Please visit our Events page for upcoming training dates and bookings.

We also offer this training in-house for organisations and individuals, so you can access evaluation learning when you need it, with support to apply it to your own projects or programs. Contact us for details and a customised quote.

Practical training for successful surveys

Surveys are a great way to efficiently collect data from large groups of people, but they need to be designed and conducted with care. Our training provides practical guidance for developing and implementing successful surveys for a range of purposes and audiences.

About this module

In this module you will learn everything you need to know to design and conduct successful surveys for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). We will guide you step by step through the process of survey development, sharing good practice tips and examples, and explaining how to avoid common pitfalls. Our insights and learning activities will help you ask the right questions, get the best data you can from your surveys, and collect and manage it ethically.

After completing this module, you will have reviewed and critiqued a range of surveys, and identified strategies for effective survey implementation. You will take away sample survey questions that you have developed aligned with a MEL Framework, as well as useful examples and resources for ongoing use.

You will build your skills to:

  • Understand how surveys connect with broader MEL approaches, and identify when and how to use surveys
  • Apply key principles for designing effective surveys for different audiences and contexts – including knowing when to use different types of questions, and the advantages and limitations of each
  • Collect survey data effectively, maximising the number and quality of responses
  • Understand ethical considerations relating to survey design and data collection, and apply practical strategies to minimise risks

Who this module is for

This module is designed for people who have beginner to intermediate skills in MEL data collection. It is highly relevant to those working in and with for-purpose organisations, whose roles relate to any of the following:

  • Research or evaluation
  • Planning, design and development of services and programs
  • Program or project management
  • Quality improvement or stakeholder engagement

Format of this module

  • Online or onsite: 1 x half day session

Our approach

Our down-to-earth training is specially designed for social purpose organisations across health, community services, education, international development and beyond. Participants in our interactive workshops use real projects as working examples, with a strong focus on ‘learning by doing’. Our facilitators draw on their extensive experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning to explain complex concepts in plain language, and help you apply them to your own context.

Here's what a past training participant said about our MEL training:

Kept interesting and provided an opportunity to learn by doing. Really fabulous training!

Our presenters

Our facilitators are Lirata staff with extensive real-world experience in designing and conducting Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning processes, as well as providing training and mentoring. Presenters vary depending on the session but often include Kate Randall, Alex Gruenewald, Katie Ronson and/or Mark Planigale.


Related training modules

Evaluation processes frequently involve interviews and focus groups as well as surveys. We encourage participants registering for this module to also register for our module on Effective Interviews and Focus Groups (MEL-04), as these two modules together cover the most common MEL data collection methods.