World Education Laos TEAM Capacity Building Approach

As well as providing funding to 15 local and international organizations to develop

and strengthen the disability and rehabilitation sector in Laos, World Education
USAID-LWVF funded TEAM project works with sub-recipients to strengthen their
ability to manage grants and to efficiently implement their projects. WEL-TEAM
conducts an Organizational Assessment of all applicants for TEAM funding to look at
capacity in grants management, financial management, human resources, activity
implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. If the organization is approved for
funding, WEL-TEAM staff work with the organization to discuss the outcomes of the
assessment, including both organizational strengths and areas for improvement.
TEAM and the organization then work together to create a capacity-building plan
with specific measurable objectives. Most of the capacity-building relates to the
organization's ability to successfully implement the project activities and manage
the sub-award, but if there are specific areas that the organization has identified as
priorities, these are included if possible.

Capacity-building is one of the core components of the TEAM project, and inputs by
World Education take many forms. One approach is individual coaching, where a
TEAM staff member who has the required expertise will work closely with one or
several members of an organization regularly over a longer period of time, to
discuss a specific issue, either by phone, email or in person, or a combination of
those methods. Other times WEL-TEAM organizes formal trainings for all sub-
recipients. So far, TEAM has conducted trainings on USAID Regulations, World
Education TEAM Finance Procedures, and Monitoring and Evaluation. In addition,
some trainings are provided on an optional basis, allowing the sub-recipient to
choose topics which are most relevant or needed for their organization. So far,
TEAM has offered trainings on Curriculum Development, Psychosocial Support,
Training of Trainers (ToT), Project Cycle Management (PCM), and Gender Inclusion.
TEAM encourages sub-recipients to send an appropriate staff member to the
training, and all trainings are open to any staff member as relevant, not just project
staff who are funded by TEAM. All WEL-TEAM trainings are participatory, reflective
and allow as much time as possible for ‘learning by doing’ and practical application
of skills and knowledge.

TEAM recognize the importance of reflection, goal setting, and the long-term,
regular follow up needed for effective capacity building. Examples of how TEAM
promoted these values are:
 Many WEL-TEAM trainings are followed up by practical sessions conducted
by the trainer or TEAM staff with each sub-recipient individually or in small
groups to allow opportunities for the organization to apply and practice what
they learn in the training to their own situation with guidance and feedback
 Video sessions are used in the ToT training practice session to allow the
participants to view themselves delivering a training as a tool for self-
reflection and self- assessment
  Participants in trainings set SMART goals at the end of the sessions for future
action which are followed up by the organization’s management, the trainers
and/or TEAM staff

 Capacity building plans with individual sub-recipients are followed up on
monthly in some cases to assess and reflect on progress of specific
observable behaviors to measure capacity over a long period of time

These participant handbooks were used in 8 trainings for TEAM sub-recipients, and
are available in print on request from WEL TEAM (bernard_franck@la.worlded.org),
or online at https://sites.google.com/site/teamlaopdr/capacity-building
Currently available:

1. USAID Rules and Regulation for TEAM

2. TEAM Finance Processes and Regulations
3.1 Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation
3.2 TEAM M&E Monitoring Tools.
4. Curriculum and Training Design
5. Introduction to Psychosocial Impairments
6. Training of Trainers (TOT)
7. Project Cycle Management (PCM)
8. Gender Inclusive Development

Under development and available soon:

9. What to Know about Disabling Conditions
10. Understanding impairment and disability in line with UNCRPD, ICF and
World Report on Disability
11. Optimizing functioning of persons with impairments by using diversified
assistive technology
12. Case Management in Disability Inclusion

“This publication was produced by World Education, Inc., agreement number APC-
GM-0063, through Advancing Partners & Communities (APC), a five-year
cooperative agreement funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development
under Agreement No. AID-OAA-A-12-00047, beginning October 1, 2012.”

