Capacity building workshop held

Tadepalli: Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) in partnership with J-PAL, the global research centre of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted a one-day capacity building workshop aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Andhra Pradesh skill census initiative at Acharya Nagarjuna University on Friday.

The session was attended by over 90 officers from APSSDC and the Skill Development and Training Department. J-PAL has been a long standing partner to the State government through its J-PAL South Asian regional office.

The CLEAR South Asia centre, hosted by J-PAL, focuses on building the capacity of the government officials across India through rigorous training and evidence-sharing initiatives.

J-PAL South Asia provided an introduction to the workshop, emphasising its commitment to evidence-based policy-making. APSSDC was represented by its Executive Directors BJ Benny, Dinesh Kumar, D Manohar and K Raghu.

The workshop focused on the best practices for data collection engaging the participants in a session that covered primary data collection methods using app-based questionnaires, addressing the essential considerations for gathering high-quality data and overcoming common challenges. The speakers addressed the issues of field management and monitoring through a lecture focused on on-ground data collection protocols, including field planning, issue management and the importance of respondent confidentiality. The final session offered insights into data quality issues and strategies for implementing back checks, enhancing the integrity of the data collected.

In addition, the workshop featured interactive activities that allowed participants to apply their learning in practical scenarios, reinforcing the skills necessary for effective survey implementation.