RIMS manual (February 2011)

RIMS Guidance Manual: Tool for Data Entry and Analysis

RIMS TOOL FOR DATA ENTRY AND ANALYSIS
Introduction
This section is designed to assist personnel with the transfer of the data from the impact survey questionnaires into a computer program for analysis.
This guide covers both the household questionnaire and the anthropometry data.
Before entering data from the impact survey, practice entering data to be sure that the program has been set up correctly. Plan at least a one-week lead
time (preferably longer) to set up the data entry program and for practice data entry. This will allow time for the data entry clerk to become familiar
with the program and, if necessary, to contact IFAD to resolve problems. Try to practice at least one week before starting real data entry so as to be
sure that all the steps are understood.

The System Requirements are:
Hardware
• Minimum: 1.6 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, 800x600 display.
• Recommended: 2.2 GHz or higher CPU, 1024 MB or more RAM, 1280x800 display or higher, Network card on Windows XP.
• Recommended: 2.4 GHz or higher CPU, 1024 MB or more RAM, 1280x800 display or higher, Network card on Windows Vista.

Software
• Windows XP Service Pack 2 or above
• Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or above
• Windows Vista
• Windows Server 2008

The program should be installed and used on only ONE computer. The current version of the program does not allow data to be combined from different
sources.
These instructions are for version 7.1.0.4 of the RIMS data entry and analysis software. Additional information, new releases and updated instructions
will be made available on the IFAD web site.

1


INSTALLING AND STARTING THE APPLICATION:
Installing the application

The software is available for download at:
http://www.ifad.org/operations/rims/. Type in the link on the
internet browser.
Click on the link “Download the Latest Results and Impact
Management System software” on the right
Open the zipped folder and click on the setup icon.
The program will be installed automatically in the folder: C:IFAD
A RIMS icon (shortcut) will also appear on the desktop.

If is difficult to download from the link due to slow internet speed.
Please get in touch with IFAD HQ so that other arrangements can be
made, for example sending the software through the mail.

Starting the application

To start the application, click on the IFAD RIMS icon on the desktop.
Alternatively, select the application using the START button.
Click the START button; select ALL PROGRAMS
Select RIMS Software.
Click on the application icon, and the program will start.

MAIN SCREEN

2


The main menu appears when the RIMS software is opened.

Top Menu Bar
File allows the user to create a new file or open an existing file.
Tools tab allows the user to change language, go to reports or
open surveys for comparison. The program is available in English,
French, Spanish and Arabic.
Help provides information on the developers.

Side Menu Bar
(more details of functions in separate sections)
Data entry is for entering data for new questionnaires
Data reentry is for verification of responses
Find cases allows the user to find a filled questionnaire to make
changes
Verification provides the verification reports after reentry
Reports leads to the reports screen for the detailed reports from
the survey.

3


CREATING A NEW SURVEY
From the main menu on the RIMS software, click “File” and then “New”.
Enter the survey identifiers:
Choose the country (from the drop down list)
Enter the year of the survey
Enter the full name of project.
Inserting local adaptations: If the study has included any specific local
adaptations for Question 5 (Assets), Question 6 (Assets), Question 8b
(farming tool), or Question 9 (animal):
Tick the box adjacent to the question
Type in the name as it appears on the survey of asset/tool/animal in
the text box.
Click “Save”
If no local adaptations were defined,
Click “Save” after entering the name of the project.

The “Browse for Folder” window appears:
Choose the folder in which the RIMS survey should be saved
Click OK.

Tip: Make sure the survey is saved in an easily retrievable location. All
exports from the software are also saved in the same folder by
default when exporting.

4


DATA ENTRY
Identification data
From the main menu, click on “Data entry”. The data entry screen
appears.
Enter questionnaire number, cluster number and HH number. Each
questionnaire number must be a unique number.
Enter date of interview as day- month- year (click the arrow on the
right for the drop-down calendar to select date)
Household members data
For HH member no 1, enter gender: type 1 for male or 2 for female,
or use the drop-down list
Enter the age in integers (no text)
Select the reading level: 1 Easily, 2 With difficulty, 3 Can’t read, or
use the drop-down list. Select 3 for children under 5.