3
 Editor’s Note

Background
The World Education Laos TEAM project is a USAID-funded project that intends to
develop and strengthen the disability and physical and rehabilitation medicine sectors in
Laos. The goal of the TEAM project is to enable people with disabilities, especially
women and girls to attain and maintain maximum independence to fully and equally
participate in all aspects of life. The four components of the TEAM project are (i)
Training, (ii) Economic Empowerment, (iii) Assistive Technology and (iv) Medical &
Physical Rehabilitation.

Through delivering sub-grants to several national or international organizations, World

Education Laos manages the overall grant from USAID and coordinates the achievement
of different targets in each of the four components. World Education Laos ensures
capacity-building in grant management and technical support to sub-grantees.

Purpose of Handbook
This handbook was designed by World Education Laos TEAM staff to be used as an
accompanying resource for a Curriculum Design Training held at the World Education
Vientiane office from May 20th – 22nd, 2015. The goal of the training was to provide
TEAM sub-grantees with the training, tools and resources needed to design a basic
curriculum framework for short-term trainings on a specific topic, including SMART
objectives, assessments, learning activities and a trainer’s terms of reference.

In addition, the Handbook was intended to be used as a take-home resource for

participants and their respective organizations as they design and implement TEAM
project trainings. Participants are encouraged to share this tool with other members of
their organization, and to reference it as they design and implement their own
curriculums.

Resources
 An Introduction to Teaching Skills (1st ed). Mae Sot, Thailand: The Curriculum
Project. Retrieved from www.curriculumproject.org
 Hughes, C., Toohey, S., & Hatherly, S. (1992). Developing learning‐centered
trainers and tutors. Studies in Continuing Education, 14(1), 14-27.
 Garvin, Tabitha. How SMART Are Your Strategic Goals? Retrieved May 12, 2015
from http://www.mcun.coop/The_Blog_A_Direct_Line_162.html?article_id=709

* All case studies included in this handbook are fictitious. Any resemblance to real
organizations or previously existing materials is coincidental.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE TRAINING CYCLE 6

CHAPTER 2: PLANNING A TRAINING 9

CHAPTER 3: HOW WE LEARN 22

CHAPTER 4: PLANNING LEARNING ACTIVITIES 24

CHAPTER 5: CREATING PRE AND POST TESTS 25

CHAPTER 6: ANALYZING PRE AND POST TESTS 26

CHAPTER 7: WRITING A TRAINER’S TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) 28

CHAPTER 8: WRITING A TRAINING PLAN 35

APPENDIX 40

SUMMARY 45

5
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Training Cycle
What is the Training Cycle?
The Training Cycle is a series of steps trainers and training designers follow to ensure
that a training is appropriate and effective. It helps to ensure that participants’ needs
are met, as well as program goals.

1. Identify
Training
Needs

5. Evaluate 2. Plan
Training Training
The
Training
Cycle
3.
Implement
4. Assess (Do the
Learning Training)

6
Purpose and methods of each stage

Stage 1: Identify Training Needs

Purpose Methods and Tools
 To identify the gap between what the  Surveys, focus group discussions,
participants know and can do and what interviews, assessments, etc.
they need to know and do

Stage 2: Plan Training

Purpose Methods and Tools
 To identify the who, what, where,  Curriculum Outline
when, why and how of a training  Goals and Objectives
 To plan the curriculum. Know what the  Trainer’s Notes
content is and know how to teach it

Stage 3: Implement (Do the Training)

Purpose Methods and Tools
 To close the gap between what the  Materials, resources, a variety of
participants already know and can do learning activities, assessments
and what they need to know and do

Stage 4: Assess Learning

Purpose Methods and Tools
 So the trainers and participants know  Written Tests, exams
how well participants are learning  Oral tests, exams
 Demonstration of skill (with checklist)
 Product (with checklist)

