Training the trainers in communication management

Communication for development: internal and external communication strategies for project based social organizations

 

Rationale

NGOs and Government departments face a formidable communications challenge as they become primary actors of social and economic change. Within their new expectations, they have to determine their new universe of stakeholders and then develop a comprehensive, integrated communications strategy that addresses each stakeholder group in ways that are mutually reinforcing, memorable and strategically sound.

This programme is a component of the Programme on Professional Development (PPD) in Bamiyan in the Central Highlands Region of Afghanistan, a programme of the Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan, in collaboration with the government.

 

Objectives

This programme aims to increase the capacity of trainees to manage communication in development activities.   It will enable the participant to better understand the communication element of project management. Specifically, those who will participate in the programme will:

v      Undertand the fundamental concepts of communication management; and

v      Design and implement a communication strategy appropriate for the current development initiatives they are currently engaged in.

 

Over-all programme approach

The programme will focus specifically in the communication methodologies required for generating trust and cooperation within the organizations themselves and between public institutions and civil society actors, in order to reinforce democratic and accountable governance. The same processes of “team building” that will be piloted within the organizations will be later transferred in the team building of the activities conducted in partnership between public bodies and civil society actors.

The programme will be centred around two residential workshops of 1 week each  (March (26-31) and July 22-27).   After the workshops, trainees will continue to be assisted and supported in the application of the knowledge and skills acquired in their ordinary routines within their own organizations and departments.

After the first workshop trainees will be subdivided into three teams. Each team will address specifically one component of  communication management within the on-going programme.

• Internal communication, amongst the components of the team, along the various phases of the programme activities workflow (from need assessment to impact evaluation) and along the hierarchical organogram.
• Communication with external stakeholders, that include the beneficiaries, the community representatives, the local government, the donors, etc.
• Institutional communication, that will deal with the communication from public institution to the citizens and to the civil society bodies, for consensus building and for a stakeholders participated approach to policy design, implementation and evaluation.

The objective of capacity building is to enable trainees to move forward autonomously, thus developing their own capacity of giving solutions and organizing intervention to the different demands required of participatory and accountable governance. Towards this aim, the course will be driven by two main components- the “direct activity”, focused on traditional training and assistance in the workshop, and the “mediated activity”, based on the learn-by-doing methodology in the implementation phases. 

The trainer will guide these three groups and will assist them during their work.  Work will start with the analysis of the communication needs within the programme, then will define and implement a communication strategy and finally will evaluate the communication results obtained.

The activity of leadership of the local team will be conducted in such a manner that is at the same time a process of transfer of knowledge and competence. By sustaining communication management of some project components, the trainer will not be the one responsible for the implementation of the project tasks, but will:

• support the persons responsible for the tasks,
• show all the tasks requirements,
• transfer the know-how for satisfactory performance of the tasks.

 

To whom the course is addressed

A core group of professionals from AKF itself, amongst Government and/or NGO personnel.  They will be the future trainers as well as the experts in communication management in social programmes. 

Selection of the persons will be based upon the following criteria:

-          persons who are involved in projects requiring better communication management ;

-          persons who have sufficient time to participate in the training activities; and

-          persons who will be able to utilize the knowledge gained in development activities and will share this knowledge with others.

 

Applicants

Those who are interested should fill up the attached application form. Deadline of application will be March 15, 2007. Please send your completed form to:

                        Amir Foladi

                        PPD

                        PPD Training Center, Gorwana-e-Bala

                        Bamiyan

                        E-mail: amir.foladi@akdn-afg.org

                        Mobile number:

 

How to make sure that the course is properly targeted to your requirements.

Dr. Stefano De Santis, an international expert of Institutional Communication and Project Management will lead and facilitate the workshops and will assist the trainees during the implementation phase.  He is now preparing the content of the course and the instructional resources.  In order to make sure that he will address to your specific needs, you are invited to:

1.      describe now your present competences and responsibilities,

2.      illustrate the main communication problems that your organizations are facing,

3.      depict the competences that you would like to acquire from the course

4.      illustrate other eventual expectations you have from the course. 

Customization of the course will be done in progress, but it will be useful if the preparation of the knowledge resources will be tailored to learners requirements from the very beginning.  Therefore it is opportune that you describe as accurately as possible your needs and expectations. All of these should be indicated in your application form.