Welcome to the DHIS2 Online Academy “Learner Voices” series! We interviewed the most active learners from the Online Academy, and asked them to share their thoughts about the courses they have taken, and how they have used their knowledge to build capacity, support their organizational goals, and grow their own careers.
In this post, you will hear from Minwiyelet Fiseha @Minwiyelet_Fiseha, a senior agriculture information system technical advisor at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
To learn more about the Online Academy, click here.
Minwiyelet Fiseha, Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia
Q: Please introduce yourself — your name, job title, and organization.
My name is Minwiyelet Fiseha, and I am the Senior Agriculture Information System Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture in Ethiopia, engaged through UNICEF via LonAdd Consultancy PLC.
I have been leading the development of AGMIS2 (Agriculture Information System 2), a DHIS2-powered Agriculture and Nutrition Information System and event-based food and nutrition surveys (successfully deployed), as well as developing an animal health surveillance system based on Tracker Program – Event-Based Surveillance design aligned with FAO requirements.
Q: Why and when did you first start taking courses in the DHIS2 Online Academy?
I started taking DHIS2 Academy online courses when I realized that Ethiopia’s agriculture information systems were highly fragmented and dependent on outdated tools. To design a modern and scalable system, I needed advanced skills in DHIS2 customization, analytics, and system design.
Q: What motivated you to complete multiple courses and stand out as a top learner?
I was motivated by the urgent need to build a national system that could integrate food, nutrition, crops, livestock, and animal health data. Each course equipped me with tools I could immediately apply to real projects, which motivated me to continue.
Q: What kept you engaged throughout the courses?
The practical exercises, step-by-step video lessons, and certificates of completion helped me stay motivated. More importantly, I tested what I learned directly in Ethiopia’s agriculture programs. Seeing real-world impact—like improved data entry forms and better dashboards—kept me engaged.
Q: Were there course features/formats that helped you stay committed (videos, exercises, certificates)?
Yes. The DHIS2 training instance Trainingland was very helpful because it allowed me to practice directly on a live system. The practical exercises and graded assessments kept me accountable and showed progress. I also appreciated the short, focused video lessons, which made it easier to stay committed without feeling overwhelmed.
Q: Practical suggestions for people who struggle to complete online courses?
Break the course into small, manageable sessions based on your learning pace, and link each lesson to your own project for practical application. Keep the big picture in mind—what you’ll achieve once you finish—and set aside time for learning. Small steps add up and bring big results.
Q: Describe what your organization does with DHIS2: sector, programs, configuration (Aggregate vs Event vs Tracker), and why it matters.
Our Ministry uses DHIS2 as the backbone for managing data across agriculture, nutrition, and livestock programs. I designed the system to support different data collection needs using all three main DHIS2 applications: Aggregate, Event, and Tracker.
Aggregate: I developed 12 datasets covering crop production, food and nutrition indicators, and livestock statistics—100+ data elements, 100 data validation rules, and 20+ dashboards. These datasets are being piloted successfully, and we are preparing to scale up to 155 woredas (second-lowest administrative level). This ensures timely, standardized reporting, replacing legacy AGMIS.
Event: For social and behavior change communication (SBCC) of the Food and Nutrition office and PACT (Participatory Agriculture & Climate Transformation), I designed and deployed a national event-based survey (contains 75+ Tracker data elements and program rules), collecting responses from 452 participants across 9 regions. Integrating this into AGMIS2 provided real-time dashboards (with Excel export and built-in analysis) and enables future baseline/midline/endline comparisons, which were not possible with previous tools like Kobo Toolbox.
Tracker: I am customizing the DHIS2 Animal Health toolkit to suit Ethiopia’s requirements, aligning with FAO surveillance standards. This system is being tested to monitor disease outbreaks and animal health services, and I am going to expand it into a national One Health system that links agriculture, livestock, and human health data for integrated surveillance.
Why it matters: The AGMIS2 pilot is showcasing how agriculture data can be transformed in Ethiopia by enhancing timeliness, accuracy, and evidence-based decision-making. Policymakers now access reliable, real-time dashboards instead of waiting months for fragmented reports, and higher officials have endorsed the system for national scale-up.
Q: How does DHIS2/DHIS2 data support your organization’s goals?
