All microenterprise development programs need to collect data, both program outcomes and client tracking, in order to prove effectiveness to funders and provide the best services to their clients. But building organizational capacity to improve your data collection systems is a time consuming and arduous task, particularly if you have to tackle it alone.

What Is It?
CAMEO's Data Management Learning Cluster is a focused and supported approach to improving the Data Management systems of your microenterprise program. With the use of technology, access to experts of our field, and the support of peers in a group learning environment, you can achieve the goal of improving your data management systems efficiently and at a relatively low cost.

Who Should Participate?
Microenterprise program executive directors, MIS managers, program managers, and all staff responsible for data collection and reporting.

What Do You Get?

• Two two-hour online training sessions provided by the Aspen Institute's FIELD experts, Elaine Edgcomb and David Black. The trainings will cover the essentials of setting up and operating a microenterprise development data management system. The trainings are scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 15 and 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 29. To see a list of goals for the training sessions, click here.
  
• Three mini-workshop/networking meeting sessions held by teleconference. These sessions connect you to the other practitioners in the learning cluster to exchange resources and insights into the process of improving data collection.
  
• One-on-one consulting to help you create a customized workplan to improve your data management.
  
• Up to three additional consulting hours by phone or email available from a peer consultant experienced in setting up and managing MED data collection. This consulting will help you implement your workplan.

How Long Is The Program?
The two training sessions will be held on November 15 and 29, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. PST. The consulting, workplan implementation and networking meetings will start December 1, 2005, and end June 30, 2006.

How Much Does It Cost?
To participate in the Data Management Learning Cluster, the cost is $775 per organization. CAMEO has received sponsorship funding from Citibank for California MED programs so they can participate for a reduced rate of $150. Program participation slots are limited.

You can choose to only participate in the two online training sessions provided by the Aspen Institute. The cost for the training only is $175. California MED programs can attend the training only (courtesy of Citibank) at a reduced cost of $75.

Access to one phone and computer line for both trainings is included with your registration fee. As many people as can participate on one phone/internet line are welcome to attend for no additional charge. If you desire additional phone/internet lines, they will be charged at $15. This covers our costs for providing the extra lines and includes both trainings.

Take Action!
Register for the Data Management Learning Cluster by clicking here.

What Participants from the first Data Management Learning Cluster had to say about their experience:

"The training was excellent. The trainers have an extremely strong command of the information and are able to relate well to the concerns of practitioners. The web-based portion of the presentation worked smoothly and was effective."

"The part that I liked most was that it was an on-going process. We created and implemented individual work plans and were accountable to a group. So many skills gained through training or consultants never get implemented."

"Spreading the training over several months allowed for information to ‘settle in.’ Pairing group sessions with one-on-one counseling was an effective means towards covering issues in greater depth."

"I thought it was great that you had someone from the Aspen Institute because whatever I would read about in the publications was always written by the people in the trainings and I thought ‘wow’ I would never have access to that expertise otherwise."

"It’s much different when you are honing in on one particular aspect. This is much more of an in depth look as part of the data collection learning cluster as opposed to a training where you’ll talk about something for an hour."

Click here for Trainer Biographies

Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)