Tips for Data Entry:

The answers can be inserted by typing numbers, i.e. 1, 2, etc. as per
the options in the drop down list. They may also be chosen by clicking
on the drop-down list at the right of the field (preferred method).
After the data for each household member has been entered,
Use TAB to move from field to field.
press Enter twice on the keyboard to enter data on the next HH
Any answers on a previous window corrected by clicking “Previous” and member. Alternately press Enter once and then click on “Add” or
editing on the data. “New” on the screen.
All questions in a window must be answered to proceed to the next. If Check all the HH members’ details on the screen before proceeding to the
an answer is not filled in on the questionnaire, the Missing option from next screen. A detail can be adjusted by clicking on the relevant field and
the drop-down list should be chosen. then correcting the data.
To stop data entry, press “Cancel” on the window and then click Yes on When all the HH members’ details have been verified,
the pop-up window “Do you wish to stop data entry?” Click “Next” to move to the section on HH properties and assets.

5


Household Properties and Assets (questions 1-5)
Questions 1 to 5 are entered in this window. The answer to each question is
entered by clicking on the field and selecting from the drop-down list, or
using the numeric designation for the answer. [Note: using the numeric
designation will be faster, but should only be used by experienced users.]
The user can move to the next question by clicking on the field or by
pressing Tab on the keyboard. If the response is missing on the
questionnaire, the “Missing” option under each drop-down list should be
chosen.
Qn 1a. The main material of the dwelling floor can be selected
from the drop-down list. If the surface is different from any item on
the list, then the option 96 - Other can be selected. If the answer is
missing, click 99 - Missing.
Qn 1.b. The number of sleeping rooms should be entered as
integers, i.e., 1, 2, etc)
Qn 2. The main source of drinking water should be chosen. If the
answer is different from the list, 96 - Other, and if the question is
not answered, 99 - Missing should be selected.
Qn 3.a. Select the type of toilet facility from the dropdown list
(select 6 - Other if the answer is not on the list and 9 - Missing if
the question is not answered).
Qn 3.b. Yes, No or Missing should be chosen.
In Qn 4, if the response for Qn 4a (hungry season) is No then the After completing question 5, click on “Next” to move to the next section.
other tabs under 4 are disabled. If 4.a is Yes, then the month for
beginning of the hungry season (4.b.) and end of the hungry season
(4.c) should be selected. If there is a second hungry season (4.d)
then again the beginning (4.e.) and the end (4.f) should be
selected. If 4.d is No, then 4.e and 4.f are disabled.
In Qn 5, the appropriate answer for Electricity, Radio, Television
and Refrigerator (Yes, No or Missing) should be selected. The locally
adapted asset will also be displayed as an option after Refrigerator.

6


HH Properties and Assets (questions 6 -8) and
Livestock (question 9)

In question 6 choose (1) Yes, (2) No or (9) Missing for: Bicycle;
Motorcycle or Scooter; Car or truck. If a locally chosen asset was
entered, it will appear as an option at the end of the list. If no
adaptation was selected, the field will be disabled.
In question 7 choose the cooking fuel from the list or (96) Other or
(99) Missing.
In question 8a, choose (1) Yes, (2) No or (9) Missing. For question
8b, the local adaptation for farming tool will be included.
In question 9, choose (1) Yes, (2) No or (9) Missing for each animal.
Choosing No for an animal will disable the “How Many” question. If
Yes is chosen, type in the number of animals in the How many
section. Type in only integers (1, 6, 12, etc) and not text. In this
question, the locally adapted animal will also be displayed.

After completing question 9, click on “Next” to move to the
Tip: Each question should be filled in. if the response is missing in the anthropometric questionnaire.
questionnaire, then the appropriate “Missing” option should be
selected. If any questions are left unanswered, the user will not be
allowed to move to the next screen.

7


Anthropometric questionnaire
The ID number and gender of the first child under five years of age appears
automatically on the screen.
There are two options For the “Birth day”:
Click on the drop-down tab on right, the drop down list appears but
starts from 2009 and the user has to scroll until the appropriate year
is found, and then choose month and date.
Click on the year (2009) and type in the actual year of birth (e.g.
2005). Then click on the right-hand tab and choose the month and
date.
If the birthday does not correspond to the age provided in the HH members
data (see above), the application will prompt for a correction of the
birthday or the age provided in HH members’ data. If the birthday is not
available, it should be left blank.
For “Age by months”, enter the number of months. If the age does not
correspond to the birthday, then the system will prompt for the correct
answer.
For height, enter the height in cm. Check the table in RIMS impact manual
for minimum and max. ranges of height for age in months.
For weight, enter weight in kg. from the questionnaire.
After the data on the first child has been entered,
Press “Enter” twice on the keyboard to move to the next child.
After data on the last child in the household has been entered,
Press Enter on the keyboard to complete the data
Press “Save” on the screen to save the questionnaire and move to
the next household for data entry.

