Somalia: Training in All-round Participatory Project Approach with Community Engagement, Gender and Accountability

Introduction

Research has shown that in programs that involve high levels of community participation and control, there is greater participation in project activities. It builds social capital, social ties, networks, and support which is associated with better project outcomes and community well-being. Participatory decision-making and accountability can also uncover and mobilize community assets, strengths, and resources that would have been otherwise overlooked.

Persistent gender disparities in control of, access to and benefits from technologies, services and inputs across developing countries still do exist. Participation in & benefits from markets’ research has revealed that there is limited female engagement in value chains & markets, lack of information on prices for marketing systems, limited access to labour, etc; not forgetting the differential impact on different groups brought about by technologies, interventions, climate change, ICT, HIV/AIDs etc. Therefore, projects that do not encompass gender roles and their participation will unknowingly neglect these facts.

An organization that believes in the four key principles—accountability, transparency, participation, and inclusion is highly likely to succeed in achieving its intended outcomes among project beneficiaries. Organizations should prioritize these very concepts as key tools in the larger battle to eradicate extreme poverty and achieve sustained development.

Despite the values of a community engagement, gender roles and participation, involving community stakeholders in the development of a community can be a challenging, resource-intensive, and often a frustrating process. Additionally, project implementers often lack the necessary knowledge and skills for effective community engagement. It is critical that programs identify key stakeholders to engage in community activities.

For whom the course is intended

GOOLEE is offering this high impact capacity building workshop to all organizational staff and other entities (governmental and non-governmental) that are directly or indirectly involved with the community, and who would like to make a significant impact, while at the same time remain accountable to the processes.

Duration

This is a 6 days intensive training program

Course Objectives

• Understand the importance of involving community members in projects
• Community participation in decision-making processes and ensuring of outcomes that benefit the community
• Promote shared responsibility for decisions and trust in the decision-making processes with the community
• Develop sustained collaboration, partnerships and new ways to involve and empower the community in order to achieve desired outcomes
• Establish standard processes for community engagement, and ensuring of the implementation of the processes by staff and consultants
• Ensure appropriately that the community is kept informed
• Identify valuable roles gender diversity plays in community projects
• Understand and build participatory synergies while providing accountability to stakeholders
• Impart essential skills of mobile phones and GIS techniques that are essential in managing project data

Course Content

1. Introduction to Project Cycle Management
2. Introduction to Community Engagement
3. Why Engage with Community
4. Steps to Community Engagement
5. Designing Action Plan and Assessment
6. Engage and Manage
7. Information collection
8. Gender Issues in Development
9. Gender and Management
10. Gender in Value Chain Development
11. Participatory Resources Management and Accountability
12. Introduction to ParticipatoryMonitoring and Evaluation
13. Application ofGeographical Information Sciences (GIS) and Mobile Phones in Community Projects

Course Outcomes

At the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Understand the importance of involving community members in all projects undertaken
• Provide opportunities for the community to participate in the decision-making process ensuring outcomes that benefit the community
• Provide a strong foundation for understanding and working with the community in order to promote a shared responsibility for decisions and trust in the decision-making process
• To develop sustained collaboration, partnerships and new ways to involve and empower the community in order to achieve the desired outcomes
• Establish standard processes for community engagement are observed
• Ensure those processes are implemented by staff and where relevant by external consultants employed
• Ensure appropriately that the community is kept informed of any decisions
• Understand the importance of involving diverse gender in the project for balanced effects
• Attain essential skills of empowering the communities to use GIS and Mobile technologies in collecting and making use of the project data
• Acquire skills of accountability that is coherent with the emerging demands of funding agencies

Interested participants should apply by email to capacitydevt@gooleeinstitute.com

Follow this link in order to fill in your registration details http://www.gooleeinstitute.com/apply.php

For further inquiries you can also call on: +254 721445293