Change facilitation communities

Leadership and organizational development training courses

06/04/12

Dates: Various, during October and November 2012 ( NB: Application deadline for EU grants is 30 April 2012)
Type of event: Training course
Location: Various: Copenhagen (Denmark), Linz (Austria) and Gouda (The Netherlands)
Organization: In Dialogue
More information: http://www.in-dialogue.org/index.php?pagina=open-courses

In Dialogue, an international training consultancy based in Denmark and the Netherlands, offers various open international courses. All of them are based on positive relational approaches to change and learning. These courses are open to anyone who has an interest in the subjects and are open to some funding options (to cover board, lodging, course fees and travel) of the European Commission; Comenius programme for secondary education staff and the Grundtvig programme for adult education staff.

Tenders invited: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists, AusAID

02/04/12

Contracting organization: AusAID
Location: Indonesia
Application Deadline: 01 May 2012
Type/duration of assignment: Temporary
More information: https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.atm.show&ATMUUID=C2956E81-955D-0661-DAF7AF710C4CD208

The Australian aid program is committed to improving the quality of monitoring and evaluation, and managing for results, and has significant demand for monitoring and evaluation specialists for both short and long-term assignments. Expressions of interest are sought from organisations and individuals with expertise in the following skill sets:

• Strategic evaluation: senior evaluation experts who can lead strategic level evaluations and provide expert advice on evaluation design and practice;
• Strategic monitoring and performance systems: senior monitoring and evaluation experts who can work at a strategic level to support improved performance management systems and practices, such as through use of performance frameworks;
• Activity evaluation: qualified evaluation specialists who can lead or contribute to evaluations of aid activities; and
• Activity monitoring and performance systems: monitoring and evaluation specialists who can design, manage or support high-quality monitoring and evaluation systems for aid activities.

ITAD consultancy opportunities

25/03/12

Contracting organization: ITAD, UK
Application Deadline: Various
Type/duration of assignment: Permanent consultant positions
More information: http://www.itad.com/neweb/company/workopps.aspx

ITAD, a UK-based consultancy organization, is going through a period of growth and seeks to expand its permanent staff in Consultant and Senior Consultant roles.

Setting-up multi-stakeholder processes and platforms in sub-Saharan Africa (Video)

22/03/12

This trailer (six minutes) introduces a new 52-minute film that presents the step-wise setting up of Multi-Stakeholder Processes and Platform (MSPs) in inland valleys in sub-Saharan Africa. The film portrays how participatory action research is used to refine and adapt the MSP methodology during the course of the set-up. The main part of the film shows the efforts of the different stakeholders and also the results: better understanding, collaboration, capacity strengthening and changes on the socio-economic, organizational and institutional levels. The film is available in both English and French.

Participatory radio campaigns: from awareness-raising to community capacity development (Farm Radio International)

21/03/12

Farm Radio International has released a three-part research report  - available in English and French - that comprises one of the first in-depth studies of rural radio in Africa. The report highlights practical experiences so far in applying the participatory radio campaigns (PRCs) methodology developed by the African Farm Radio Research Initiative (AFRRI). The first report provides an overview of the PRC methodology. The second report examines the effectiveness of radio-based market information services (MIS) for smallholder agriculture. The last report presents results from integrating newer information and communication technologies with radio to create more effective farm radio programmes.

Development facilitation course: Bringing life to group processes

18/03/12

Dates: 16-20 April 2012
Type of event: Training workshop
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Organization: Community Development Resource Association (CDRA)
More information: Download brochure (pdf 1.1MB)

This training course wil explore the core methodologies for facilitating processes that enable and energise people in a workshop, meeting or training course. The course is aimed at newcomers to the development sector as well as experienced practitioners that are interested in enlivening their practice. It will offer an opportunity to share and learn from the experiences of fellow facilitators.

Webinar series: Increasing the effectiveness of networks working on global public challenges (iScale)

18/03/12

Dates: Various: between 28 March and 6 April 2012
Type of event: Webinar
Location: Online/Global (sessions organised by timezone)
Organization: Innovations for Scaling Impact (iScale)
More information: www.scalingimpact.net/content/iscale-webinar-increasing-effectiveness-networks

Since 2008, iScale, has implemented an IDRC-supported project examining the role of multi-stakeholder networks as agents of change in addressing global challenges that has resulted in the development of frameworks that can help networks scale impact by understanding what to measure, for what purpose, when, and how, through the use of approaches that integrate planning, assessment, reporting, and learning. Beginning in late March 2012, iScale will host webinars to discuss this work on how networks working on global public challenges can increase their effectiveness and scale impact. The webinars will be offered in two formats: a condensed session lasting 1.5 hours and an in-depth session lasting approximately 2.5-3 hours. Each session will be conducted three times and in three time zones in an effort to accommodate interested participants from all over the world.