Data collected through AGMIS2 directly supports the Ministry’s mandate to strengthen food security, nutrition, and climate-resilient agricultural development. By unifying data across crops, livestock, and nutrition, the system ensures timely, accurate reporting. Policymakers rely on real-time dashboards for decision-making rather than delayed, fragmented reports, improving planning and resource allocation. The pilot’s efficiency, transparency, and accountability led to official endorsement for national scale-up as a core system for agricultural data governance.
Q: A specific example of how a course helped you solve a challenge.
Almost my entire AGMIS2 journey was directly supported by DHIS2 Academy courses and documentation. The courses guided me step by step—from planning implementation; understanding DHIS2; using data collection tools; to customization in both Aggregate and Tracker programs. They taught me how to design datasets, category combinations, validation rules, configure reporting and visualization dashboards, and set up approval workflows.
Q: Concrete result/impact from applying that knowledge.
A key challenge was understanding sharing in DHIS2—configuring sharing settings for datasets, dashboards, categories, and user roles. Incorrect settings initially limited access. The Academy’s customization course explained sharing clearly, with exercises on applying it in different contexts. After applying that knowledge, I set correct sharing rules and ensured the right balance between data access and data security.
This improved collaboration among all stakeholders, with data shared correctly across kebele → woreda → national levels and across programs such as SBCC, without compromising protection.
Q: Have you shared this knowledge with colleagues? Influence on your team?
Yes. After demonstrating how AGMIS2 improves agriculture and nutrition data management, the Ministry’s ICT Executive officially adopted DHIS2 Academy courses as part of its capacity-building program. I support this initiative—helping staff enroll and mentoring them as they apply their learning.
Our in-house capacity has increased: the team can now configure metadata for Aggregate programs. Kebele, woreda, regional, and other experts gained confidence in data entry and analysis. This created a culture of collaboration and continuous learning, accelerating scale-up of AGMIS2 and strengthening the Ministry’s digital transformation.
If needed, I can help arrange virtual workshops, facilitate communication with leadership, and ensure alignment with Ministry priorities—strengthening both individual skills and institutional capacity.
Q: How has mastering DHIS2 influenced your role, responsibilities, or career opportunities?
Mastering DHIS2 significantly expanded my role. I moved from technical support to a strategic advisor guiding the Ministry’s digital transformation. I’ve been trusted to design and lead national pilots—AGMIS2, SBCC survey, Animal Health Tracker—connecting to One Health. This positioned me as both a technical implementer and a leader shaping Ethiopia’s data-driven agriculture agenda, opening new opportunities with impact beyond a single program.
Q: Contribution to broader mission/goals of your organization?
My DHIS2 expertise supports the Ministry’s mission to create an integrated national agriculture information system. By expanding AGMIS2, adding event-based surveys and Tracker systems for animal health, and linking AGMIS2 with other national systems (e.g., Ministry of Health, CSA), we improved data collection, quality, timeliness, analysis, visualization & sharing, and accessibility. Policymakers can make evidence-based decisions more quickly and coordinate across sectors (agriculture, nutrition, livestock, health). DHIS2 has become a foundation for strengthening food and nutrition security and sustainability through better information management.
Q: If recommending the DHIS2 Online Academy, what is its single most important value?
It bridges the gap between data analysis and strategic action—delivering practical, hands-on expertise that helps professionals master the platform and leverage data for better program management, policy design, and organizational impact.
Q: What would you change about the courses or the learning platform?
Curriculum for Strategic Leadership: Specialized courses for senior officials and policymakers, focusing on how DHIS2 turns complex data into actionable intelligence for decision-making, resource allocation, and policy formulation.
Cross-Sector Applicability: Highlight adaptability to agriculture, education, logistics, not only health.
Flexible Learning Models: Maintain blended free + paid tiers—broad access plus advanced content for specialized needs.
From my experience, I built capacity on DHIS2 interoperability with UNICEF support, which enhanced my technical expertise. But onsite training options were often Europe-based, costly, or scheduled against program obligations, so I missed some in-person opportunities.
Q: What would make the experience more useful for professionals like you?
Expanded Technical Depth: A comprehensive suite of advanced, hands-on courses covering the full development lifecycle—end-to-end Tracker implementation, system integration, interoperability standards, and customization for web and Android.
AI-Enhanced Learning: Adaptive learning paths, interactive simulations, scenario-based exercises, and platforms for peer collaboration and mentorship to elevate the Academy from technical training to a strategic professional development hub.
