TraiNet and Visa Compliance System Support United States Agency for International Development

Using TraiNet FAQ

What is TraiNet?

TraiNet Desktop is USAID's official training data management system that is installed on a local computer or local area network. It is the entry point for data about training programs and participants in their country of origin, a third country, or for potential exchange visitors who will come to the United States on a USAID J-1 visa. You must enter data into TraiNet for any program fully or partially funded by USAID. Please see ADS 252 and 253 for additional information on specific policy and procedures.information.

How Do I Get TraiNet?

Contact the TraiNet Helpdesk (jvisa@devis.com) and request TraiNet. You will be asked to provide some information on your project, including your CTO's contact information, and the name and contact information for the person who will be your primary Trainet user. There will be some questions asked in reply se we can help guide you through the rest of the deployment.

I just installed TraiNet, but I’ve been told I must wait to enter data until I have received top-tier data from the mission. What does this mean, and why must I wait?

TraiNet data is divided into two parts: top-tier data and training data. See What is Top-Tier Data?. In nearly every case, top-tier data should be entered and managed by a USAID mission and training data is entered and managed by the training contractor, or grantee. When you enter training data, you must link each Training Program to an Activity, which is part of top-tier data. Therefore, you must have top-tier data in your TraiNet system before you enter training data. Ask the TraiNet administrator at your USAID mission to transfer the mission's top-tier data to you. If you are a centrally-funded contractor, it is not necessary to have a particular mission transfer their top-tier data to you before you enter your training data; however, you must have at least one Activity in your system before you enter a training program. Typically, this Activity would be entered as the name of your centrally-funded project.

TraiNet stores its data in MS-Access format. I don't have MS-Access. Can I still run TraiNet 2?

Yes, you can use TraiNet2 even if you do not have Access installed. However, TraiNet2 uses Microsoft Access as its reporting engine. So you must have MS-Access 2000 or higher to produce reports from TraiNet2.

How can I get a copy of the TraiNet user manual?

Instead of a hard-copy, printed User Manual, TraiNet's user documentation is included exclusively in its on-line help system. Just press the F1 key anywhere in TraiNet to get help.

There is a printed TraiNet 2 Setup and Installation Guide to help you in setting up TraiNet and using TraiNet Reports. Download it in the Documents area of this web site.

What data am I required to enter in TraiNet?

According to ADS 253, Section E253.5.4 In-country Training: "Training data must be consolidated according to training program or sub-program, and must identify:

  • Subject area of training;
  • Total trainees per participant group, with gender breakdown;
  • Total cost of training for each program; and
  • Direct training costs (program costs, not overhead/fees)."

In Country training programs or sub-programs of less than 3 days (15 contact-hours) total duration need not be reported. If a Mission places large numbers of group enrollees in a one-day class, or otherwise finds that short-duration in-country training programs are having notable impact, it may at its own option record those exchange visitors as well.

According to The Complete Guide to USAID J Visa Compliance" (downloadable on this web site in the documents section), for U.S.-based training the following fields are required:

Trainee Information, Overview Tab:

  • Trainee Last Name (Note: First Name is NOT required, but First and Last Name entered in TraiNet MUST match the first and last name as they appear on the passport)
  • Gender
  • Birth Date (MUST match passport exactly)
  • Birth City (MUST match passport exactly)
  • Birth Country
  • Residence Country
  • Citizenship Country
  • Trainee US School Address
    • Line 1
    • City
    • State
    • Zip Code (must be five digits)
    • Country

Trainee Information, Details Tab, Visa Grid:

  • Position Code
  • Visa Type
  • Visa Category
  • Passport Number (MUST match passport exactly)
    • This is so Approvers have something to match on when they enter the passport number as validation

Program Information, Overview Tab

  • Field of Study

Program Information, Detail Tab, Training Component Grid

  • US Training Component Start and End Dates
  • Training provider (facility) name
  • Training provider (facility) address
    • Line 1
    • City
    • State
    • Zip Code (must be five digits)
    • Country

Program Information, Details Tab, Trainees Enrolled in Program grid

  • Trainee Status
    • For new trainees the status must be Planned, Candidate or Alternate

Program Information, Details Tab, Attendance grid

  • In US Component, Trainee's name must have a check next to it to indicate they are attending the portion of the program held in the US

Program Information, Funding Tab, USAID funding grid

  • Budgeted Funding amount
    • Must be greater than zero

Program Information, Funding Tab, Other funding grid (non-usaid)

  • If a line exists here the amount must be greater than zero, however this is not a required field

For the entry of minimum data in TraiNet, the built-in rules will guide you in determining what fields are and are not necessary. NOTE: Minimum data entry in TraiNet does not apply to US-based training. Refer to the field list above for required fields for US-based training. Data entry is accomplished through a wizards interface. Each wizard screen has a set of instructions, with required fields marked with an asterisk. Data entry may not proceed from screen-to-screen in the wizards interface if any asterisked fields are blank.

