Session tracking overview

This guide is for implementers setting up training and session attendance monitoring. You should know your program's attendance requirements but don't need programming knowledge.

Mental model

Session tracking in OpenSPP has three layers:

Layer	What it does	Example
Session type	Defines the kind of session and its schedule	"Family Development Session - monthly"
Session	A specific instance of a session type	"FDS - March 2026 - Barangay 12"
Attendance	Individual registrant attendance records	"Maria Santos - Present"

Think of it like a class schedule: the session type is the course (with frequency and topics), each session is a class meeting, and attendance is the roll call.

Key concepts

Session types

Session types list showing frequency, duration, and attendance threshold.

Field	What it means
Name	Type label (e.g., "Family Development Session")
Frequency	How often sessions occur
Duration	Expected length in hours
Required Attendance	Minimum attendance percentage for compliance
Topic Tracking	Whether to track topics per session
Topics	List of topics (when tracking is enabled)

Frequency options

Frequency	Meaning
Weekly	Once per week
Bi-weekly	Every two weeks
Monthly	Once per month
Quarterly	Every three months
One-time	Single session, no recurrence

Pre-configured session types

Session type form showing frequency, topics, and required attendance percentage.

Type	Frequency	Duration	Description
Training Session	Monthly	3 hours	Skills development training
Group Meeting	Bi-weekly	2 hours	Peer support group
Family Development Session	Monthly	2 hours	Family welfare education
Workshop	One-time	4 hours	Specialized topic workshop

Topics

When topic tracking is enabled, each session records which topic was covered:

Session Type	Example Topics
Family Development Session	Nutrition, Education, Financial Literacy, Health, Child Protection
Training Session	Business Skills, Agriculture, Digital Literacy

Attendance records

Each attendance record links a registrant to a session:

Field	What it means
Session	Which session instance
Registrant	Who attended
Status	Present, Absent, Excused

Compliance tracking

The Required Attendance percentage determines compliance:

Requirement	Meaning
80%	Must attend 80% of sessions to be compliant
100%	Must attend all sessions
0%	No attendance requirement

Non-compliant beneficiaries can be flagged for follow-up or excluded from certain benefits.

Setting up session tracking

Step 1: Create session types

1. Navigate to Configuration > Session Types

2. Click Create

3. Set the Name, Frequency, and Duration

4. Set the Required Attendance percentage

5. Enable Topic Tracking if needed and add topics

6. Save

Step 2: Create sessions

1. Navigate to Sessions

2. Click Create

3. Select the Session Type

4. Set the date, location, and facilitator

5. Save

Step 3: Record attendance

1. Open a session record

2. In the Attendance tab, add registrant records

3. Mark each as Present, Absent, or Excused

4. Save

Common use cases

Use case 1: Conditional cash transfer compliance

Goal: Track that beneficiaries attend required Family Development Sessions.

Setup:

1. Create an "FDS" session type with monthly frequency

2. Set required attendance to 80%

3. Add topics: Nutrition, Education, Financial Literacy, Health

4. Create monthly sessions and track attendance

5. Use attendance data in program compliance checks

Use case 2: Skills training program

Goal: Track completion of a training curriculum.

Setup:

1. Create a "Skills Training" session type as one-time

2. Create separate sessions for each module

3. Set required attendance to 100% (must complete all modules)

4. Track topic per session (each module is a topic)

Are You Stuck?

Where do I find session tracking?

Look for Sessions in the main menu. If you don't see it, ask your administrator to install the Session Tracking module.

Attendance percentage not calculating?

The system calculates attendance from recorded attendance records. Make sure all sessions have attendance data entered.

Can I bulk-record attendance?

Yes. In the session form, you can add multiple registrants at once and mark their status.

How does attendance affect program eligibility?

Attendance data can be referenced in eligibility formulas. For example, a formula can check whether a beneficiary's attendance rate meets the 80% threshold. See CEL expressions for how to write these formulas.

Topics not showing in session form?

Enable Topic Tracking on the session type first. Topics only appear when tracking is enabled.

Next steps

• Eligibility rules - Use attendance in eligibility rules

• Graduation criteria - Attendance as graduation criteria

• Case management overview - Link sessions to case plans