Tip: If a child less than 5 years old appears on the first data entry If the household has no children less than 5 years of age, press Save to
screen, then the user will be prompted to input the child’s weight and move to the data entry screen for the next household.
height in this section otherwise the questionnaire cannot be saved.

8


DATA VERIFICATION
For verification and quality check, it is recommended that the entire set of
questionnaires be re-input. A random sample of the questionnaires (5 to 10
per cent) can also be used and the values re-entered for the selected
questionnaires.
On the main screen, click “Data re-entry”
A blank data entry screen will appear. Re-input all data from the
questionnaires, beginning with questionnaire number and other
identifiers; responses to the questions 1 to 9 and anthropometric
data.
After re-entering the data, click “Verification” on the main screen
to verify if the re-entered data matches the original data.

A verification report is produced which displays the errors in data entry or
re-entry (if there are any). The entry value and the re-entry value for each
question is displayed with the differences in responses. Cross-check with the
original questionnaire and edit the responses accordingly (see Data
Correction below).
Check the re-entry field in the report for differences with original
data entry

9


DATA CORRECTION
To correct/edit data from any saved questionnaire:

From the main screen click “Find Cases”.

Choose the questionnaire to be edited from the list that is
displayed.

After choosing the questionnaire, the data entry screen with the current
values appears.
Edit the required question. The edited value will get updated only
after the user clicks on “Next” on each screen and reaches the last
data entry screen, i.e. the “Anthropometric Questionnaire”, and
then clicks “Save” on that screen.
For example, if question no. 2 “main source of drinking water” is changed
from (9) unprotected dug well’ to (10) unprotected spring’, after making
the change, the user clicks Next on the screen, and again presses Next on
the HH properties and assets screen (questions 6-9) and then on the
anthropometric questionnaire screen, presses “Save” to save the changes.

10


GENERATING REPORTS
The RIMS software allows the generation of a number of standard reports for
presentation or further analysis. From the main menu, click on “Reports” to
display the Reports screen and options with regard to reports.
For a first-time survey all reports will be in “Normal mode”.
For a follow-up survey if the team wishes to analyse trends with regard to
the previous survey results, then the “Compare mode” should be chosen.
Results for only the follow up survey can also be generated in “Normal
mode”.
Types of reports: (More details in the respective sections)
Household characteristics: This section includes reports on
Household Head (gender distribution of HH head), Toilet Facility
(distribution of different kinds of toilet facilities), Floor (different
kinds of floors), Cooking Fuel (type of fuel used) and Drinking
Water (sources of drinking water).
Food Security: Number of households affected by hungry season
(first and second) and the average duration of the hungry seasons.
Assets and Production: Reports on types of Farming Tool used,
distribution of Household Assets and Animal Ownership.
Z-score Reports: Number and percentage of children below 5 who
are below the -2 z-score for underweight children (weight for age),
chronic malnutrition (height for age) or acute malnutrition (weight
for height).
Tip: Before generating any report, click “Calculate PCA” and
PCA Report: This provides the relative wealth distribution of the
“Calculate z-scores” on the bottom right so that the values are
sample (further details in the PCA section and in the final Notes
section). ready to be used in the various reports.

Summary Report: The summary report provides details on a few
broad indicators- households headed by women, literacy, access to
safe water, access to safe sanitation, and child malnutrition.

11


REPORTS FOR A SINGLE SURVEY (IN NORMAL MODE)

Household characteristics
Click on the radio button adjacent to select the report, then click “Display
Report” to generate the report:
Household head: displays the numbers and percentage distribution
of the gender of respondents in table and graph format. The first
page contains the results in a tabular form and the second page
contains the same information graphically displayed.
Floor: The distribution of the type of flooring (Qn 1a) is displayed
in percentage distribution and numbers in both a table and a graph.
Drinking water: The number and percentage distributions of the
types of drinking water (Qn 2) are displayed in table and graph.
Toilet facility: The different types of toilet facilities (Qn 3a) are
displayed.
Cooking fuel: The different types of cooking fuel used (Qn 7) are
displayed.

12


HH characteristics report
All household characteristics reports are displayed the same.
The first page of the report is displayed as a table listing the different
values for HH head, floor, drinking water, toilet facility, or cooking fuel.

Name of project and report type
Number of respondents who answered yes for each value
Number of valid responses
Percentage of respondents who answered yes for each value

Note: The questionnaires with No Responses (listed at the bottom of
the table) are not included in the calculations of the percentages.