Please see the next FAQ What data am I NOT required to enter into TraiNet?

What data am I NOT required to enter in TraiNet?

Please see the previous FAQ What data am I required to enter into TraiNet? For in-country training programs of less than three days duration, data entry into TraiNet is not required. All U.S.-based training programs MUST be entered into TraiNet and electronically transferred through the Visa Compliance Server and ultimately into SEVIS where the DS2019 is created.

On a field-by-field basis, the data entry rules built into TraiNet provide a guide for what is and is not required. Creation of new records is accomplished through a wizards interface. Required fields are marked with an asterisk. All other fields are not required. Your own USAID mission, however, may make it's own determination regarding what it deems essential data entry.

What's the easiest way to enter a Training Program and Trainee data in TraiNet?

Three different ways to enter data into TraiNet.

Three ways to enter data:

TraiNet provides several ways to add and access data: the Taskbar, the Main menu and Bookmarks (See figure). One of the most common ways to enter a Training Program is through the Taskbar at the left side of the main TraiNet screen. Under the "Get Started" Tab, select "Create a Training Program". The Training Program Wizard will appear. Enter all required fields (those that have an asterisk) and follow the instructions associated with each field. Each TraiNet wizard screen has four sections: a brief description, field-by-field prompts, the data-entry fields themselves and navigation buttons at the bottom.

To enter a Trainee, from the Taskbar select the "Manage Training Data" tab and select "Individuals" or "Groups". In the next window, select the Action menu at the top right of the browse screen and choose either "Create A New Trainee" or "Create A New Group". Follow the Trainee Wizard prompts for field-by-field assistance.

You may also download and refer to the following document:

How to create a training program (doc file, 1334KB)

The Training Program Wizard asks "Does this Training Program have more than one Training Component?" What should I say? What is a Training Component?

A training component is one part of a multi-part training program. Sometimes it's necessary – or just convenient – to divide a Training Program into "pieces". TraiNet calls these pieces Training Components – components are parts of a single Training Program. Some examples of when you might divide a Training Program into Components:

  • Part of training program occurs at one Training Provider and the rest at a different Training Provider: For example, ESL training at University A and Masters degree at University B.
  • Parts of the training occur at different locations: For example, a training program consists of an in-country seminar followed by a regional conference in a third country.
  • The Training Program has more than one training type (workshop, conference, degree program, etc.): For example, a conference in Washington is followed by an observational study tour elsewhere in the U.S.
  • The Training Program is really a series of programs offered more than once: For example, two or more in-country workshops with the same content, but organized either on different dates or for different trainees.

In all these examples, you could simply enter each Component as a separate Training Program. In fact, there's nothing wrong with that. But using Components gives you a more accurate picture of your training and can save you a lot of time by avoiding reentering all the data common to each component (Program Dates, Trainees, Activity, SO, Field of Study, Program Status, etc.)

Every Training Program has at least one Training Component. A default component is created when the Training Program itself is created. Most training programs consist of that one default component. There's no need for any more. To create a multi-component training program, you simply add components to the one that's already there. There are two ways to do this:

  • If you use the Training Program Wizard, it will ask if your Training Program has more than one Component. Just answer yes and the wizard will guide you through the process of adding more Components.
  • If a Training Program already exists and you want to add Components to it:
  1. View the Training Program
  2. Click the Detail tab
  3. In the Components in Current Program section, choose Add a Component to the Program on the Actions menu.

Attendance

If you divide a Training Program into Components, by default TraiNet assumes that all Trainees who attended the Program attended all the Components. If that is not the case, use the Attendance for Trainees in Current Program section of the Training Program Detail tab to specify which Trainees attended which Components.

I clicked "Trainees - Individuals" or "Trainees - Groups" in the Bookmark area (or made one of those choices from the Training menu) and now I don't see any Trainees. What's wrong?

