NIPN Intensive Training – III

Nov 8, 2022

The third NIPN intensive training for 2022 was held from 1 – 4 November 2022 in Vanvieng, Vientiane Province. The objective of the training was to continue the efforts of strengthening the nutritional and statistical capacities of staff working in varied institutions. This intensive training session was a continuation of a capacity-building training session held in July 2022.

Twenty staff participated from the following sectors:

  1. The Development policy research institute (DRI)
  2. Social-economic policy research institute (SPRI)
  3. Lao Statistics Bureau (LSB)
  4. Ministry of Health (MOH)
  5. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
  6. Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES)
  7. Center for Nutrition, MOH

Mr. Viengkhone Bouaphachanh, Director, Division of Social and Environmental Development Policy Research welcomed the participants and expressed the importance of intensive training in carrying out research work. In this training session, the participants were given training on the Stata. For training purposes, the subset of LSIS II (2017) was used. Four modules (one for each day) were developed constituting data cleaning data, preparing, carrying out descriptive analysis, and tabulating the results in Stata. The participants were trained on the following tasks:

  1. Creating a subset from a large data set
  2. Merging of data sets
  3. Converting string variables to numerical variables
  4. Creating categorical variables from continuous variables
  5. Use simple commands to check the data
  6. Creating labels and value labels
  7. Writing and executing simple commands using the dialogue box
  8. Tabulation of single and multiple variables
  9. Refresh their knowledge of malnutrition indicators (stunting, wasting, and underweight) and categorize them.

In practice sessions, participants were asked to replicate the tasks using a data set (PHHS_2019) and LSIS II variables. Each and every participant was randomly assigned to present their work in the class. Participants were engaged and asked a lot of questions; an indication of their increased understanding of the subject matter Ms. Nelofar Sheikh, International Data Analysis Advisor facilitated the sessions with the support of Mr. Ouphachay Thongsamouth and Ms. Soulita Vansilalom.

The closing session was jointly conducted by Dr. Sitthiroth Rasphone, Director General Development Research Institute (DRI), and UNICEF consultant Dr. Nelofar Sheikh. Dr. Sitthiroth thanked UNICEF partnership in building institutional capacity under NIPN and looking forward to furthering engagement in the years ahead at the central and sub-national level and acknowledged the active participation of ministries and departments. He appreciated the active participation of participants and encouraged them to benefit maximum from these training sessions to prepare themselves to train staff at sub-national level.

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