Stage 5: Evaluate Training

Purpose Methods and Tools
 So organizations know how successful  Analysis of assessments
the training is  Student feedback
 For trainers to reflect and make  Trainer feedback and reflections
changes to improve
 To identify participant’s needs for
follow-up trainings

7
Case Study:
Healthy and Happy NGO Identifies Training Needs

An NGO called Healthy and Happy is doing a project with the goal of increasing access
to emergency health care in remote areas. They work with the district and provincial
health centers to train Village Health Volunteers in these remote areas in First Aid to
ensure that every village has at least one person with basic skills and knowledge to
respond in emergencies. At the end of the training, they give each Village Health
Volunteer a mobile phone so that he or she will be able to call the district or
provincial health center in the case of an emergency. However, they do not tell the
participants how to use them or what to do with them.

On a monitoring visit to one of the district health centers, they learn that the health
center has not received any calls from VHV in the past 6 months. They are very
surprised. They contact a few other health centers and discover the same result.
They decide to speak with the VHVs. They cannot travel to all of the remote villages,
so they organize a few focus group discussions in the district centers. From the focus
groups, they discover that about 65% of the VHV do not know how to use the mobile
phones.

As a result, Healthy and Happy identified a need for basic cell phone trainings for
the VHVs.

8
Chapter 2: Planning a Training

Step 1: Determine the Basics

After you have identified training needs, the next step is to plan the training. One way to
do this is the ask yourself the following questions:

Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

Who
• Who are the participants? What is their prior knowledge and experience?
• Who are the trainers? What is their prior knowledge and experience?
• Who are the support staff? How can they help?

What
 What will the training be about?
 What is the content of the training? What are the training topics?

Where
• Where will the training take place?
• Is it accessible to the participants and trainers?
• Is the space appropriate for the training activities?

When

• When are the participants and trainers available?

• How long will
the training ★ The length of a training is determined by two things:
be? 1. How long will it take to teach the content effectively?
2. For how long are the participants available?

9
 Why
 Why are you doing this training? What is the purpose?
 How does this training connect with your organization or project goals?
 How does the training connect to the participants’ needs identified in the needs
assessment?

How
 How will you give the training?
 How will you know if the training is effective or not?
 What is your curriculum?
o What are the training goals and learning objectives?
o What are the assessments?
o What are the teaching methods and learning activities?
o What materials do you need?

Case Study:
Healthy and Happy NGO plans the training

Who: Village Health Volunteers

What: Mobile Phone Training – text messaging and calling the district and provincial
health centers
Where: 5 District Health Centers
When:
 Length of Training: 1 Day
 Dates: August 24 – 28th, 2015 (1 day per district)
Why:
 To use cell phones to contact village and district health centers when there is a
health emergency in their village
 To increase access to emergency health care in remote areas
How: See Chapters 2 and 3

10
Step 2: Create SMART Goals and Objectives
After determining the basics of the training, the next step is to create the training goal
and learning objectives.

Training Goals and Learning Objectives – what is the difference?

The words “goal” and “objective” can have the same meaning. However, here we use
the words to differentiate between the overall desired outcome of the training, and the
things participants need to know and be able to do in order to reach that goal.

Goal

Objective Objective
Objective

Training Goal Learning Objectives

What participants need to know What participants need to know
and be able to do by the end of the and be able to do to meet the
training. training goal.

Ex: By the end of the training, Ex: Participants will be able to

participants will be able to ride a  Pedal the bicycle without
bicycle down the street. falling
 Use the breaks to stop
 Use the handle bars to turn

11
What are SMART goals and objectives?

 State exactly what you want

participants to achieve in the
S Specific training.
 Start with an action word.
 Break larger tasks into smaller tasks

 Something you can measure or

M Measurable assess
 Can check if the participants meet
it through observations, tests,
questioning, etc.