If you have entered Trainees into TraiNet, nothing is wrong. This screen is blank when first displayed. To display individual trainees in the browse list:

  • Click a letter at the top of the screen to display trainees whose Last Name begins with the letter you clicked

or -

  • Click All to display all trainees.

The following document can be downloaded to provide further assistance:

Viewing Training Data in TraiNet (doc file, 142KB. This document gives a graphic description of how to view training programs and trainees in TraiNet - an easy, but often-times confusing interface for first-time TN2 users.)

I clicked Programs in the Bookmark area (or chose Training Programs from the Training menu or Taskbar) and now I don't see any Training Programs. What's wrong?

Click "All" (or one of the other statuses: "Planned", "Cancelled", etc.) at the top of the screen. This screen is blank because it only displays the training programs that match the status you choose at the top. The following document can be downloaded to provide further assistance:

Viewing Training Data in TraiNet (doc file, 142KB. This document gives a graphic description of how to view training programs and trainees in TraiNet - an easy, but often-times confusing interface for first-time TN2 users.)

Why are there sometimes several Actions menus on one screen?

Actions Menus are associated with every area/section of TraiNet where data can be added, edited, deleted or updated. Actions menus appear throughout TraiNet. Always check the Actions menu to see what tasks you can perform in that part of the program. For example, the Detail Tab of the Program Information screen has four Actions menus - one Actions Menu for each of the three sections associated with the Detail Tab, and one main Actions menu, always located in the top right portion of the screen that allows you to close that screen (and in some cases remove the personal bookmark from the bookmark section at the right of the TraiNet screen) and Help, which provides context-sensitive help.

What are Success Stories and Lessons Learned?

TraiNet allows you to keep track of the successes in your training programs. Later, you can create reports that show your training success. This can be helpful in determining whether to repeat a similar program for a different set of trainees in the future, whether to use the same training facility, location, instructor, training format, etc. Or, Success Stories and Lessons Learned can be summaries of individuals who have successfully integrated their USAID-funded training into their work at home. Choose to document training successes and lessons learned in a format that is appropriate to assist your organization in providing evaluative data to assess your programs and the individuals who particpate in them.

Enter Success Stories on the Training Program Overview tab. Just type a description of the success of this training program in the text box provided. Also, Success Stories can be entered:

  1. From the Main menu, choose Training

or -

In the TraiNet Task Bar, click Manage Training Data

  1. Click Success Stories
  2. Select a Success Story from the list and edit its description.

When entering funding data, how do I know whether to choose Trainee, Instruction, or Travel for the category?

Funding information is added through the USAID Cost Tracking Wizard. Instructions on how to categorize your costs are outlined on the first page of the wizard.

Instruction Costs cover items like:

  • Books, equipment, supplies, course handouts, etc.
  • Seminar/Conference/Workshop fees
  • Published academic tuitions and fees

Trainee Costs cover items like:

  • Per diem rates, medical exams, visa fees
  • Health and accident insurance premiums
  • Taxes

Travel Costs cover items like:

  • Costs directly incurred transporting the exchange visitor from the home country to the training country and back, as well as costs related to travel within the training country.

I have a Training Program that is funded from two Activities. How do I enter split funding?

When you enter a line in the USAID Contract Funding Information section of a Training Program's funding tab, you can pick the Activity funding block that is the source of funds. To split fund a Training Program, enter more than one item into the USAID Contract Funding Information section and pick different Activity funding blocks. All of these funding sources will print on Training Agreement reports.

We have dozens or hundreds of In-Country trainees and we don't even know all their names. How can I enter their training in TraiNet?

Per ADS-253, In-Country data can be entered as groups (i.e. without name and address details). TraiNet was designed to support Best Practices which includes monitoring the results of ICT as well as US and Third Country training.

From the Detail Tab of the Program Information screen, select the Actions menu for the section Groups currently enrolled. Enter the group name and number of males and females who participated in this program.

What is Top-Tier data?

TNDataHierarchy.JPG

Top-Tier data gets its name because of its position at the top of the TraiNet data hierarchy (See figure). Top-tier data consists of Strategic Objectives, Intermediate Results and Activities. Under certain circumstances, Target Groups and Performance Results could be considered top-tier data, too, but only if the mission enters them and distributes them for general use to contractors and grantees (like SOs and IRs). Alternatively, contractors and grantees can enter their own Target Groups and Performance Results.

What are Target Groups and Performance Results?

