Mid-Term Review of the AGIR Programme - Sida

2 F I N D I N G S
the area of capacity strengthening as it relates to a range of critical issues. These
issues included:
Intermediary communication and timely announcement of courses – as an example,
one CSO partner received information about a gender course given by
an intermediary shortly before the course began and missed the opportunity.
Timing of specific training in relation to associated partner activities - various
partners have received training in gender, strategic planning and M&E after
they had elaborated these instruments.
Form - The courses are always classroom courses; other ways of facilitation
and learning could be introduced to improve impact and skills, e.g. mentoring.
Continuity – More continuity is needed, with different trainers in related issues
sometimes applying different approaches.
Mixing of participants with different skill levels – various partners, especially
more established ones, find that the benefit of training is reduced due to the
mixing of participants with different skill levels. One partner finds that ‘the
training typically assumes that the participants have the same level’. In the
experience of another partner, ‘one of the most useful courses, was the one
where we all had the same level of skill, the debate was extremely fruitful as
partners at the same level could exchange experiences’. This opinion is however
not shared by all, as one person from IBIS states, ‘training should have a
mix of levels, the stronger should support the weaker’.
Obligation – many leaders of partner organisations are dissatisfied with the
constant obligation of the leadership to participate in all capacity building
events. Leaders feel they are called to many capacity building events, and that
intermediaries persistently insist that leadership must always participate, even
though they sometimes feel that they have knowledge in the course subject
and that it would be more beneficial to their organisation for the relevant programme
officer to participate.
Addressing needs – many, especially more experienced partners, find that capacity
development should be tailor-made to meet the partner’s specific needs
to a greater extent. While this does happen with the intermediaries, more of
these tailor-made courses would be appreciated by CSOs.
Tools– Oftentimes, training does not provide tools for post-training support
that the trained can use on a daily basis.
Training of trainers and tools – A number of partners are forums, networks
etc. with a considerable number of member organisations - replication of the
training therefore becomes important. Some of the intermediaries already use
this process to ensure sustainability.
Differentiation – capacity development should be more differentiated in order
to address the raised concerns.
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