 Something participants can achieve

A Achievable within the training time period

 Considers participants’ prior
knowledge and experience

M
 Connects to participants’ jobs or

R Relevant lives
 Skills and knowledge are useful
for participants

M  Connects to program goals

 Includes a deadline for learning the

T Time-Bound task:
 “By the end of the
training…”
 “By the end of the lesson…”
M
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✗NOT SMART ✓SMART
 
✗Improve coaching skills ✓By the end of the training participants
(Not specific!). will be able to facilitate at least 5 drills to
practice shooting a basketball. .

✗Gain equal rights for all people with ✓By the end of the lesson, participants
disabilities in Laos. will be able to list at least three common
(Not achievable in the time of the barriers that persons with disabilities face
training!) in Laos.

✗Know about wants and needs ✓By the end of the session, participants
(Not Specific! Difficult to measure!) will be able to differentiate between wants
and needs.

Case Study:
Healthy and Happy NGO writes a SMART goal and objectives

Training Topic: Basic Mobile Phone Use

Training Goal: By the end of the training, participants will be able to use cell phones to
contact village and district health centers when there is a health emergency in their
village.

Learning Objectives:
By the end of the training, participants will be able to
 Identify the contact numbers of the nearest district and provincial health centers
 Save the health center contact numbers into the phone
 Call the health center and provide the appropriate information
 Send a text message with the appropriate information to the health center
 Explain the protocol after the message is sent (what should I do after I call?)
 Top up their phones when they run out of money

13
Tips for Writing Learning Objectives

 Think of the Topics and Content of the training before writing learning objectives.

What resources, materials, handbooks, etc. do you have on the topic? Getting
familiar with the content will help you write better Learning Objectives.

 Use an “action” word. This will ensure that your learning objective is specific and
measurable.

Examples of common actions words in learning objectives:

 Demonstrate  Define
 Explain  Describe
 List  Select
 Differentiate

 Remember – training goals and learning objectives are for the participants, not the
trainers!

Write goals and objectives to indicate what the participants should know and be
able to do by the end of the training. Sometimes we confuse learning objectives
with the instructions for the trainer. Just because the trainer “explains”
something does not mean the learning objective is met. The participants need to
be able to “explain” it themselves in order to meet the learning objective.

14
Step 3. Plan Assessments
Why do we assess learning?
 To make sure that participants meet the learning objectives and the training
goal.
 To measure how successful the training is.
 To know how to improve the training so that participants can meet the goal.
 To identify needs and topics for potential follow-up trainings.

When do we assess learning?

Beginning During End

of a training a training of a training

Purpose Purpose Purpose

 To measure  So trainers know what  So organizations and
participants’ prior additional feedback and trainers know if they
knowledge and skills. support to give were successful. (Did
participants. participants meet the
 To identify the gap training goal?)
between what the  So participants know
participants know and what they still need to  So participants know if
can do, and what they learn in order to meet they were successful.
need to know and do by the training goal.
the end of the training

★Assessments should always measure the learning objectives. ★

15
Types of Assessment
Some types of assessment are:

1. Written Test
This is a very familiar style of test. Often we use pre and post tests during short
trainings. For more information on written tests, see Chapter 6: Creating Pre and
Post Tests.

Pros Cons
 Good for measuring knowledge  Bad for measuring skills
(“theory”). (“practice”).
 Easy to grade.  Difficult for participants with low
 Efficient – all participants can take literacy levels. (However, in some
the test at the same time, so it cases the test can be adapted for
doesn’t not take a lot of non-readers by using pictures).
instructional time.  Can be difficult to make effective
test questions that are clear and
measure the learning objectives.

2. Oral Test
Instead of reading the questions and writing the answers, participants listen to
the questions and say the answers. Sometimes, trainers will read a written test
aloud to participants, or create a test that is specifically designed to be given
orally.

Pros Cons
 Good for participants with low  Inefficient – requires the trainers to
literacy levels. meet individually with each
 Good for measuring listening and participant, so they do not hear
speaking skills. (For example, for a each other’s answers. This can take
language class.) a long time if you have a lot of
participants and few trainers.

