Regional Capacity Building in the Western Indian Ocean Region

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Learning and Performing: A Skills Course for Coastal Management Practitioners in the Western Indian Ocean

The Coastal Resources Center and its partner, the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) used the findings from their earlier needs assessment of coastal management skills in the region to design an innovative training model that resulted in the Learning and Performing: A Skills Course for Coastal Management Practitioners in the Western Indian Ocean. The course targeted improvement in four core competency areas (technical skills, ICM practice skills, project management skills, professional skills)and delivered the program through four, one-week sessions conducted over nine months with each module held at a different venue in the region (Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, and Madagascar).

Features of the Learning and Performing model include:

  • A series of one-week modules — each conducted in a different country in the region in order to expose participants to the breadth of coastal management experience and expertise in East Africa
  • Periods of four to six weeks between modules to allow time to “practice” classroom knowledge, skills, and tools while on-the-job
  • Curriculum and skills-building spanning four areas — technical, ICM practice, project/program management, and professional skills
  • The use of course advisors and mentors
  • A competitive service-project grant scheme

One recommendation from the Learning and Performing course was to conduct a post-course evaluation to assess how participants applied theskills and knowledge acquired during the course. In May 2002, WIOMSA and CRC formulated three questionnaires. One was sent to the participants, one to those organizations who sponsored participants, and one to the participants’ mentors. The evaluations were analyzed in November 2002 and showed that:

  • The training approach used during the course was appropriate to participants’ respective fields
  • Based on the knowledge and skills acquired during the course, participant performance in addressing coastal management issues has been enhanced.
  • The course met participants’ expectations, broadened their views about ICM and its application, and provided participants with an ideal opportunity for interacting and sharing experiences and knowledge.
  • The majority of participants improved their professional skills in areas such as: proposal writing, effective meeting facilitation, and effective presentations.