Target Group is a TraiNet software concept that allows you to categorize and report on the people who benefit from your Training Programs. Target Groups are created in the context of an Activity, so think of Target Groups as the people who will benefit from the training funded by an Activity – not people in the individual sense (those are Trainees) but people grouped into categories that mean something in the context of the Activity. Here are some examples of Target Groups you might create for certain types of Activities.

  • Entrepreneurs - Dakar (for a small business Activity)
  • Managers - Ministry of Health (for an Activity supporting a ministry)
  • Rural health workers (for a public health Activity)
  • Women farmers - Western Region (for an agricultural Activity)
  • Teachers - Hanover District (for an education Activity)

Performance Results

Think of Performance Results as the improvement you would expect to see in the output or productivity of a Target Group. Performance Results are created for a given Target Group, so for the Target Group "Teachers in the Hanover District" some Performance Results might be:

  • Student math scores increase 10% after five years
  • Demonstrated improvement in quality of lesson plans
  • Number of accredited teachers increases by 25% after five years

Top-Tier Data

Target Groups and Performance Results may be (but don't have to be) entered by the mission as Top-Tier Data then distributed to contractors and grantees running TraiNet.

I have too many Bookmarks open. What do I do?

You may close ALL Bookmarks at one time, or close only those Bookmarks you no longer need, or use.

How to close ALL Bookmarks:

  • Select the Actions menu on the top right portion of the Bookmarks section on the right side of the TraiNet screen.
  • Choose Close All Bookmarks.

How to close individual Bookmarks:

  • From the Bookmarks section, select the Bookmark you wish to close.
  • From the Actions menu on the top right portion of the screen to the left, select Close.

How do I edit Training Program or Trainee information?

The "Program Information" and "Trainee Information" screens have several pages, or "tabs", with different interfaces for data entry.

The Program Information screen has the following tabs:

  • Overview
  • Detail
  • Funding
  • Links

The Trainee Information screen has the following tabs:

  • Overview
  • Detail

On the Overview page of these screens, simply place your cursor in the field you wish to edit and type the change you wish to make.

On the subsequent pages, or "tabs", the interface is different. Information is displayed in "sections", with individual records represented as horizontal rows and the fields in each record represented as column headings. Each section has an Actions Menu associated with it. Under each Actions Menu are sub-menu choices that allow you to Add, Edit, or Delete records in the respective section.

There are two ways to Edit information in this interface.

  1. Double click on the record (row) you wish to edit and you will be presented with a screen that will allow you to edit information on a field-by-field basis.
  2. Click once on the record you wish to edit, then, from the Actions Menu associated with that section select "Edit...".

I am the TraiNet administrator for my mission. What does that mean exactly?

It is suggested the TraiNet Administrator carry-out the following responsibilities:

  • Maintain and report data in the mission TraiNet installation
    1. Enter and maintain Top-Tier data.
    2. Send Top-Tier data to all contractor/grantee TraiNet sites.
    3. Receive program data from contractor/grantee TraiNet sites.
    4. Send all data to Washington, DC.
    5. Generate reports as requested by mission personnel.
    6. Scan contractor/grantee data sent to the mission TraiNet system and make requests to correct any data errors.
  • Manage contractor/grantee relationships
    1. Provide a first line of support for TraiNet questions. Involve USAID MIS staff, where appropriate.
    2. Ensure contractors/grantees submit data according to mission agreements/policies (quarterly submission of data?).
    3. Notify devIS when a new training contractor comes online. Request a TraiNet disk from devIS (and receive a Site ID from devIS). Assist contractor with installation, or refer them to devIS, if necessary. Provide contractor with devIS support information:
  • Administrative Responsibilities
    1. Be point-of-contact for any devIS TDY's.
    2. Play role of Verifier for the VCS (this will be decided on a mission-by-mission basis).
    3. Maintain list of active training contractors.

How and why do missions send training data to USAID/Washington?

TraiNet data is sent and received using the Transfer Data tab on the Taskbar, located on the left side of the main TraiNet screen. Select "Transfer Data", then choose the "Send Data" or "Receive Data" buttons. Download the attached file for a graphical examination of this topic.

It is recommended that top-tier and training data be sent to Washington on at least a quarterly basis, following receipt of training data from all contractors/grantees.