3. Demonstration with checklist

This is when the participant demonstrates the skills learned in the training by
him/herself, without the support of the trainer. The trainer’s job is to observe
and check off each step or task on the checklist as the participant completes it.
The checklist is important because it ensures that the trainer checks and
documents the same skills every time.

16
 For example, in a First Aid Training, the participants must demonstrate how to do
CPR one by one while the trainers look at a checklist and check off each step as
the participant does it. The participant gets points for doing each step correctly.

Pros Cons
 Good for measuring skills  Inefficient – requires the trainers to
(“practice”). For example, if your watch each participant do the skills
participants are learning a specific one by one. This can take a long
skill that they will apply to their time if you have a lot of
lives after the training, such as participants and few trainers.
livelihoods training, administering
medical procedures, or
implementing strategies, this is the
best form of assessment.

Example: First Aid Training CPR Checklist (1 per participant)

Participant Name:
CPR Assessment Checklist Points
Participant must do the task correctly without support to get the point.
1. Assess the scene to make sure it is safe ____/1
2. Check if victim is responsive (i.e. tap and say “are you
____/1
alright?”)
3. Get help ____/1
4. If face down, turn face up supporting neck and head. ____/1
5. If breathing but unconscious, put in recovery position. ____/1
6. Open the airway ____/1
7. Check for breathing (Look, Listen, Feel) ____/1
8. Clear the airway of any obstructions ____/1
9. If not breathing, give 30 compressions ____/1
10. Give compressions at the rate of about 100 times per
____/1
minute
11. Give two breaths ____/1
12. Continue giving 30 compressions and 2 breaths until
further medical care is available or the patient starts ____/1
breathing. (until Trainer says to stop.)
TOTAL POINTS ____/12

17
4. Final Project/Product with Checklist
This is when the participant makes a final product by him/herself, without the
support of the trainer. The participant turns the final project into the trainer, and
the trainer uses a checklist and gives points for each part that is done correctly.

For example, in a sewing training the participants must make a shirt, sin and pair
of pants at the end of the training. The trainers follow the checklist and gives
points for every stitch, seem, etc. that is done correctly.

Pros Cons
 Good for trainings in which the  Can be difficult to create a final
participants are learning how to project that includes ALL of the
make something (i.e. sewing, skills taught throughout the
handicrafts) training. (Another option is to
 Good for longer trainings that create a final project after each
teach many small skills unit.)

5. Work Observations with Checklist

This is when the trainers follow up with each participant by visiting them in their
jobs and observing them while they are applying the skills they learned in the
training. The trainer uses a checklist to document whether or not the participant
is applying the skills correctly.

For example, some trainers are giving a training for medics on how to give eye
exams. After the training, the trainers visit each medic in the health center where
he/she works. They observe each medic as they conduct an eye exam. They give
points for each step done correctly.

Pros Cons
 Good for measuring skills  Takes time and resources (trainers
(“practice”). must travel to visit each participant
 Good for measuring application of in his or her workplace).
skills (are the participants applying  Does not tell you immediately at
what they learned in the training to the end of the training whether or
their jobs or lives?) not the learning objectives were
met. (It is a good idea to use this
type of assessment with some
other kind of test given at the end
of the training.)

18
6. Informal Assessments
Informal assessments are when the trainer checks to see what the participants
know/don’t know and can/can’t do, but does not record and document the
results in a standardized way.

Examples of informal assessments include review questions at the end of a

lesson, review games and observation and feedback during group work.

Pros Cons
 Good to use during a training so  Are not standardized or
the trainer knows what is still documented, so difficult to use as
difficult for participants. evidence in reports and other
 Can be incorporated into learning documents.
activities.
 Allow participants to get instant
feedback from the trainer to know
how to improve.

19
Step 4. Put it all together (Curriculum Outline)
Once you have determined the basics, the goal and objectives, assessments, you can put
everything together into one document called a curriculum outline.

