Objectives of the Certification Courses for Field Investigators is two-fold:

1. Training and skill development of the eligible and aspiring field investigators in collection of statistical and other data on prescribed forms/instruments by observation, interview, interrogation or by application of Information Technology and other standardized and established techniques for study, analysis, and interpretation of various social and economic problems.
2. Certification of the aspiring field investigators through standard of performances, knowledge and understanding to work as Field Investigators. In the process, a standardized curriculum and training module with quality assurance has been developed.

The mission of ISS&RF in this project is to put in place trained field investigators in rural and urban locations all over India from where the survey agencies can pick them for their survey needs and the investigators can enjoy working in their own backyards. Keeping this in view, ISS&RF has prepared a comprehensive Certification Course for Field Investigators on distant and on-line mode. This program prepares surveyor/ statistical field investigator candidates for government and public/private sector firms and institutions and to assist them to identify suitable candidate(s) available for upcoming surveys at required locations. For certified field investigators, it provides avenues to work with survey agencies and at a place of their choice.

Information Technology (IT) has become integral part of our day to day life for communication and decision making process. IT includes use of Computer, Office Productivity Tools (Word, Excel etc.), Email, Website and Online Application software, Mobile Apps, and other advanced software tools. All these technologies are being extensively used for data capturing, data processing, data analysis, report generation and queries for presentation of data to take timely and reliable decisions in any socio-economic surveys as well as administrative/business applications.

 This certification program provides opportunity to learn basic knowledge and hands-on-training for practical exposure using these technologies. This will empower the student trainees to strengthen their resume in getting regular jobs in any survey work as well as regular work in related areas. The 4 lectures reference material for online access through the ISSRF Website include the following.

1. Basics of Computer and Communication: How to operate Computer and Internet, access of data from Website and exchange of information through email/social media Applications.
2. Basic features of Office Productivity Tools: How to use Word Processing and Excel for data processing and communication of information.
3. Basics of Application software for survey work: Online Data Entry Software, Editing, Report Generation and uploading of data.
4. Practical experience of Application software.

Scope of Course

Government of India, State Governments and Private organizations conduct socio-economic, industries/establishments, agriculture and other surveys both in sample and census mode to cater to their planning and decision-making needs. Many industries conduct market surveys to position their products/services and to strategize their investment and area of operations. Each of the surveys employs field investigators/ surveyors/ enumerators to collect quality information from the respondents.

Market size of statistical surveys has gone many folds in the recent years. Use of internet and smart mobiles and computer assisted interviewing through mobile apps has added dimensions of geographic tag and has enriched the survey process and prospects in terms of timeliness, validation, and monitoring. Government initiative and focus on evidence-based planning, importance to local development, concurrent monitoring and evaluation of schemes and programs, all have added to the newer demands for surveys. Availability of trained and skilled survey manpower well versed with the local environment, social setup and language in the survey areas is the hindrance. There are, at present, 6.64 lakh villages as per the Local Govt Directory database and another 7.30 lakhs urban enumeration blocks as the Office of the Registrar General of India (RGI) has planned to map out for Census 2021 in the country. Further, Office of the RGI for population census 2021 has plan to use 30-31 lakh enumerators for census of 20 days from 9-28 February 2021 while the MoSPI through Common Service Centres (CSC) are going to use around 12 lakh enumerators for Seventh Economic Census almost for 3 months period. It is felt that, keeping in view, the survey requirements on comparatively longer period of engagement, for local level planning, to start with, country needs at least one statistical field investigator for ten villages/ urban enumeration blocks and thus, the survey needs almost 1.50 lakh statistical field investigators on continuous basis. This force needs to be in place within a period of 3-4 years.

National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), State Directorates of Economics and Statistics (DESs), other Government Departments (survey agencies) involved in data collection, compilation, and dissemination have their own cadre of Statistical Investigators who regularly conduct surveys of different nature. However, the ever-increasing demand of surveys on different aspects, their periodic repeat, exigencies, and lack of adequate manpower have compelled these organizations to engage Statistical Investigators on contract through private manpower providing agencies. Most of these investigators are not skilled in collection of information from the field. NSO and State DESs do all efforts, through their field/district offices, to train them but the exigencies and workload compel them to put the Investigators straight to the field without much exposure. The investigators lack proper training, proper understanding of the field survey and proper career progression. Similar is the case with other Census and Survey organizations like Office of the Registrar General of India for population census, NSO for economic census, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for National Family Health Survey and alike. Most sufferers are the institutions involved in socio-economic studies, industries associations and agencies involved in monitoring of schemes and programs that do not have any regular cadre of survey personnel and are dependent on manpower providing agencies. Thus, demand for quality pre-trained skilled and professional field investigators needs to be properly addressed. ISS&RF has a built-in platform to match the needs and aspirations of the survey agencies and the certified field investigators.

This course covers all aspects of becoming a professional field investigator.
The curriculum has been designed by experienced professionals, experts in the field and based on feedback from students and professional field investigators.

• Suitable Curriculum: Prepared by experienced professionals to impart training in an optimum time frame (Though the course is for 3 months duration, it can be completed in a little over one month).
• Learning Focused: Enjoyable and goals oriented. Trainer more as mentor and coach.
• Strong Fundamentals: Focuses on fundamentals to set a strong foundation of the field investigators. The defining keys are skills, attitude and adequate knowledge to perform
• Overall Learning: This is not just a course but an overall learning experience.
• Video Training:  Course is taught also via videos, screencasts, and online face-to-face interactions
• One to One Interaction: Built-in one to one interaction between instructors and students. Each student/trainee besides instructors gets help from experienced Supervisors with handholding.
• Learning Exposure: Assignments given to the students to monitor the extent of learning which then will be checked by the system. 
• Test Exercises: Appropriate exercises are built in the course for each of the topics.  
• Live Experiments: Students are exposed to live experimentation and learning through practical exercises/assignments with ample opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge gained in the field surveys.
• Focus on Details: Course specializes in focusing on minute details leading to adequate knowledge of the survey instruments and the fundamentals behind.

Eligibility

Contents of Course