The second page of the report contains the graphic representation of the
results. Each group of valid responses is represented by a bar chart on the x-
axis; the y-axis is the % of households (of all valid responses).

13


Food Security

On the Reports screen, click on the radio button adjacent to “Household
affected and duration” under “Food security” and then click “Display
report”.
The first page of the report presents a summary table listing the
number and percentage of households that experienced a first and a
second hungry seasons.

The second table lists, for the first hunry season, the number and
percentage of households affected by duration.

The second page contains the same information for the second
hungry season.

In the third page, the same information is presented graphically,
displaying:

The percentage of households suffering from the first and the
second hungry season.

The average duration of the first and the second hungry season.

14


HH Assets and production
The report desired under HH asets and production can be chosen from the
Reports screen- click on the radio button adjacent to the report needed and
then click on “Display Report”. The format of the reports is the same as for
HH characteristics, i.e. numbers and percentages of reported values. Values
are displayed in tabular form and as graphs.
Farming Tools: The distribution of respondents who responded Yes
or No to “Cultivate farmland” (Qn 8a) and then the distribution of
different cultivating tools used (Qn 8b) is presented in a table. On
the next page, a graph of the distribution of farming tools is
generated.
Household assets: The distribution of assets (from Qn 5 and Qn 6)
is displayed.
Animal ownership: The distribution of ownership of different
animals (Qn 9) is displayed.

Z-score reports
The z-score reports signify the percentage and number of underweight
children and malnourished children. The results are derived from the
anthropometric values. The number of children below the -2 z-score for
each measure displaying underweight children (weight for age), chronic
malnutrition (height for age) or acute malnutrition (weight for height) is

15


calculated.
Weight for age: The number and percentages of boys and girls below
the z-score for weight-for-age signifies underweight children.
Height for age: The number and percentages of boys and girls below
the z-score for height-for-age signifies chronic malnutrition.
Weight for height: The number and percentages of boys and girls
below the z-score for weight for height signifies the level of acute
malnutrition.
Before selecting any of these reports, click on the “Calculte Z-scores”
button from the main Reports menu.
On the Reports screen, click the radio button next to the selected report
under Z-score reports. Then click “Display Report”.
Each report displays the number and percentage of children below the z-
score signifying children who are underweight/ chronic malnutrition/ acute
malnutrition, separated by sex. It shows:
The number of underweight boys and girls.
The percentage of underweight boys and girls.
The graph of the above results.

Note: In this version, the RIMS software uses the second set of
WHO growth standards (2006) which supersedes the standards used
in the previous version. Therefore previous surveys should have their
z-score reports re-calculated with the current software.

16


PCA report
The PCA report summarises the relative wealth of the community and
displays the distribution of HH in numbers and percentages along five
wealth quintiles (Poorest, Poor, Average, Rich, Richest).
Click on the radio button next to PCA on the screen.
Then click on “Calculate PCA” on its right to refresh the PCA
calculations.
Then click on the “Display Report” button to display the PCA
report.

17


PCA report: (Normal Mode)

The generated report displays the relative wealth of households.
The first page displays the information in tabular form.

Wealth quintile
Number of households in each quintile
Percentage of households
Number of female headed households in each quintile
Percentage of female headed households

The second page displays the information as a graph.
Number of households in each quintile along with the female
headed households is presented on the graph.

Note: In most surveys the PCA report in Normal Mode would display
households divided into five more or less equal quintiles. The
movements among the quintiles are displayed when analysing a follow
up survey in Compare Mode.

Summary Report

18


The summary report provides a brief overview of a few overall indicators
including: households headed by women, literacy, access to safe water,
access to safe sanitation, and child malnutrition. To display the report, click
on the radio button adjacent to “Summary Report” and then click on
“Display Report”. The first page of the report shows:
Head of the household, i.e. number and percentage of households
headed by women.
Literacy, i.e. number and percentage of female HH members that
can read, male HH members that can read, number and percentage
of men and women between 15 and 24 that can read and the ratio
of women to men between 15 and 24 that can read.
Access to safe water, i.e. number and percentage of households
with a safe source of water.
Access to safe sanitation, i.e. number and percentage of HH with
safe sanitation.

The second page displays (separately for boys, girls and total):
Acute malnutrition: Number and percentage of children that have
acute malnutrition, i.e. a z-score below -2 in weight for height.
Chronic malnutrition: Number and percentage of children that have
chronic malnutrition, i.e. have a z-score below -2 in height for age.
Underweight: Number and percentage of underweight children that
have a z-score below -2 in weight for age.

