After 1726 kilometers traveled by road, 78 enumerators trained and three universities visited across Kenya, Bodhi Global Analysis has completed the pilot Enumerator and Data Collection Training Programme. Traveling the length and breadth of Kenya, our training team met some amazing people, many of whom helped and supported the delivery of our programme, and we expanded our network of professionals and students passionate about the growth of research in the development sector.

Our aim was to deliver soft and hard skill training to female students, allowing them to apply for data collection roles with Bodhi, and to work with other clients across the sector. We delivered an intensive course of research ethics and safeguarding, covering critical areas including working with children, gender-sensitive research and conflict sensitivity, all with the aim of helping young researchers learn how to keep themselves, their employers, and their respondents and communities safe. We delivered an introduction to “the wonderful world of quantitative research”, learning about all the ways that quantitative data supports the development of insights and conclusions in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning, and how to deliver surveys accurately, sensitively and safely. The course's third and final pillar offered capacity building on qualitative research, delivering the message of building the conversation, active listening and guiding the conversation. Our young researcher cohorts reacted particularly well to the analogy of focus group moderators as being the captain of a ship, steering their crew through the waves of conversation, bringing others into the fold when required, and keeping on course the desired destination.

All of this knowledge was evaluated at the end of the three day course through group presentations. Across the three days, young researchers worked in small groups to deliver a set of recommendations for ethical research and safeguarding, a small quantitative survey, and a mock focus group. Each group applied their learning to a fictitious, but Bodhi-inspired research project, building their recommendations and research tools around research projects related to gender, migration and climate change. Whether conducting research on the essential needs of migrants between Ethiopia and Kenya, understanding health empowerment of adolescents, or gaining insight into youth activism on climate change in the fictitious island of Kordovia, students were given freedom to explore research briefs closely reflecting what they might experience in the sector. We knew that it was important for students to gain knowledge and confidence in the fundamental theory of research, but exploring interesting topics and themes is what brings many to the sector, and it was important that we gave a taste of what excites us at Bodhi.

Now that the pilot is completed, our cohort has joined our internal database, with many ready to take to the field and with their first steps into the professional world of research. We are really proud to connect our Bodhi-trained enumerators with others across the sector, and begin building a confident, skilled and gender-balanced workforce across the development sector in years to come.

After this successful pilot, our next steps will be to deliver similar training in Ethiopia and Tanzania. As we continue to roll out our course across East Africa, stay tuned for insights and learnings from our side as we develop our course, and continue to train the researchers of tomorrow.