The curriculum outline can be shared with the trainers, donors, partner organizations
and other stakeholders so that everyone knows the important information about the
training.

Curriculum Outline Template

Training Topic: What is the training about?

Target Group: Who is the training for?

Duration: How long is the training?
Locations: Where will the training take place?
Dates and Times: When?

Training Goal

1-2 sentences to describe what participants will know and be able to do by the end of the
training.

 By the end of the training, participants will…

Resources and Materials

What information will you use? Where will you get it? (i.e. handbooks, information
packets, other curriculum, etc.

What are the main materials you need to do the training? (i.e. special equipment)

Learning Objectives

Break the training goal into smaller objectives. What do the participants need to know
and be able to do in order to meet the training goal? Make them SMART!

Assessment

How will you measure participants’ knowledge and skills?

How will you measure whether or not the participants have met the learning objectives?

20
 Example Curriculum Outline
Healthy and Happy NGO

Training Topic: Mobile Phone Training

Target Group: Village Health Volunteers

Duration: 1 Day (9:00 am – 4:00 pm)
Location: 5 District Health Centers in Xiangkhouang Province (Pek, Kham, Nonghed,
Khoune, Morkmay)
Dates and Times: August 24 – 28th, 2015 (1 day per district)

Training Goal
By the end of the training, participants will be able to use cell phones to contact village
and district health centers when there is a health emergency in their village.

Resources and Materials

 Nokia Phone instruction manual
 Nokia Phones
 Detailed training plan created by Happy and Healthy NGO

Learning Objectives

By the end of each corresponding session, participants will be able to:

 Identify the contact numbers of the nearest district and provincial health centers
 Save the health center contact numbers into the phone
 Call the health center and provide the appropriate information
 Send a text message with the appropriate information to the health center
 Explain the protocol after the message is sent (what should I do after I call?)
 Top up their phones when they run out of money

Assessment
 Beginning of the training: Pre-test
 During the training: Trainer observations during small group practice
 End of the training: Post-test

21
Chapter 3: How We Learn
What is Learning?
 Learning is adding new knowledge or skills to our prior knowledge and skills.
 Learning does not happen all at once, but builds on and is shaped by previous
knowledge.
 Learning is a process.

How do we Learn?
 Observing  Practicing again and again by
 Listening ourselves
 Reading  Connecting new knowledge
 Doing and skills to prior knowledge
 Getting feedback and skills
 Practicing again and again
with someone else’s help

The Process of Learning

22
 Case Study
Father, Son and Bicycle

Father is teaching his son to ride a bicycle. Father sits on the bicycle. He
demonstrates how to pedal, how to change the gears and how to break. His son
watches while he demonstrates.

Father: Did you see what I did? Now do you understand how to ride a bike, son?

Son: Yes

Father: Okay, now you can ride the bicycle.

Father leaves his son and goes inside the house. Son gets on the bicycle begins to
ride, but he cannot keep his balance and crashes into the neighbor’s house. The
bike is broken. Father comes out. He is very angry and begins scolding his son.

 Why do you think Son crashed the bike?

 Considering how we learn, what could father have done differently while
teaching to help his son learn better?

Remember…
 When someone tells us how to do something, it does not mean we automatically
know how to do it. When someone tells us new information, it does not mean
we automatically understand it.

 The best way to learn something is to PRACTICE it!

So, when planning a training…

 Plan activities that will allow the participants to PRACTICE the skills and
knowledge of the learning objectives during the training.

 Build in activities that allow the trainer to observe, give feedback and provide
additional support while the participants are practicing.