The third page displays the same information for acute malnutrition,
chronic malnutrition and underweight for children graphically, again for
boys, girls and total.

19


Navigating and exporting reports
Any of the reports can be exported and saved on the user’s computer by
clicking on the Export button- the button on the top left hand corner of the
screen above the “Main Report” tab. The resulting report can be exported
and saved as Crystal Report (.rpt) or Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe reader
(.pdf) or Excel (.xls) by changing the format while saving. The reports are
by default displayed in .rpt format. They can be saved by clicking on
“Export Report” on the top left hand side. And then while exporting the
report, the format can be changed if needed by clicking on “Save as type”
on the save window and choosing the desired format.

Note: Exported reports, like exported data in Excel, are saved in the
same folder as the RIMS database (i.e. the folder where the RIMS
file was saved when data entry was started).

Total page number of the report is displayed at the bottom.

To navigate from one page to the other, click on “Go to next page” and
“Go to previous page” arrows on the top toolbar.
The reports can be directly printed from this page (by clicking on the Print
Report button on the top menu).

20


Exporting Data to Excel
Click on “Export to Excel” to export data from the survey. Exported files
are saved in CSV format and in the same folder as the RIMS database. The
Excel sheet does not open automatically, but can be opened from the folder
in CSV format, and then saved as an Excel (xlw) workbook.
The names are by default: CountryName_Year_ ProjectName_TypeofFile
(i.e. Anthro, HH,PCA, sur) and can be changed later by the user. These
datasets are useful for checking accuracy and for creating user defined
reports.
Anthro: includes the data from the anthropometric questionnaire;
questionnaire number, child ID, sex, age, height, weight, Z-scores
for height-age, weight-age and weight-height.
HHCom: includes data from the HH members data section of data
entry; questionnaire number, number of HH members, sex, age,
reading levels.
PCAOutput: includes data on the questionnaire number, wealth
index, type of flooring (Qn 1a), Crowding (based on Qn1b), source
of drinking water (Qn2), toilet facility (Qn3), assets (Qn5), assets
(Qn6), cooking fuel (Qn7), animals (Qn9).
Tip: As with the reports, user should export to Excel only after
Surquestion: includes questionnaire number, cluster number, HH ID
clicking “Calculate PCA” and “Calculate Z-scores” so that the latest
(from identifiers), HH head sex and reading (from HH data), floor
(Qn1a), rooms (Qn1b), water (Qn2), toilet (Qn3a and Qn3b), updated figures are ready to be exported.
hungry season (Qn4), assets (Qn5 and Qn6), animals (Qn9),
duration of hungry season.
Exported datasheet:
The exported excel sheet is in CSV format (it can then be saved in
xls format if desired)
The first row contains the question labels (e.g. Water 1, Toilet,
Elect, Radio, etc)
The lower rows contain the responses, in numeric form.

21


COMPARING SURVEYS (REPORTS IN COMPARE MODE)
This section is applicable only for follow-up surveys that compare findings
of the current survey (e.g., a mid-term survey) with earlier baseline
survey.

Features of the Compare Mode: The reports display the data from each
survey separately (in adjacent and separate tables and graphs) for easy
comparison. The PCA report uses data from both surveys- the quintiles in
the new survey will be unequal signifying movements among the quintiles
and changes in relative wealth.

Choosing a survey for comparison
From the main menu, click on “Tools” and then on “Open
Surveys”.
From the browser, choose the two surveys- the two files from the
baseline survey and the current follow-up survey. The “First
Survey” should be the older baseline survey, and the “Second
Survey” should be the new survey.

Tip: Exporting data to Excel in Compare Mode cannot be done. For
exporting data into Excel, the user should export from each survey
separately if further detailed analysis is needed.

22


On the Reports page, the two surveys will be listed on the top of the
screen under “Survey Name”.

Change the mode to “Compare Mode”
Choose the report you wish to compare by clicking on the
adjacent radio button
(Click Calculate PCA and Calculate Z-Scores before generating any
reports)
Click on “Display Report” to produce the report.

23


The report will show the results, as in the normal mode reports, but
for both surveys.

