Data analysis course strengthens technical capacities in Guatemalan institutions

• CATIE and the European Union promote specialized training in the use of the Navure software, within the framework of the PINN Phase II project

From February 12 to March 28, 2025, the course “Sectoral Data Analysis: planning, design, data analysis, interpretation, and presentation of results using Navure software” was carried out. This initiative is part of the National Nutrition Information Platform (PINN) project, implemented by CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and financed by the European Union.

The main objective of the course was to strengthen the technical capacities of personnel from key institutions of the Guatemalan state by providing theoretical and practical tools for sampling design, statistical analysis, database quality control, and the generation of technical and scientific reports. The activity was organized by the PINN project team and CATIE’s Biostatistics Unit.

Thirty-two people participated (16 women and 16 men), representing strategic public institutions such as the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MSPAS), the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), the General Secretariat of Planning and Programming of the Presidency of Guatemala (SEGEPLAN), the Secretariat of Food and Nutritional Security of the Presidency of the Republic (SESAN), the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (ICTA), the National Forestry Institute (INAB), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), and CATIE’s National Office in Guatemala.

The training combined five virtual sessions and one week of in-person sessions in Guatemala, during which master classes were held, working groups were formed, and institutional databases were analyzed. Each institution had the opportunity to apply what they learned and present the results obtained using the Navure software.

Topics addressed included general concepts and types of sampling, survey design, exploratory analysis of qualitative variables, hypothesis testing, and presentation of results through graphs.

In addition, discussions were promoted on the use of data related to the nutrition of children under five years of age, with gender sensitivity and cultural relevance; greenhouse gas emissions; and farmer typologies, especially in relation to food and food and nutritional security.

As part of the course, each participant received a Navure software license, enabling the institutions to continue applying these tools in their data analysis processes and decision-making. This practical component aims to improve the quality of technical reports and support evidence-based planning and budget allocation.

The teaching team was made up of CATIE staff Sergio Vilchez and Eduardo Corrales, guest professor Julio Di Rierzo (creator of the Navure software), under the academic coordination of Eduardo Say, coordinator of the PINN project.

This course represents a key step in consolidating technical capacities within Guatemala’s public institutions, allowing data analysis to become a strategic tool for improving the quality of public policies.