survey phases.
• Discuss strategies for ensuring respondent privacy, confidentiality, and data security.
• Explore logistical planning for survey implementation (e.g., budgeting, timelines, resource allocation).
• Examine strategies for managing survey teams and ensuring safety in the field.
• Learn about communicating survey purpose and findings back to communities and stakeholders.

CERTIFICATION

• Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

• Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

• Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com