Name of current survey

Results for current survey

Name of baseline survey (chosen for comparison)

Results for baseline survey

24


In the next two pages of the report, the results for both the current
survey and the baseline survey are displayed in graphs.
Name of baseline survey

Results from baseline survey

Name of current survey

Results from current survey

25


PCA Report in Compare Mode:
When generating the PCA Report in Compare Mode, the changes in the
distribution of the quintiles can be measured. In the PCA report, households
are assigned factor scores depending on their performance with regard to
the factors that display the variance in wealth across the community. In
normal mode, all the households are simply divided into five more or less
equal quintiles (Poorest- Poor- Average- Rich- Richest).
In compare mode, the software recalculates the wealth ranking for the new
survey by comparing the new distribution with the old distribution.
Therefore for the same new survey, the report in Normal Mode will only
provide the five equal quintile distribution. However in compare mode, the
new survey is compared to the baseline and the changes in the quintiles are
displayed.

In page 1 of the report, the distribution of households in tabular
form is given for both the old survey and the new survey.

In page 2, the graphical display for the old survey is given.

In page 3, the graphical display for the new survey is given.

26


Repairing database (for surveys created using previous RIMS
software)
The previous RIMS versions (any version before RIMS 6.0) had some
differences. The crucial difference in terms of the database created
was that the previous version allowed missing values for questions.
The current version does not allow any missing values; all values
have to be filled in during data entry, or the “Missing” option from
the drop-down lists selected.

To ensure comparablity between the old files and new files, the
databases have to be adjusted to the new format before using for
comparison.

To repair a database, open the file clicking “File” and then “Open”
from the main menu.

Then click on “Tools” in the main menu toolbar, and then click on
“Repair Database”. This fills in any missing values with the
appropriate missing option (“99” or “9” in most questions). The
database should now be compatible with the upgraded software. If
problems still persist, refer to the section on trouble shooting.
Note: For databases in which the missing values have already been
filled in, the “Repair Database” button will be disabled. In case of
problems in using old surveys, please refer to the section on trouble
shooting.

27


TROUBLESHOOTING AND ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Generating Reports:
The new software is quite a large application and often takes a little while to display the report (30 seconds- 1 minute). Do not click repeatedly on the
Display Report button while the report is being generated. It is advisable not to be running too many other applications at the same time while using the
RIMS software.
Please note that for old surveys (baseline surveys created under the old software), the software only allows report generation and the buttons for “Data
entry”, “Data re-entry”, “Find Cases” and “Verification” are disabled. For old surveys, this ensures that data is not accidentally altered and data quality
is ensured before comparison for reports.
Z-scores:
The z-scores for the anthropometric measures are calculated based on the WHO growth standards (Second Set). Please note that the earlier software
calculated the z-scores on the earlier First round of growth standards. Therefore the results may not be comparable between the old software and the
new software. For old surveys also (if the baseline survey was analysed using the older RIMS software), re-calculate the z-scores (and all the other
reports) using the new software so that the results for both the baseline and the follow-up survey are analysed using the same standards. The number of
children indicated as malnourished is the number having z-scores lower than -2 compared to the WHO growth references for children of the particular
age group.
It should be noted that the software considers the children whose z-scores lie between -6 and +6. Data lying outside these ranges are not included in the
calculations (these can be identified in the exported Anthro file- since the outliers are marked with a zero under the column Flag in the file)
Z-scores are calculated on the basis of months; this is because survey teams often have problems identifying the birth dates of the children. Therefore
only the age in months is sufficient for the anthropometric calculations.
(Additional information on the effects of the updated WHO growth standards:
The improved RIMS software incorporates the new international growth references. This means that the indicator values from baseline surveys done
before 2007 with the previous software will not be directly comparable to indicator values calculated in the new software. To correct for this, any
surveys being compared should be analyzed together in the new software.
For those interested in the specific effects, the following is more detailed information from the frequently asked questions at the WHO website:
http://www.who.int/childgrowth/faqs/en/

A notable effect is that stunting (low height for age) will be greater throughout childhood when assessed using the new WHO standards compared to
the previous international reference. There will be a substantial increase in underweight rates during the first half of infancy (i.e., 0-6 months) and a