According to ADS 253, the document that sets overall training policy for USAID, all missions are required to report on their training activities as part of their broader performance measurement, evaluation, and reporting requirements. The G/HCD bureau of USAID sets this policy. G/HCD collects training data from missions to fulfill a central USAID function of answering Congressional inquiries, reporting annually to USIA on J-1 visa use, and providing feedback to sponsoring units on cost-saving or other ideas.

You may also want to see the FAQ: How and why do contractors and grantees send training data to a USAID mission?

TraiNet data transfer description (doc file, 70KB. This document summarizes the components of the TraiNet data transfer wizard.)

How and why do contractors and grantees send training data to a USAID mission?

TraiNet data is sent and received using the Transfer Data tab on the Taskbar, located on the left side of the main TraiNet screen. Select "Transfer Data", then choose the "Send Data" or "Receive Data" buttons. Download the attached file for a graphical examination of this topic.

It is recommended that training data be sent to the mission on at least a quarterly basis, though that decision ultimately lies with each mission. They will direct you accordingly. Data is collected by the mission from each TraiNet site to enable the mission to gain a complete picture of the training programs they sponsor.

According to ADS 253, the document that sets overall training policy for USAID, all missions are required to report on their training activities as part of their broader performance measurement, evaluation, and reporting requirements. The G/HCD bureau of USAID sets this policy. G/HCD also collects training data from missions, or their contractors/partners, to fulfill a central USAID function of answering Congressional inquiries, reporting annually to USIA on J-1 visa use, and providing feedback to sponsoring units on cost-saving or other ideas.

You may also want to see the FAQ: How and why do missions send training data to USAID/Washington?

TraiNet data transfer description (doc file, 70KB. This document summarizes the components of the TraiNet data transfer wizard.)

I am a US-based training contractor with data from many countries. I need to send training data to a specific USAID mission. How do I do that?

When electronically transferring data to a mission (See previous FAQ), TraiNet does not automatically select training data for the specific country. You must select specific choices from the subsequent screens in the "Data Transfer Wizard" that filter the training data for the mission you wish to send data to. It is likely that you have a specific Activity, or Activities, assigned to you for each country in which you process exchange visitors. By choosing to send "Partial Training Data" and then choosing the specific Activity for which you choose to send training data, you should be able to send data just for that country. Please see the document, below, for a graphical representation of the screens you are presented with in the Data Transfer Wizard and the selections you want to consider making.

Data Transfer - Activities (doc file, 215KB. How to transfer data for an Activity.)

An Administrator at another TraiNet site has told me she sent data to my TraiNet site. When I look in my TraiNet data, I don't see the data that was sent. Why not?

TraiNet uses the Internet to transfer data between sites. Data does not move directly from one TraiNet system to the other. When data is sent from one TraiNet site to another it first goes to an internet server where it "waits" to be received by the other site.

Both the sending and receiving TraiNet sites must have Internet access to exchange data with each other. If both sites do not have access to the Internet, contact TraiNet Support for guidance.

Sending Data: First you must know the Site ID of the TraiNet installation to which you wish to send data. Launch the Data Transfer Wizard, enter the Site ID of the TraiNet site to which you wish to send data, and use the wizard to specify which data to send (top-tier, training program, target groups, or some combination). When you are finished, the Data Transfer Wizard will upload the data to an XML server where it "waits" until the receiving site comes to pick it up.

Receiving Data: To receive data from another site, first the sending site must send the data to the XML server. Sometime later, a user at the receiving site clicks the Transfer Data button on the TraiNet Task Bar and chooses Receive Data. TraiNet immediately logs into the XML server, downloads any transfers waiting for its Site ID, and imports the downloaded data into the local database.

Once data is downloaded by the receiving site you still may not see the new data until you use the filter conditions in the Program Information, or Trainee Information browse screens. Once you have located the program, or trainee, you may select it and choose to add it to your list of personalized Bookmarks at the right side of your screen. Please refer to the attached document for more details on viewing training data in TraiNet.

Viewing Training Data in TraiNet (doc file, 142KB. This document gives a graphic description of how to view training programs and trainees in TraiNet, an easy, but often-times confusing interface for first-time TN2 users.)

TraiNet tracks a lot of data, but I want to track other data about my trainees or my training programs that is not included in TraiNet. Can I do that?

TraiNet's user-defined fields offer a limited way to tailor the system to your own data collection needs. Even though TraiNet collects extensive data about training programs and trainees, it may not collect data unique to your needs. Thus, user-defined data allows you to define some additional data elements.

