EVIPNet Activity Report Brief

Pedagogical Skills for trainers of Policy Makers

INASP/IDS

Nairobi, Kenya - July 18 to 22 2011

Isabelle Wachsmuth-Huguet

16.08.2011

This training of trainers has been organized under the coordination of Information Network for the

Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS). This

training of trainers of Policy Makers was set up with 26 participants for 5 days with representatives

from :

- International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications or INASP

- The Institute of Developmet Studies (IDS)

- Evidence Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Geneva, Mozambique and Uganda/REACH

- Sciences and Technologies and Parliament from Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique,

Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe)

1. AUDIENCE

Participants were from Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya,

Tanzania were in majority Research officer, Senior Librarian, Senior Literacy Officer, Journalists,

Parliamentarians.

2. CONTEXT

The EVIPNet programme from World Health Organization (Geneva secretariat, EVIPNet Mozambique

and Unganda/REACH) in the framework of the development of capacity building in training for policy

makers and influencers in Evidence-Informed Health Policymaking in Low and Middle-Income

Countries (EIHP in LMIC) decided to participate to Pedagogical Skills for trainers of Policy Makers to

build training of trainers programme for all EVIPNet Africa Country teams. This training was delivered

by INASP, UK Based Non Governmental Organization which support research communication in

developing country through training of trainers workshop to increase the capacity of parliamentary

researchers and staff to use evidence and to demystify the science at parliament level and the

Institute of Development Studies (IDS), a leading global charity for international development

research, teaching and communications through the identification and bridge of knowledge gaps and use

innovative information-sharing approaches to provide better access to the global pool of knowledge on

development .

The EVIPNet programme from World Health Organization in the development of South-South

cooperation and specifically capacity building in Evidence-Informed Health Policymaking in Low and

Middle-Income Countries (EIHP in LMIC) for policymakers and all influencers want to develop a

training of trainers programme for all existing and new EVIPNet country teams in Africa. In this

framework it was relevant for EVIPNet representatives for French, English and Portuguese speakers

(Geneva, Uganda/REACH and Mozambique) to start this process with EVIPNet partners work on

pedagogical skills and become trainers. The trainers will be able to transfer pedagogical skills and

create a pool of local trainers for EVIPNet in Africa. The pool of trainers for EVIPNet Africa will be able

to train new resources and country in Evidence-Informed Health Policymaking (EIHP) and with

appropriate pedagogical skills also.

3. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of Pedagogical Skills for trainers of Policy Makers were to strength abilities to deliver

and mentor training with an efficient way and results in order to:

Day 1

• Introduce format of training

• Understand participants aims and to clarify what will and won’t be covered.

• Formulate ground rules and deal with any housekeeping issues

• Reflect on own learning experiences & preferences

• Be able to maximize training success by understanding learning preference(s)

• Learn how to incorporate activities that will stimulate different learning preferences

• Understanding of pedagogical theories and how they apply to the training

• Recognize that training is an ongoing experiment

• Understand why a reflective practice will improve training effectiveness

• Be introduced to the IL educators’ competency-based framework

• Define trainer competencies

• Identify continual development needs

• Work to a standard

• Understand why it is important to carry out a needs assessment

• Understand the difference between wants and needs

• Have some new ideas for measuring each of these

This session allows to build capacity about ability to :

1 - Communicate and critical thinking activities

2 - Develop cohort of excellent trainers

3 - Mentor and deliver training and mentor each others

Lessons learned :

1 - Tools learning approaches

- learning patterns : structure/flexible, Independence/social, Hear, See, Move and stimulating by

doing/analytical people.