28


decrease thereafter. For wasting (low weight for length/height), the main difference between the new standards and the old reference is during
infancy (i.e., up to about 70 cm length) when wasting rates will be substantially higher using the new WHO standards. [)
PCA reports:
The methodology for the PCA reports has been improved in this version. The relative wealth calculations are performed within the software
automatically (in the previous version projects had to extract data, calculate factor scores in SPSS and then generate the PCA report). This should
greatly ease calculations and facilitate a more accurate and timely calculation of relative wealth. The methodology entails the following: First the factor
scores for each asset is calculated; then the assets which have no variance are eliminated and the factors that explain most of the variance in the
population are considered; households are assigned factor scores based on these factors; the households are arranged in order as per their factor scores;
then starting from the lowest the households are divided into equal quintiles i.e. approximately 20% each of the sample. (In a few samples, a large
number of households had the same factor score and therefore were not divided across the quintiles; in these cases the quintiles might be slightly
uneven).
All PCA reports should be calculated for earlier baseline surveys also again in the new software. As a general rule, all the reports should be generated for
both the old and the new surveys (or compared in Compare Mode). There might be slight variations in numbers with the old software due to minor
changes in the parameters used to measure different results.
The results of the PCA report can be demonstrated with a follow-up survey, i.e. the changes in the relative wealth quintiles will be measured only in the
“Compare Mode” choosing the old survey as the First Survey (Tools> Open Surveys> First Survey) and the new survey as the Second Survey (Tools> Open
Surveys> Second Survey). The relative wealth report for the first survey would show equal quintiles again. But the second relative wealth report would
show the changes in the quintiles, displaying how households in the different quintiles have moved.
Cleaning datasets:
If there are problems with report generation in the datasets please check and clean the datasets. It is convenient to export the data into Excel and
cross-verify the answers.
Dataset structure for old surveys: Sometimes the software may not be able to work with an old dataset. This is often due to file corruption or missing
data. For old datasets that are not working (and if the software cannot open the dataset), please check the following inside the database (inside the
Access database):
Check that all the tables are present; in particular the following tables should be present and should be filled: HHCom, Surquestion, PCAOutput,
Anthro.
Problems that are often encountered include: missing households from Surquestion, or PCAoutput or HHCom. There might be incomplete data in
one of the tables. Sometimes only one HH is listed in one or more of the tables.
Check for child-parent relationship, i.e. all children listed in the Anthro table should have a corresponding entry in the HH schedule.
Check to see that there are no missing values. The earlier software allowed for missing values, but this one doesn't. The software should
automatically assign the "missing" value to a blank cell (e.g. 99 for question 1a, 9 for question 3.a) you will know what the code for missing
values is from the data-entry screen (usually 9 or 99).

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Check to see that a whole column does not have missing data, e.g. if a local asset is defined but the responses are not filled in, then the entire
column will be reported as missing. (The error “division by zero” will appear if the HH Assets reports are clicked). Therefore survey teams should
be careful while defining local assets so that it does not become simply a column with missing data later. All the other columns should also have
data entered (the Yes/ No response or the missing code).
A number of datasets might have been assigned a password by the software to protect datasets and ensure not too many users open datasets (it is best
to use only the software and not enter the dataset directly, because altering one table in Access often creates changes in other tables with which the
values have a relationship also, therefore changing values have to be done very carefully). If the dataset needs to be opened directly to be cleaned, then
the password is “moaazrims20”.
In case the dataset cannot be cleaned, then the project will have to re-enter the old data from the questionnaires or old files.

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Reporting on the Impact Survey
The team leader is responsible for drafting a report on the impact survey. This report should include sections on survey methodology, the analysis of the
results and the lessons learned. It should be approximately 20 pages in length. The report should be submitted to project management about one week
after the completion of the survey. Project management is responsible for finalizing the report and providing copies to IFAD and the cooperating
institution normally within one month of the completion of the survey.
The report should follow the annotated table of contents below; where necessary, additional information should be included in appendices.
Annotated Table of Contents
Map of the Project Area
A recent map of the project area should be included; where possible the villages/clusters sampled should be indicated.
A. INTRODUCTION
Project Objective and Implementation
State the project goal and objective, as well as any other information on components of particular relevance to the survey. Refer to specific
indicators relevant to the impact survey that will be used to measure the achievement of the goal, objective, or specific components.
Implementing partners should also be noted. (Approximate length: two paragraphs.)
Project Area and Target Group
Describe key features of the project area and important aspects of the target groups. Any unusual climatic features (e.g., droughts, floods)
that have occurred over the past three years and their effect on the target group should be identified. The existence during the past three
years of other large-scale development programmes, in particular feeding programmes (sponsored, for example, by the World Food
Programme) should also be noted, as well as the termination of such programmes. (Approximate length: two paragraphs.)
Survey Team and Logistics
Provide a brief overview of the administrative arrangements employed during the survey. The composition of the survey team should be
described, including consultants or firms contracted to assist with any aspects of the survey. (An appendix should list the names, roles and
titles of each member of the survey team.) The approximate length for each stage of the survey (i.e., preparation, training, fieldwork and
report writing) should be included if the survey took significantly longer than expected. The type (and source) of the equipment used for
the anthropometric measures should be identified. Key lessons learned in terms of the composition of the team or logistical arrangements
should be noted. (Approximate length: one paragraph.)