Sustaining multi-stakeholder processes in Africa: Understanding and promoting systemic social change

09/03/12

Date: 24-25 April 2012
Type of event: Networking event
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Organization: Change Alliance and the Southern Africa Trust
More information (pdf): FlyerSouthAfricaMSPEventApril2012

The aim of this event is to create a space for Africans working with multi-stakeholder process (MSP) change strategies to learn from each other by sharing methods and experiences; and to continue the development a Network of Practice in Africa for sustainable MSPs.

Meeting the challenges of value chain development: A learning event

01/02/12

Dates: 7-8 February 2012
Type of event: Learning event (with live webinar) 
Location: Washington, USA
Organization: USAID Microenterprise Development office

As research to date suggests, and as project implementers can attest, the ‘poorest of the poor’ rarely benefit from value chain development initiatives as a result of constraints that preclude them from participating in project activities as well as from attracting the attention of private-sector actors. Building on recent work in this area, USAID will be hosting a session on “ Reaching the Very Poor Through Value Chain Development” at the upcoming two-day learning event: Meeting the Challenges of Value Chain Development. For those unable to attend in person, it is possible to participate through a live webinar broadcast of the keynote session. The session will focus on the importance of agricultural value chain development to lifting people out of poverty and bringing an end to food insecurity, and the growing appreciation among donors and practitioners of the need to take a systems perspective to agricultural value chain development.

Climate change governance: Adaptation and mitigation as institutional change processes

11/01/12

Dates: 30 January - 12 February, 2012
Type of event: Training workshop
Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands
Organization: Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation

The impact on food production, food security and natural resources in developing countries by climate change is likely to be severe. This course offers conceptual frameworks to understand climate change, vulnerability and adaptation and mitigation options that bring together different stakeholders such as policymakers, scientists, communities, citizens, farmers, extension workers, media and businesses.

NB: The application deadline for this course is 15th January (Apply online)

Global South-South Development Expo 2011

17/08/11

Dates: 5-9 December 2011
Type of event: Expo
Location: Rome, Italy
Organization: UN FAO

With the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) rapidly approaching, it is critical for countries, the UN system, multilateral institutions, civil society and the private sector to explore all avenues for small, medium and large-scale development solutions to the complex challenges faced by developing countries. The first Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) aims to showcase Southern solutions to the urgent problem of food insecurity.

Mastering wicked problems: Alan Fowler Master Seminar Series hosted by INTRAC

16/08/11

Dates: 20-21 October, 2011
Type of event: Training course
Location: National Council of Voluntary Organisations, London UK
Organization: International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)

Successful NGOs overcome ‘wicked’ problems. These are critical issues and dilemmas for the whole organisation that have multiple, interdependent causes. Potential solutions are many, but they are seldom obvious or amenable to assured implementation. Yet, effective leadership and management find ways to surmount such problems and motivationally communicate a way forward. This capability is vital for maintaining social value and durability.

Working with stakeholder dialogues

27/05/11

Dates: 28th June - 1st July, 2011(Postdam, Germany) and 27th to 30th September, 2011 (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
Type of event: Training course
Organizer: Collective Learning Institute

This is a skills development program for those who host, initiate and facilitate stakeholder engagement processes.

Virtual evaluation writeshop 2011

16/05/11

BetterEvaluation - a new interactive web facility that allows those dealing with evaluations as designers, commissioners or implementers to make informed methodological choices - seeks participants for its first-ever "Virtual Writeshop" on evaluation, to run between May and September 2011. Interested evaluation professionals with experience in diverse aspects of evaluation - including design, collection, sensemaking and reporting - are invited to participate.

Open courses on relational approaches to change and learning

29/04/11

Dates: Various

Type of event: Training (Please note that these are paid courses although limited EU funding is available)

Location: Copenhagen (Denmark) and Gouda (Netherlands) 

Organization: In Dialogue

In Dialogue offers four different open international courses in 2011. All of them are based on positive relational approaches to change and learning. These courses are open to anyone who has an interest in the subjects and are open to some funding options (to cover board, lodging, course fees and travel) of the European Commission; Comenius programme for secondary education staff and the Grundtvig programme for adult education staff.

Training courses on facilitating multi-stakeholder processes and social learning

15/04/11

For the benefit of Capacity.org readers who have expressed interest in learning more on the topic of facilitating multi-actor change, we would like to draw your attention to a number of upcoming training courses organized by Wageningen UR - Centre for Development Innovation, namely:

• Local Governance and Rural Decentralisation – Multi-stakeholder Processes for Institutional Strengthening
• Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation – Managing and Learning for Impact
• Facilitating Multi-stakeholder Processes and Social Learning

There is limited funding available for some of the courses, but please note that much earlier deadlines apply for scholarship applications.