23
Chapter 4: Planning Learning Activities

There are many types of learning activities. For example:

 Presentations  Demonstrations
 Lectures  Case studies
 Large group discussions  Practice
 Small group discussions  Brainstorming
 Pair work  Reading handouts
 Role plays  Games
 Work sheets/problem sets

When planning learning activities, think about the Process of Learning (p. 20)
For each learning objective, plan a variety of activities that will address different stages
of the learning process:

Learning Process What the trainer does Possible Learning Activities

Presentation, lecture, discussion,

Introduces topic/learning brainstorm, large group
Be introduced to it
objective discussions, small group
discussions

Presentation, lecture,
Get to know more
Explanation/Demonstration demonstration, case study,
about it
reading hand outs, role-plays

Practice in pairs, practice in small

groups, practice with actual tools,
Try it out (Practice) Facilitate practice
worksheets or problem sets, role-
plays

★ Learning activities should always connect to learning objectives. ★

24
Chapter 5: Creating Pre and Post Tests

Pre and Post Tests are one way to assess learning. They measure
participants’ progress from the beginning to the end of the training.

Pre/Post Tests
 Should have the same questions in the same order on both
tests
 Should measure the learning objectives

Types of Pre/Post Test Questions

 True or False (easy to grade and document)
 Multiple Choice (easy to grade and document)
 Fill in the Blank (somewhat difficult to grade and document)
 Short Answer (difficult to grade and document)

Using learning objectives to write pre/post test questions

 SMART objectives are easier to measure.
 SMART objectives allow us to write good test questions.

Example: Financial Literacy Training

✗NOT SMART
learning objective: Test Question

?
Know about wants and
needs

✓ SMART
learning objective: Test Question

By the end of the session, True or False:

participants will be able to “Wants” are things that
differentiate between we absolutely need to
wants and needs. survive.

25
Chapter 6: Analyzing Pre and Post Tests

Why do we analyze pre and post tests?

 So organizations know how successful the training is
 For trainers to reflect and make changes to improve
 To identify participant’s needs for follow-up trainings

How do we analyze pre and post tests?

We analyze pre and post tests by comparing the results from each. We look for answers
to the following questions:
 What do you notice?
 Did every participant improve? By how much?
 Did every participant pass the post-test?
 Which questions were the most difficult? (Which questions did most people get
wrong on the post-test?) Why do you think that was?
o Did the trainer forget to teach this information?
o Is the question confusing?
o Was the information not achievable within the timeframe of the training?
 What changes do you need to make as a result?
o Does the trainer need to spend more time on a certain topic that is more
difficult? Change the learning activity?
o Do you need to make the training longer?
o Do you need to plan a follow-up training? If so, what content should be
included in the training?

Healthy and Happy NGO Mobile Phone Training Pre and Post Test Score Results

26
 Healthy and Happy NGO Mobile Phone Training Pre and Post Test Bar Graph

Case Study
Healthy and Happy NGO analyzes pre and post tests (see chart and graph above)

After giving their mobile phone trainings, the Happy and Healthy trainers enter the
pre and post test scores into a chart in Excel. They use Excel to create a bar graph to
show each participant’s results. While looking at the chart and graph, they notice
that:
 13 out of 15 (87%) participants passed the pre-test
 6 out of 15 (40%) participants got 100% on the pre-test
 15 out of 15 (100%) participants passed the post-test.
 14 out of 15 (93%) participants got 100% on the post test

Overall they notice that everyone did very well, and many people even scored very
high on the pre-test. This means that the participants already knew a lot of the
information included in the training. They know from this data that they do not need
to give a follow-up training on mobile phone use. They think back to their original
needs assessment. They know that Village Health Volunteers were not calling the
district and provincial health centers very often because they didn’t know how. Now
that they have trained all the VHVs in mobile phone use and everyone scored very
high, they know they probably do not need to do a follow-up training on the same
topic. They decide they want to track the calls to see if the VHV calls to the Health
Centers increase after the training. This will help them know if their training helped
to change the behaviors of the participants, and whether or not the training helped
them to reach the program goal of increasing access to health care in remote areas.

27
Chapter 7: Writing a Trainer’s Terms of Reference (ToR)

What is a Trainer’s Terms of Reference?

