Training involves increasing knowledge and skill of an individual or group for doing a particular job. This means providing certain skills and knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. It is not enough for professionals to have an expertise in a subject matter in order to conduct and deliver a training very effectively. A trainer in addition to proficiency in a field also needs a specialized skill on training design and delivery for a successful training.
With this aim, Training of Trainers (ToT) was designed for those professionals seeking real practical skills in designing and delivering short courses that will make a positive difference in achieving desired training outcomes.
Participants working on a group activity. Photo: Mahesh Shrestha, LI-BIRD
LI-BIRD organized ‘Training of Trainers (TOT) on Short Course Design and Delivery’ from 25 to 29 September 2016 to 23 LI-BIRD professionals from different projects. The training was aimed to create a learning desire and incorporate adult learning principles into the session design and delivery of a training. More emphasis was given to structure and sequence material, and use of visuals and resources to meet the needs of participants with different learning styles and backgrounds. The major course content were Training need assessment, Curriculum development, Setting goals and objectives, Training triangle, Training methods, Facilitation skills, M & E tools, and Micro teaching and feedback.
In the course of the training, the participants were divided into five groups to design and deliver short courses on topics of their choices. The selected topics were Slope Agriculture Land Technology (SALT) using an A-frame, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), Hay and Silage making for Livestock feed Supplement, Four Cell Analysis for Assessing Local Crop Diversity, and Product Selection in Value Chain Development. After the training, all the participants have stated that they have developed certain confidence, capacity and preparedness to lead, facilitate and deliver a training.
This training was based on learnings of a project on ‘capacity building on training design and delivery’ jointly organized by LI-BIRD with Centre for Development Innovation (CDI), Wageningen University, Netherlands, in early 2014. LI-BIRD’s short courses are designed based on two-decade long work experiences in agriculture, biodiversity, food security, climate change and sustainable livelihoods.
