Phase 1: Before the Training

A. Objectives of Training Workshop

General Objective

After the training workshop, the public health pharmacists (who comprise the data collection team) will be able to effectively and efficiently collect data for indicators of medicine access, availability, and rational use. 

Specific Objectives

After the training workshop, the data collection team will be able to: 

• Understand and apply the Field Guide for Data Collectors;

• Demonstrate and practice the necessary knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for data collection;

• Adhere to and demonstrate a strong understanding and appreciation of ethical principles and protocol in data collection; and

• Execute localized implementation plans that consider the unique needs or contexts of their specific regions or sites.

B. Overview of Training Curriculum

With the Field Guide for Data Collectors as a reference, the Key Training Courses in this curriculum are:

• Field Guide and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (MEF) Overview: to introduce the data collection team to the core document they will be using in their data collection efforts as well as the underlying purpose of data collection.

• Localized Implementation: to introduce the data collection team to the local implementation plan that they will be following.

• Data Collection Methods and Techniques  (Survey/Questionnaire (S/Q), Focus Group Discussion (FDG), Key Informant Interview (KII), and Document Analysis (DA)): to provide the data collection team with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to implement the data collection protocol.

• Confounding and Bias: to explain and pinpoint where confounding and bias can distort data collection efforts to, in turn, help the data collection team develop strategies to mitigate these.

• Ethics: to provide a comprehensive overview of ethical principles and their importance in the data collection efforts.

The specific objectives of each of these training courses are provided in Phase 2: During the Training. 

C. Overview of Learning Sessions

These courses will be delivered as sessions, with each focusing on a specific topic:

D. Structure of a Learning Session

The learning sessions that you will find in this Manual are structured into session sheets in the following way:

E. Assessing your Participants and their Learning Needs 

Before the training, you should obtain information of your data collection team’s prior knowledge and experience to guide you in designing your training plan. You can also  explore what their specific needs and work-related challenges are as well. 

You can create a training registration form for your data collection team to answer to obtain their personal and training-related information. This includes:

After, perform a needs assessment on your data collection team. This should include:

F. Designing your Training Plan  

Step 1. Planning Training Logistics

When designing your training plan, you need to first decide on its logistics, including:

• How many days will your training be? How long will each day be?

• How will learning sessions be divided across your training days?

• Where will your training be held?

• What budget/resources will you need for the training?

Step 2. Deciding on Participant Groupings

You also need to decide if you will group your participants since this will determine how you will go about session activities:

• If you have more than 7 participants, have groupings for your training.

• Each group is recommended to have 4-6 members for ample contribution from each member.

Step 3. Deciding on Facilitators

Decide if you need facilitators based on the number of participant groups you have:

• 1-2 Groups: Trainer can be facilitator

• 3 or More Groups: Have facilitators per group

Step 4. Creating your Training Plan and Schedule

After determining the basics, you can now create your training plan. Your training plan should contain the following sections:

You can view a full Training Plan Template in Annex #1.

G. Important Checklists for the Trainer

As a trainer, you have plenty of things to prepare before your training starts. So that you do not forget anything before you enter the training room, here are some important training checklists that you can use:

• Workshop Resource Checklist

• Workshop Preparation Checklist

• Facilitating Tips Checklist

H. Room Layouts

To effectively deliver your training, you also need to decide on the optimal room layout. Some key factors to consider are:

• Where is the center of attention?

• Do participants need to interact with each other?

• Do you want participants in groups without moving them around?

There are 7 types of room layouts (Morrison, 2018) that you can choose from for your workshop. Note that you do not need to exactly stick to these layouts and you can adjust them based on your:

• Number of participants

• Training methodology

• Required space for group activities

• Position of visual aids

• Room characteristics