What We Do

Capacity Building

With each survey, MEASURE DHS improves the implementing agency and host-country counterparts’ capacity to collect, analyze, disseminate, and use DHS data. Mentoring takes places through this constant capacity building as MEASURE DHS staff assist in developing questionnaires, monitoring fieldwork, providing quality control, and helping with the creation of survey report documents.

The presence of MEASURE DHS staff throughout the survey process allows for more formal training opportunities as well, such as training sessions for interviewers, field managers, data processors, and researchers. In addition, the supplies used during the survey (scales, biomarker supplies, GPS units, computers) remain in the country for future use.

MEASURE DHS also runs workshops to train groups on using survey findings. Trainings may be topic-specific (e.g., gender, youth, family planning, HIV) or audience-specific (e.g. health care providers, policymakers, journalists). Specific workshops also focus on data users and provide them with the skills to conduct their own further analysis and tabulation of the datasets.

Examples of recent DHS workshops include the following:

• In Kenya, GIS experts taught host-country counterparts how to use DHS geographical data, link it to their own GIS, and create maps of their data, leading to increased data use.
• MEASURE DHS staff worked with local counterparts in Nepal to analyze DHS datasets, write several publishable papers based on their results, and review implications of data for programs and policies.
• MEASURE DHS data processing experts worked with the Uganda Ministry of Health to train staff to analyze Uganda DHS data.
• TV, radio, and newspaper journalists in Ethiopia were trained to read DHS reports and tables and incorporate DHS data in their news stories.
• A curriculum was developed to provide university faculty with the tools to introduce DHS data into their public health and demography courses.