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B. SURVEY METHODOLOGY
Sample
Describe the methodology used to define the sampling frame, including the source of the data. The procedure for the selection of villages
and clusters should be described, including the method used to select the random number. The method used for randomly selecting
households within villages and clusters (i.e., household lists, random walk) should be detailed. The method agreed among the survey team
for dealing with non-response households (or uncooperative children) should be noted.
Any changes in the methodology outlined in the manual should be fully explained, and a rationale should be provided. Issues relating to the
definition of the sampling frame, the selection of households, or the interview completion rate should be noted, and recommendations
should be made to resolve these issues. (Approximate length: two paragraphs.)
Training
Note the length and the topics covered during training. (An appendix should include a more detailed agenda of the training programme.)
(Approximate length: one paragraph.)
Data Collection
Summarize the survey experience related to the household questionnaire and the weighing and measuring of children. The total number of
completed interviews should be provided, as well as an indication of the non-response rate. Quality control measures during fieldwork
should be described, as well as any remaining concerns about the quality of the data collection. Any issues related to the anthropometric
measurements should be described, particularly where health cards were not available and the age of the child had to be estimated.
(Approximate length: two paragraphs.)
Data Entry and Analysis
Describe the extent to which data cleaning was required. The process for data entry and error correction used by the survey team should be
outlined, including problems with the data entry application and their resolution. (Approximate length: one paragraph.)
C. SURVEY SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS
Household Composition
Provide the distribution of households by the sex of the head of household (custom Report, percentage of population), the average size of
the household (i.e., the number of members; see custom report, distribution). The distribution by sex of children 0-59 months should be
indicated. (Approximate length: one paragraph.)
D. KEY FINDINGS
The standard reports contained in the RIMS application should be used as the basis for the analysis so as to allow for the eventual
comparison of survey results. Graphs available in the RIMS application can be inserted into the report. Text should be augmented by tables

32


and figures. The results from the survey should be interpreted in this section, with all anomalies highlighted and explained. (Approximate
length: five-seven pages in total.)
Asset Index (Relative Poverty/Wealth)
This section should include an analysis of the wealth quintiles, with specific reference to woman-headed households (see the report on
relative wealth/ PCA). [Movements among wealth quintiles will be available beginning with the second survey.] The PCA factor values from
the first survey can be used to identify key factors contributing to wealth in the project area.
Child Malnutrition
Use the Summary Report (or the three specific anthropometric reports) categories to present the three measures of malnutrition — acute,
chronic, or underweight – reported for girls, boys and combined. Comparisons should be made with other surveys (e.g., Demographic and
Health Surveys or Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, whether national, regional, or specific to the project area). Any anomalies should be
highlighted and explained.
Food Security
An analysis of the food security situation in the project area should include the duration of the hungry season(s) (calendar months and
number). Data with respect to the hungry season should be extracted from the Excel household data. The number of households that
experienced a hungry season(s) during the previous 12 months should be provided, including as a percentage of total respondents and those
respondents experiencing a second hungry season. The length and seasons (i.e., months) during which a hungry period(s) occurred most
frequently should be described. The relationship between the hungry season and agricultural season should be analysed.
Other Socio-Economic Indicators
Summarize key socio-economic indicators (female/male literacy and access to safe water and adequate sanitation). Data can be drawn from
the summary report, as well as from other sources or analyses. The expected effect of project interventions should be identified, as well as
the potential of interventions to impact project beneficiaries adversely (e.g., high levels of poor sanitation or unsafe water would
negatively influence any increases in food security). Additional findings relevant to socio-economic indicators can be included in an
appendix.
E. ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Note: Issues revealed during the course of the survey that may relate to implementation of the project should be covered. Recurrent
questions raised by communities about the project should be included. Issues vis-à-vis the implementation of the survey and the survey
findings should be treated in a separate paragraph. (Approximate length: one or two paragraphs.)
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Survey Team
Appendix 2 Villages/Clusters Visited

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Appendix 3 Training Programme Agenda (including Calendar of Events)
Appendix 4 Questionnaire
Appendix 5 Additional Findings

34

RIMS manual (February 2011)

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