Data Collection - FieldOps Africa Blog

Editorial illustration of a mobile data collection workflow showing field data flowing through review, findings, corrective actions and dashboards for continuous improvement.

Operational Intelligence

Mobile Data Collection Software: Beyond Digital Forms and Offline Surveys

Mobile data collection improves field operations, but real impact comes from connecting field data with reviews, findings, corrective actions, dashboards and Operational Intelligence.

Editorial illustration of an NGO field officer conducting a field visit with data flowing into findings, an operational dashboard and an enterprise report.

Monitoring Software

NGO Field Visit Management Software: Beyond Scheduling and Data Collection

Learn why modern field visit management software should go beyond digital forms by connecting planning, governance, findings, corrective actions and enterprise reporting into a complete Operational Intelligence lifecycle.

Editorial comparison of KoboToolbox and ODK Central showing mobile data collection, centralized deployment, and a workflow from planning to operational intelligence.

ODK

ODK Central vs KoboToolbox: Which Platform Is Better for Development Programmes?

ODK Central and KoboToolbox are two of the most widely used open-source data collection platforms. This guide compares their strengths, ideal use cases and explains when organisations need to think beyond data collection.

Editorial illustration comparing Excel spreadsheets with a connected monitoring workflow from planning and field visits to review, findings, corrective actions and dashboards.

Monitoring & Evaluation(M&E)

Excel Isn't Your Monitoring System: Why Growing Programmes Eventually Outgrow Spreadsheets

Excel remains one of the most valuable tools for monitoring and reporting. But as development programmes grow, spreadsheets struggle to manage field visits, approvals, findings and corrective actions. Learn when Excel is enough—and when it's time to strengthen your operational workflow.

Illustration of a field officer using a digital monitoring template connected to indicators, GPS locations, photographs and findings.

Field Operations

Designing Better Monitoring Templates: A Practical Guide for Development Programmes

A well-designed monitoring template improves data quality long before reporting begins. Learn practical principles for building templates that help field teams collect consistent, reliable evidence across development programmes.