Data loss during data entry

[asheffel]

Hi! I am working with a team in Rwanda who is conducting a health facility assessment using the CSPro application made available by WHO for the Harmonized Health Facility Assessment. The application is structured to allow multiple data collectors to collect data for sections of the questionnaire assigned to them at the same time. This data is supposed to be saved in an "individual" dataset and is synced to CSWeb as a backup. The data collectors then sync their tablets with the team leader and there is a concatenation function that brings together the data from all data collectors on the team into a single combined record for the facility. This combined dataset is then synced to CSWeb.

We are seemingly having challenges with various sections of data disappearing from the data collectors' tablets (i.e. individual data file). For example, the data collectors collect data for a number of sections and sync to the team leader. The team leader creates the complete record and syncs to the server. We can see the complete record in the dataset with the data that has been collected. The next day, the data collector returns to complete additional sections and some sections that were previously completed have now disappeared from the data collector tablet / individual data file. The data collector continues to collect the sections that were not previously collected, syncs to the team leader and now this essentially overwrites the individual data on the team leader tablet with blank sections for some of the previously collected data (but not systematically deleting all sections). Now when the team leader creates the combined record, there are missing sections.

This is happening on various tablets and various sections (no discernible pattern). Can you help us understand what may be happening to cause this issue? We are having a hard time troubleshooting as there does not seem to be a logical explanation for data to disappear from a CSDB file. I can share the CSPro application if that would be helpful (please let me know where to send it). Many thanks!

[justinlakier]

Hello,

It would help if you could include your app so we can examine and test it. You can use Pack Application found under Tools in the toolbar to put your application files in a .zip file. You can attach that file here or, if you would rather it not be public, email it to cspro@lists.census.gov.

Thanks,
Justin

[asheffel]

Thanks Justin! I just emailed a link to download the application. Let me know if I can send any further information.