As part of the capacity development strategy launched in 2020 with the latest phase of MIEUX+, the Training of Trainers (ToT) course is the first standardised material developed by the team and a set of experts in this area. The ongoing project with the Brazilian Public Defenders’ Office represented a great opportunity to pilot the ToT course and prepare for the broad roll-out of this product for other partners around the world.
Training of Trainers Course
With more than 10 years of experience in the implementation of capacity development projects around the world, MIEUX+ decided to embark in a new process that will benefit partner authorities, ICMPD and other stakeholders. Sharing practices and training trainers are fundamental part of the work of ICMPD and of MIEUX+. Since 2009, MIEUX+ has conducted ToTs in 13 countries across the world, and implemented +65 ToT activities.
With the newest phase of MIEUX+ came the opportunity to build on this vast expertise and rethink business as usual. In fact, this vast experience accrued while conducting trainings around the world on all topics related to migration shows how capacity development has the potential to be a transformative process, not merely a series of trainings.
As part of this new approach to capacity development, MIEUX+ is building on its existing training expertise while pushing the limits and testing new approaches to ensure impact and sustainability.
With the aim to provide a standardised, high-quality training programme, which can be applied to any topic on migration, MIEUX+ laid the foundation by developing a competency framework based on the core skills and knowledge participants would need in order to be a great trainer. The standardised approach streamlines the ToT process, raises the bar on training standards, increases accountability, and helps to ensure that all participants who have successfully completed the course are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to design, deliver and evaluate an engagement and impactful training session of their own.
The standardisation of materials such as training can improve the efficiency of the initiative by reducing duplication of efforts, streamlining resources and, more importantly, by helping to anchor good practices in the savoir-faire of MIEUX+.
The ToT course was developed in close collaboration with MIEUX+ experts in the area as well as other ICMPD colleagues. We understand that many of our partner authorities/staff are busy professional, so we designed the course to be flexible. It begins with an online, self-paced component which prepares learners for an engaging 5-day face-to-face training where they have the opportunity to practice their new skills with their peers while benefiting from expert guidance and coaching.
Piloting with Brazilian partners
The partnership between MIEUX+ and Brazilian Public Defenders’ Office (DPU) exists since 2019 and aims at facilitating the knowledge exchange to help Brazilian public defenders to better assistant the migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the country. The ongoing project with the DPU focuses on international protection and asylum, with a special emphasis on legal assistance to asylum-seekers, including the development of an online course on this topic.
Training Public Defenders on how to deliver a training was planned since the inception of the project in 2020. With the recent development of the MIEUX+ ToT Course, piloting it with the Brazilian partners appeared to be a great opportunity.
This is why in July 2022, the MIEUX+ team and experts organised a face-to-face mission to conduct the ToT. The main objective of the activity was to sustain the impact and results of the project, by reinforcing the capacities of DPU officers to train their colleagues and a broader public on international protection and asylum.
Before joining the on-site training, the 14 participants followed an online course covering the training cycle steps, methodology, and more. This interactive, self-paced course prepared them to join the face-to-face sessions of the ToT course. The on-site classes were moderated by local experts and covered topics such as training cycle, design, objectives, key principles of adult learning, delivery and methods, as well as evaluation and closing.
At the end of the training week, participants and staff from the partner authority confirmed the importance and relevance of such course to their work and to the future capacity development of their staff: “It is one of the best courses I have attended, both for the quality of the trainers, the group class and the materials provided.”
Next steps
Looking forward, the newly trained DPU officers have now the skills and capacities to train other colleagues, not only in the Brazilian capital but also in other Brazilian States, which allows for a good geographical balance and different main border-crossing points. They will now be able to replicate the international protection and asylum training, as well as applying this knowledge to other topics and develop further courses in the future.
From MIEUX+ side, the team will now evaluate the first delivery of the ToT course based on the feedback from the participants, partner authorities and experts. This will lead to eventual adjustments to the online and face-to-face sections of the course, to prepare the broad roll-out of this product for other projects and to other partners. Stay tuned!