Target places the person at the core of its work. In that extent, the agency organized on Thursday, July 19^th, 2018 in the framework of capacity building of its human resources, a training session for its staff.

Blaise PEZO, Target trainer and IT Specialist does affirm that the aim objective was to allow all staff having a better understanding especially on the following: 

• Data collection technics;
• Operating modes;
• Software and applications used for data collections;
• Data base;
• Type of data files.

“It was first of all about basic upgrading of staff on technologies that we are already using in order to all anyone to have a control of tools in our possession”, as emphasized by Blaise PEZO. 

A great deal of training was devoted to procedures of data collection and organization. The following technics have been reviewed:    

1. CAPI, meaning Computer Assisted Personal Interviews, a face to face survey assisted by a computing tool (Desktop Computer, Laptop, Smartphone, Digital Tablet, PDA, etc…);
2. CAMI, meaning Computer Assister Mobile Interviews, a technic using digital tablets and smartphones to carry out mobile surveys;
3. CATI, Computer Assister Telephone Interviews, a survey composed of several terminals managed by telephone interviewers in order to collect information from respondents targeted based on phone calls;
4. CAWI, Computer Assisted Web Interviews, is a system of managing online interviews, i.e. respondents answer to questionnaire through internet; 
5. PAPI, Personal Assisted Paper Interviews, a face to face interview assisted by a paper questionnaire, of which data digitalization is done with a laptop and an encoder team.  

These five first technics are already used within Target while making data collection. Further, participants have been trained in two new technics, i.e.:

6. CAGI: Computer Assisted Group Interviews, digitalized interview in group monitored by electronic voting boxes. This method is very used for general assemblies, training, focus group, etc… According to the trainer, it is the best solution for making a quicker collection of good quality information yet preserving the anonymity of respondents. 
7. CASI: Computer Assisted Self Interviews. Here it is all about preprogrammed computer that is used, without the present of any interviewer, either left at the respondent home.

These technics of data collection have got two operating modes. They function either online or offline.

In online mode, interviewers are available on the hosting site or directly incorporated on a website. This mode is used as CAWI technic.

In offline mode, interviews are filled by interviewers on a computing support without being connected to internet. Technics used therein are CAPI, CAMI and CATI.

Besides data collection technics, training is also focused on organization of those data.

Participants learnt that after collection and using software specialized in processing, data are to be stored in a storage unit. This set of collection structured information compose form what we call “database”.

“This information has been very critical. All this allow us to specify some expressions and establish the difference between analysis technics and tools”, said Arlette LEUMBOU, Senior Market Analyst within Target.

José D. WANGATA, another participant of this training, manifested her interest into CAWI technic. “This mode is profitable since it offers possibility to send in real time, collected data into database. And even if your phone is lost or stolen, your collected data will be saved”. She said.