- Reflective practice in training : peer or self assessment, competency based approach

- Reflective journal analysis : evaluate the change of attitude, believes

2 - Learning styles instruments like Myers Briggs personality type indicator (MBPTI) and Competency based

framework : Kolb's Cycle of experiential learning (concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract

conceptualization and active experimentation). Learning styles inventory and identification of preference and

style

Day 2

• Known about qualities of an excellent trainer

• The trainer as a facilitator and behavior of facilitator

This session allows to build capacity about :

1 - what constructivism is, why it is important to trainer and how to apply constructivist principles in

training delivery

2 - the theory behind the learner-centered approach through Experiential Learning and activities

Lessons learned : Learning is an iterative process. Learner-centered approach is a more effective training

strategy and will improve training impact and can be apply in a variety of learning environments /

situations. Constructive knowledge and reflection are key part of the knowledge and apply awareness to the

new knowledge. The use of assessment for learning to know about how people understand the content of

training and how our own behaviour can affect the learning environment. Learning is very relevant to collect

experiences from all participants and to use behaviour to build the knowledge.

This session was very helpful also to understand how to encourage people to learn : accept different opinion,

maintain professional response, listening participants, positive/constructive criticisms, building relationship

between facilitator and participant, avoid jargon, lighten the environment, positive reinforcement, leading

questions/prompting, modelling and the use of humour

Day 3

• Planning the training session. Know what elements should be included in a training plan (Assess,

Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate)

• Technology to assist your training

• Customization

• Logistics of training

• Monitoring & Evaluation

Lessons learned

This session allows to have the ability to know :

- Who are you training ?

- The existing knowledge of training participants and gaps in what they know and what they need to know

- How to accomplish the work

- Job related training

- Surveys, Participants profiles, Pre-course tasks and Pre-assessment methods

- Synthesize evidence meet the needs

- What do I want learners to be able to do as a result of this training, become confident master trainers

- What methods will use to assist them to reach this level of performance and knowledge ?

- What resources will be used to deliver this training program ?

- How will this training be structured overall ?

- How you deliver information to retain in 7 minutes. Build activities after 7 minutes because after this time you

have switch off

- How to create a journal reference using the Harvard System of Referencing

- How you prove your service is valuable, you have made a difference.

- How to explain to their colleagues in a clear and concise manner how to use the Harvard Referencing Standard

to cite journal references in their policy briefs

- Ideally, how many learning objectives should you include in a lesson plan ?

- Minimum of data requirement for lesson plan

- How to engage audience and to apply knowledge to daily work

- How to use technology like creative Commons license and Handouts

- How room layouts can affect the learning environment

- How to use checklist and to create a formative assessment questionnaire

Day 4 and 5

• Simulation for delivering training about Define the problem, Mind Mapping, Demystifying science,

Writing skills and Summarizing skills

• Understand the next phase of the training- the peer mentoring phase

• Have enhanced skills in giving and receiving feedback

Lessons learned : How to use all relevant methods to deliver relevant and efficient training

4. METHODOLOGY

The methodology use was Learner Centered Approach, relevant for EVIPNet and WHO because this

method is used for new incentive, for behavioral changes and knowledge excellence towards education

for sustainable development like international progress, trends and practices.

The core values from this method are based on cognitive & meta-cognitive, context of learning

(developmental & social, motivational & affective and individual factors) (Dr Magdalena Mo Ching Mok

from Hong Kong Institute of Education).

Learner center is when the learner is active agent to create new knowledge and the teacher role

become coaching, guidance, mentorship and monitoring, the learning environment is focus on problem

as focus with multiple solutions and the outcome become to extent generic knowledge and far

transfer.

The Learner Centered Approach is in alignment with EVIPNet methodology because it is focus on

solving problem with self and group learning : Identification and clarification of the problem,

discovering of solutions (Policy option), presentation of solution (Implementation considerations and

policy dialogue), evaluation and reflection and review of solution (Monitoring & Evaluation)

This method allows to have ability to :

1 - improve PowerPoint presentations

2 - Understand the qualities of a good and efficient presentation and how to improve it

3 - Interact with the participants through questions and feedback

5. RESULTS

EVIPNet will use the method Learner Centered Approach to train all key facilitors from all EVIPNet

country teams and create a pool of trainers for EVIPNet Africa and establish and support the

cooperation south-south.

6. NEXT STEPS AND ACTIVITIES

EVIPNet, INASP and IDS will organize in January 2012 with the 3 EVIPNet master trainers in Learner

Centered Approach trained 2 representatives from each EVIPNet Country teams and training materials

will be available in 3 lanaguages (English, French and Porutguese).