diff --git a/src/hope/api/endpoints/rdi/upload.py b/src/hope/api/endpoints/rdi/upload.py
index 87bea88899..66002292f3 100644
--- a/src/hope/api/endpoints/rdi/upload.py
+++ b/src/hope/api/endpoints/rdi/upload.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
     HEAD,
     IDENTIFICATION_TYPE_CHOICE,
     ROLE_ALTERNATE,
-    ROLE_NO_ROLE,
     ROLE_PRIMARY,
     PendingDocument,
     PendingHousehold,
@@ -143,10 +142,10 @@ class Meta:
         ]
 
     def validate_role(self, value: str) -> str | None:
-        if value in (ROLE_NO_ROLE, ROLE_PRIMARY, ROLE_ALTERNATE):
+        if value in (ROLE_PRIMARY, ROLE_ALTERNATE):
             return value
         if not value:
-            return ROLE_NO_ROLE
+            return None
         if value.upper()[0] == "P":
             return ROLE_PRIMARY
         if value.upper()[0] == "A":
diff --git a/src/hope/apps/core/validators.py b/src/hope/apps/core/validators.py
index d25d1222ab..d7f1eb01bd 100644
--- a/src/hope/apps/core/validators.py
+++ b/src/hope/apps/core/validators.py
@@ -123,7 +123,13 @@ class KoboTemplateValidator:
         "deviceid": TYPE_STRING,
     }
     EXPECTED_REQUIRED_FIELDS = (
-        "country_h_csize_h_crelationship_i_crole_i_cfull_name_i_cgender_i_cbirth_date_i_cestimated_birth_date_i_c"
+        "country_h_c",
+        "size_h_c",
+        "relationship_i_c",
+        "full_name_i_c",
+        "gender_i_c",
+        "birth_date_i_c",
+        "estimated_birth_date_i_c",
     )
     FIELDS_EXCLUDED_FROM_CHOICE_CHECK = (
         # temporarily disabled from checking
diff --git a/src/hope/apps/grievance/services/data_change/add_individual_service.py b/src/hope/apps/grievance/services/data_change/add_individual_service.py
index d38a1b941b..71a76bb146 100644
--- a/src/hope/apps/grievance/services/data_change/add_individual_service.py
+++ b/src/hope/apps/grievance/services/data_change/add_individual_service.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
     HEAD,
     NON_BENEFICIARY,
     RELATIONSHIP_UNKNOWN,
-    ROLE_NO_ROLE,
     Document,
     Household,
     Individual,
@@ -95,7 +94,7 @@ def close(self, user: AbstractUser) -> None:
         individual_data = details.individual_data
         documents = individual_data.pop("documents", [])
         identities = individual_data.pop("identities", [])
-        role = individual_data.pop("role", ROLE_NO_ROLE)
+        role = individual_data.pop("role", None)
         individual_data["flex_fields"] = populate_pdu_with_null_values(
             household.program, individual_data.get("flex_fields", None)
         )
diff --git a/src/hope/apps/household/migrations/0025_migration.py b/src/hope/apps/household/migrations/0025_migration.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee282117b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hope/apps/household/migrations/0025_migration.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Generated by Django 3.2.25 on 2025-08-20 14:36
+
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    dependencies = [
+        ("household", "0024_migration"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="individualroleinhousehold",
+            name="role",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                choices=[("ALTERNATE", "Alternate collector"), ("PRIMARY", "Primary collector")], max_length=255
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/src/hope/apps/household/models.py b/src/hope/apps/household/models.py
index 59907ce011..37f2a1024c 100644
--- a/src/hope/apps/household/models.py
+++ b/src/hope/apps/household/models.py
@@ -189,7 +189,6 @@
 ROLE_ALTERNATE = "ALTERNATE"
 ROLE_NO_ROLE = "NO_ROLE"
 ROLE_CHOICE = (
-    (ROLE_NO_ROLE, "None"),
     (ROLE_ALTERNATE, "Alternate collector"),
     (ROLE_PRIMARY, "Primary collector"),
 )
@@ -1072,7 +1071,6 @@ class IndividualRoleInHousehold(SoftDeletableMergeStatusModel, TimeStampedUUIDMo
     )
     role = models.CharField(
         max_length=255,
-        blank=True,
         choices=ROLE_CHOICE,
     )
     copied_from = models.ForeignKey(
diff --git a/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-invalid.xlsx b/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-invalid.xlsx
index 1df1a40f2a..9fe4e6a621 100644
Binary files a/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-invalid.xlsx and b/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-invalid.xlsx differ
diff --git a/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-valid.xlsx b/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-valid.xlsx
index 16d21680d8..26487416dd 100644
Binary files a/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-valid.xlsx and b/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/kobo-template-valid.xlsx differ
diff --git a/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/~$kobo-template-valid.xlsx b/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/~$kobo-template-valid.xlsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..450f635ded
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/unit/apps/core/test_files/~$kobo-template-valid.xlsx differ