User-defined data can be created in four areas of TraiNet: Training Programs, Trainees, Activities and Target Groups. Two different types of fields can be defined: option and text. An option field is a predefined list of data values (unlimited number of list items). A text field permits data typed directly into it (limit 15 characters). The third element of user-defined fields common to both option and text fields is the "caption", which defines the name of the field. A caption is a label for the field, like "Program Name", "Start Date", etc.

To add user-defined fields:

  1. From the Taskbar at the left of the main TraiNet screen, choose the "Other" tab.
  2. Select "Set My Site Preferences".
  3. Four fields can be defined for the Trainee screen, two for Activities, two for Programs and two for Target Groups. To change the field label, modify the text in the white box next to the "caption" label.
  4. For Option fields, click on the "Manage List" item to add selections to the field list.

For example, perhaps you'd like to show what region a trainee comes from. In the "Trainee Option 1" field, next to the "Caption" label where it says "List 1", type "Region". Click on the "Manage List" item and add four entries to the list: Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western. Close the "User Defined Fields Wizard", go to the Trainee screen (select a Trainee to view) and see your change at the bottom of the Overview Tab in the User Defined Fields section.

Comments: Note that you can add an item to the Options list by choosing , but you can only change the Caption or delete items from the list on the Site Maintenance screen.

User-defined data for Activities, Training Programs, and Target Groups would look and work the same way as described above, except that there would be no text fields. You can only define Options lists for Activities, Training Programs, and Target Groups.

Can I change the items in list fields?

A new installation of TraiNet comes with pre-defined lists, such as City, State, Field of Study, Training Type, Country, Status, etc. Lists are used to provide standardized data entry, minimize spelling errors, speed up data entry and to avoid problems of creating duplicate entries.

Connected to this is the issue of site ownership. Each TraiNet site has a unique Site ID. Site ID's are assigned from a central database in Washington. Every TraiNet installation must have a unique Site ID. TraiNet sites can share data with other TraiNet sites. When data from different sites is pooled together, the Site ID allows TraiNet to keep everything straight and prevent other sites from editing your data. For example, if a contractor sends its training data to a mission, TraiNet users there cannot edit the contractor's data because it has a different Site ID.

The same rule applies to data in "lists". Most lists in TraiNet are filled from Washington using Site ID HCDTRN. Therefore, data in these lists (like City, State, Training Type, Status, Country, Position Code, etc.) cannot be changed by another site. However, in most lists new items can be added by selecting "Add New Item" at the top of the drop down list. It is important to keep in mind that some of these lists are very long and thorough and new items may not need to be added. Before adding a new item to a list, please scan the list thoroughly to make sure your choice is not already included. Once you have added an item to the list you may change or delete it since you are the "owner" of that record. However, if you send your data to another TraiNet site that site will not be able to change your selection since they are not the "owner" of that record.

There are a lot of duplicates or inaccurate data in the City List in TraiNet. Can I fix that?

No, not unless your TraiNet site actually added some of the items in the list. TraiNet data is protected by Site ID, which is "stamped" on each record at the time the new data is added. Therefore, data entered in the City list by another site may not be edited by you. You may delete the record from your installation of TraiNet; however, the next time you receive data from another site your list will be refreshed with the original data from the sending site.

If you added cities at some point and then realize you added a duplicate, you may go back and delete YOUR record from the list and then select the city record that came with the default list.

My organization has other non-USAID funded training programs that we manage in our office. Can we use TraiNet to track these programs?

Yes; however, it is recommended that you make a separate installation of TraiNet on another computer in your office. Because the data in TraiNet is transferred to a central database in Washington, DC, where USAID training data from around the world is reported to Congress, the Department of State and other governmental agencies, it is not recommended that you use the same installation of TraiNet to store non-USAID training. Currently, it is also not possible to install a second copy of TraiNet on one computer; therefore, the only solution is to install it on a separate computer.

IMPORTANT: When configuring your Site ID, use the unique code ZZZ. This will ensure that data from your non-USAID installation does not get accidentally transferred into the USAID data repository in Washington, DC.

TraiNet - Second Installation on one computer
TN2 Shortcut - alternate install
  • After installing the second copy of TraiNet, create a shortcut on your computer desktop. Make sure you type a different name for the shortcut so as not to confuse it with your USAID version of the software.
  • REMEMBER: Do not electronically transfer training programs from this second installation of TraiNet to USAID. USAID is only interested in tracking training programs it funds.

