Training and Facilitation
The ICA has, for over 35 years, been developing a set of participatory methods called the Technology of Participation (ToP) which can be used in any group setting to create group solutions and facilitate strategic planning.
ICA has also established 'Centre of Creation: Learning Centre' at Changu Narayan VDC. The three-storied building has enough space for training and accommodation facilities for the participants. ICA has planned to establish such full fledged community learning centre in all the five development regions of the country.
Newspaper article 'Leadership managment sustainability training organized'
i) Public Training
ToP and other tools are taught in public courses, open to anyone interested. They are facilitated by experienced trainers, committed to delivering high quality courses in Nepali and / or English (depending on the need of the trainees). Training courses offered are as follows:
Facilitation Skills:
This course trains participants to use three core ToP tools: The Focused Conversation method, The Workshop method and The Action Planning method. The course also includes tips of effective facilitation, how to deal with the difficult participants, some other recent tools etc. These tools enable individual ideas and capacities to be used for enhanced group results.
Training on Participatory Strategic Planning (PSP):
This is a two day programme which includes visioning, underlying contradictions, strategic directions and implementation steps. PSP is taught through public or in-house programme. ICA also helps other organizations to design their own strategic plan as well.
Training of Trainers (ToT) in Training and Facilitation Skills:
In this course participants learn how to design and deliver high quality programmes, making training interesting, enjoyable and effective. It also includes the material taught in the Facilitation Skills course above. The course can be attended separately as part 1 deals with the training of trainers and part 2 about facilitation skills.
Project Proposal Writing and Fundraising:
After this course, participants will be able to present project ideas clearly and write a good project budget, thereby developing effective proposals. They will also be able to raise funding for community development projects.
Training Course on Leadership and Management:
ICA Nepal facilitated a number of training sessions with the partnership of Management Sciences for Health (MSH) located in Boston, USA and supported by USAID. The leadership and management training popularly called as 'The Results Model' is also organized as public course by ICA in Nepal.
Training Course on Social Artistry:
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| Jean Houston, Founder of Social Artistry in Nepal in 2006. |
ICA Nepal organizes training on Social Artistry Leadership by using the approach developed by Jean Houston. Dr. Houston was in Nepal to share her approach among ICA staff. ICA members have also attended long term training on Social Artistry organized by IISA in which she was the lead facilitator.
Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA):
The aim of this training is to enhance conceptual and practical understanding of PRA, so that participants can apply it in their own area of expertise.
Strategic Action Planning for Business and Leadership Teams:
This course addresses such issues as developing long-term plans for companies, creating a productive working atmosphere, effective leadership and using participatory management styles.
Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation:
ICA Nepal organises the training course on participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation, a vital part of development programmes. It is aimed to develop a culture of participation in carrying out planning, monitoring and evaluation activities.
Youth as Facilitative Leadership Development Programme
Since 1993, many ICAs around the world are implementing Youth as Facilitative Leadership Development Programme. Through this programme, we train young people between the ages of 14 and 24. Participants will learn facilitation methods used in community development and other sectors globally. The objective of this programme is to generate a large pool of young people with skills and confidence to facilitate participation in actualising opportunities for quality use of time, self-expression and civic engagement.
The Youth as facilitative Leaders training courses are organised in two phases. In between these two phases, the participants are practiced their commitment in their respective areas. After two to four weeks, the participants gather again and participate in the second phase programme. After the conclusion of the second phase programme, all of the participants have to work for one organisation for about three months.
Other Training
ICA Nepal organises other training courses as well. They are:
- Training Course on Conflict Management and Peacebuilding
- Training Course on Emotional Intelligence
- Training Course on Appreciative Inquiry
- Training Course on Gender and Development
- Training Course on HIV/AIDS Leadership
ii) In-House Training and Facilitation
ToP tools are also used in ICA Nepal's courses conducted in NGOs, INGOs, government offices and businesses wishing to engage the capabilities of all their members. Facilitation services and in-house training courses are tailor-made to suit ICA Nepal's clients, and are given on the client's own premises. ICA Nepal has already organised such courses for BNMT, NARMSAP, The Nepal Trust, Third Livestock Development Project/ADB, HELP Nepal, British Gurkhas Nepal, National Health Training Centre, UMN, FTG Nepal, Bagmati Integrated Watershed Management Programme (EU), UNDP, USAID and several other local and international organisations working in Nepal.
Planning Facilitation:
We also provide planning facilitation services to organisations. By using the dynamic tool of participatory strategic planning process, ICA Nepal has facilitated a number of organizations to develop their own strategic plan.
Research
ICA tools are used in research work as well. For example, when a volunteer sending agency Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and ICA Nepal collaborated to find partner NGOs in the Far West, workshops for potential partners were conducted using ToP tools. After Organisational Capacity Building and Organisational Assessment workshops were held in disadvantaged districts, NGOs were chosen as placements for future VSO volunteers. ICA has conducted research work for different government institutions as well.