Importing data

This tutorial explains how to import households in bulk. A single import wizard serves all three sources: Excel or CSV file, KoboToolbox and Survey Solutions.

The path of an imported household

1. The wizard places households in pre-collection.
2. There they are checked, then validated or rejected.
3. Validated households are integrated into the social registry, which gives them their identifier.

No imported household goes straight into the registry. See Pre-collection.

Possible sources

Source	Use	Field mapping
Excel / CSV	Loading existing data	Mandatory
KoboToolbox	Mobile collection forms	Mandatory
Survey Solutions	World Bank surveys	Automatic

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Step 1: Open the import wizard

1. In the menu, click Data Collection → Data Collection.
2. In the Households tab, click Import.

The Data import wizard opens. Its steps are shown at the top: Source, Questionnaire, Mapping, Preview and Import. For an Excel file, there is no Questionnaire step.

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Step 2: Source and ownership

Linking the collection

In the Collection ownership block, state who collected the data and in what context:

Field	Mandatory	Role
Data collection institution	Yes	Organisation that collected the data; it also determines who can see the households
Project	Yes	Project the households are linked to
Programme	No	Targeted programme, if the collection targets one

For Kobo and Survey Solutions, the questionnaires offered next are those of the chosen project's account. See Account per project.

Choosing the source

Excel or CSV file

1. Click Download template to get the expected headers.
2. Fill in the template, one row per household.
3. Drag the file onto the drop zone, or click to choose it. Accepted formats: .xlsx, .xls and .csv.

KoboToolbox or Survey Solutions

1. Choose the source.
2. The connection uses the account saved for the project: there is nothing to enter. If the source is not configured, the screen says so.
3. You can click Test connection.

Click Next.

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Step 3: Questionnaire (Kobo and Survey Solutions)

1. Choose the form or questionnaire to import.
2. For Kobo, click Load fields.

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Step 4: Mapping

Kobo and Excel

Match each Bemba field to a file column or a form question. The Auto-detect button suggests the obvious matches; check them.

Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory. The Next button stays disabled until they are all matched:

Mandatory field	Expected content
Campaign	Name of the collection campaign
Region, Sector, Locality	Household location
Household code	Household code in the source
Household size	Number of people
Head's full name	Name of the head of household

Other fields are optional: surveyor, area type, GPS coordinates, head's sex, age and phone, Mobile Money account, education level, occupation, housing.

Survey Solutions

No manual mapping is needed. The questionnaire is read according to its own structure: roster members, head of household, geographic codes and GPS coordinates. See Survey Solutions.

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Step 5: Preview and import

1. Check the preview: source, questionnaire and first rows.
2. Click Start import.
3. Wait until the import ends.

Result

Indicator	Meaning
Collections submitted	New households placed in pre-collection
Collections updated	Already imported households, updated by the new version
Errors	Rows not imported, with the reason

Click View households to move on to validation, or New import to start again.

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Step 6: Validate in pre-collection

1. Open Data Collection → Data Collection, Households tab.
2. Filter if needed by status, region, surveyor or date.
3. Check each household, then Validate or Reject it. A rejection requires a reason.
4. Integrate validated households into the registry, one by one or by selection.

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Handling errors

Error	Cause	Solution
"Unsupported format"	File is neither Excel nor CSV	Save as .xlsx or .csv
"Institution and project required"	Incomplete ownership	Choose the institution and the project in step 1
"No institution registered"	No institution in the MIS	Ask an administrator to create the institution
"Not configured on this server"	No Kobo or Survey Solutions account	Configure the project account
Locality not found	Name or code differs from the reference	Correct the value in the source

To correct, edit the source and run the import again. Households already placed are updated, not duplicated.

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Good practices

Before importing

• Test with a small file or a few submissions.
• Check that region, sector and locality names follow the reference.
• Review submissions in Kobo or Survey Solutions.

After importing

• Read the number of errors and their reasons.
• Process pre-collection households quickly.
• Watch for duplicates flagged at validation.

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Next steps

• Pre-collection
• Find a beneficiary