When I try to transfer data, I get this error: "Cannot Include Memo, OLE or Hyperlink Object When You Select Unique Values." What's wrong?

You may not have the latest version of the Microsoft Jet Database Engine. This problem has been reported by users running Windows 98. It may occur under other versions of Windows as well.

To find out which version of Microsoft Jet Engine is currently installed on your system:

  1. Open Windows Explorer
  2. Do a search for msjet*.dll
  3. You should find a file named msjet40.dll
  4. Right click on this file and select Properties
  5. Click on the Version tab in the window that opens

You should have version 4.0.6218.0 or greater (Jet Engine 4 Service Pack 6 or better).

If you do not have the proper Jet Engine Service Pack, click here to download and install the latest Service Pack from Microsoft.

When I try to transfer data to another site an error occurrs. What is wrong?

Make sure you have the latest TraiNet Service Pack installed.

  1. Check to make sure you have the most recent version of TraiNet installed. Go to the Downloads area. The latest version is 2.2.1.
  2. Log into TraiNet.
  3. From the Help menu, select About.
  4. Compare the version indicated in this window(under the title "Training Results and Information Network".) with the most recent version in our Downloads area.
  5. If you need to upgrade, go to the Downloads area, download the most recent version and install it. If you cannot download this file, as it is large, contact the Help Desk.

If you have the latest version installed and data transfer still does not work, please contact the Help Desk .

How do I change the default admin (TraiNet) password?

The default password cannot be changed. However, you can create different log-in IDs that do not have administrator privileges. For an explanation:

  1. Log into TraiNet
  2. Press F1 for Help.
  3. In the Contents pane of the Help window navigate to: Maintaining the System > Managing Users.

If I'm reinstalling TraiNet how do I save my data?

The first thing you'll want to do is locate where TraiNet is currently installed. Is it installed on your personal computer, or is it installed on your office network? If TraiNet is installed on your local computer than it is most likely installed in a directory called TraiNet2. If it is installed on an office local area network you may want to consult with your Information Technology office to seek assistance in locating the drive and directory where TraiNet is located.

Once you've located your TraiNet directory you'll need to copy and move two files:

  • dbTrainet2.mdb
  • trainet2.ini

The dbTrainet2.mdb file is the file that contains all your TraiNet data. The trainet2.ini file is a small text file that contains information regarding your registered Site ID, or special data transfer directives.

Move both of these files to a safe location where they cannot be deleted – for example, your computer desktop, a back-up disk, zip drive, USB storage device, or CD-ROM. Once you have reinstalled TraiNet, copy the dbTrainet2.mdb file to the new TraiNet2 folder. If you are prompted to overwrite an existing file, answer "yes".

Open the saved trainet2.ini file. If it contains a line that starts with "ProxyServer=", copy this line from the old trainet2.ini file to the new one, located in the new TraiNet2 folder. If you are not familiar with how to edit text files, please ask your Information Technology office for assistance, or email the TraiNet/VCS Help Desk at jvisa@devis.com.

I can't send/receive data. What do I do now?

You may be experiencing a technical issue resulting from how your PC, or office network is configured. Certain settings can be immediately checked to determine if PC or network configuration in your office is contributing to the problem. Carry out the following tasks and email the TraiNet/VCS Help Desk at jvisa@devis.com.

  1. Check proxy server settings:
  • Open up Internet Explorer
  • From the main menu, select TOOLS
  • Select INTERNET OPTIONS
  • Select the CONNECTIONS tab
  • Select the LAN SETTINGS button at the bottom of the window
  • In the Proxy Server window, if you see an address and port number, write it down and include that information in your email to the Help Desk.
  1. From your Web Browser, go to the following address: http://beta.devis.com:8080/. If you get an error and cannot see a web page, ask your IT support staff if port 8080 on your office network is open to outgoing traffic. This port must be open to transfer data with TraiNet.
  2. Go to the following directory \TraiNet2\xml\log and send the output_log.txt, input_log.txt and system_log.txt files to jvisa@devis.com.

When do I need to enter an exchange rate?

Enter an exchange rate any time you use the local currency columns in the budget. You can enter one value for the exchange rate per program.

TraiNet displays the ‘$’ for local currency. How do I change that?

The local currency symbol is controlled by your system's regional settings. You can change this in your computer's control panel, in the Regional and Language Options.