^{3 May 2018} 

During April, RISE Objective 4 (Well-being) Leader, Professor David Johnston and RISE researchers, Dr Joanne O’Toole, Dr Fiona Barker, Dr Rohan Sweeney and Karinna Saxby conducted human health and well-being lab and field training, and baseline survey piloting with the RISE team in Suva.

Held in the RISE lab at Fiji National University, the training included a thorough review of the draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for sample collection and role-playing with mock interviews. Time was also allocated to consent training to ensure everyone was clear on the process for securing informed consent. Residents from the demonstration site at Tamavua-i-Wai were invited to participate in mock interviews and survey piloting, a key element of the training and piloting process.

Of the training, Professor Johnston said, “The time spent in Suva, training the team and piloting the survey, was extremely valuable. It was encouraging to see the enthusiasm of the team in Suva for ensuring the quality of data collection. The participation of residents from Tamavua-i-Wai greatly strengthened the training and survey piloting, significantly increasing the confidence of our team.”

RISE Suva Laboratory Technician, Silvia Rosova-Vilsoni echoed Professor Johnston’s observation about the strengthened capacity of the team. “The training we received during April has set us on the right course to ensuring the quality of data collected, in addition to strengthening the quality of our interactions with the community in gaining this data,” said Ms Rosova-Vilsoni. “The lab at FNU is a well-equipped environment in which to work, and the whole team is very excited about getting this process started.”