A Trainer’s Terms of Reference (ToR) is a written
agreement so that the trainer knows exactly what his or
her responsibilities are.

A ToR needs to be a written document to avoid any

confusion or misunderstanding about the trainer’s
responsibilities.

Who writes a ToR?

The project staff should work together to create the ToR before hiring the trainer.

What is the ToR used for?

 To find a consultant who has the right knowledge, skills and attitudes to
effectively implement and document the training
 To let the trainer know exactly what the training should be about, and the
desired outcomes of the training
 To indicate to the trainer what types of documentation he or she needs to
provide or create in addition to facilitating the training

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 Terms of Reference Template

Trainer Consultancy
(Training Topic)
(Dates and Duration of Consultancy)

Background
 When did your organization start?
 What type of work does your organization do?
 What is your organization’s mission statement?

Rationale
 What is your organization’s TEAM project?
 How does this training connect to the project?

Purpose of consultancy
 Why are you hiring this trainer?
 What is he/she responsible for doing?

Training Goals and Objectives

 Who is the training for?
 What is the Training Goal? (see Chapter 2 Step 2)
 What are the learning objectives?

Expected deliverables:
 What documents is the trainer expected to create?
o Training schedule?
o Pre/post test?
o Trainer notes?
o Training report? Including…
 Pre/post test analysis?
 Recommendations for improvements to the curriculum and
training?
 Recommendations for follow-up trainings?

Timeframe
 When is the trainer expected to work?
 When are the training dates?

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 Example Terms of Reference #1

Terms of Reference
Curriculum Development Consultancy
1 May 2015 – 30 September 2015

Background
World Education has been operational in the Lao PDR since 1992. WE has worked in a
number of sectors (agriculture, education, health, drug addiction, and repatriation) over
the past 22 years, however projects are currently focused on: Education, Health, Mine
Action and Economic development with disability and gender as cross cutting issues.

1. Addressing the needs of unexploded ordnance (UXO) accident survivors and

their families;
2. Coordinating a UXO education and awareness program in primary schools in the
49 districts of eleven provinces which are most heavily impacted by UXO;
3. Implementing an integrated disability inclusion project with multiple partners;
4. Improving emergency and trauma care training for doctors and nurses; and,
5. Implementing a rural livelihoods project in southern Laos.

World Education staff work hand in hand with the Lao PDR government staff in the
Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labour and Social
Welfare, and the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) in implementing these programs.

Rationale
The World Education Laos TEAM project is a USAID-funded project that intends to
develop and strengthen the disability and physical and rehabilitation medicine sectors in
Laos. The goal of the TEAM project is to enable people with disabilities, especially
women and girls to attain and maintain maximum independence to fully and equally
participate in all aspects of life. The four components of the TEAM project are (i)
Training, (ii) Economic Empowerment, (iii) Assistive Technology and (iv) Medical &
Physical Rehabilitation.

Through delivering sub-grants to several national or international organizations, World

Education Laos manages the overall grant from USAID and coordinates the achievement
of different targets in each of the four components. World Education Laos ensures
capacity-building in grant management and technical support to sub-grantees.

According to USAID’s requirements in term of indicators, training will be counted in

indicators as far there is a written curriculum.

30
Purpose of consultancy
At this stage of the TEAM project no sub grantee will be creating long, in-depth
curriculums that need to be validated by a ministry. They will rather organize short
trainings on things like disability rights, financial literacy, screening for early detection of
impairments, etc.

More comprehensive curriculum development may come with the second and third
round of application particularly if the Center for Medical Rehabilitation applies for a
sub-grant. (June 2015).

The consultant will therefore provide 2.5 days training on the principles of curriculum
development and basic methodology for training. She will also organize coaching (direct
or distance) to accompany each sub-grantee in the process of developing their own
curriculum.

The objectives of this consultancy

By the end of September 2015, the TEAM Sub-grantees working on training provision
will be able to:
1. Understand the principles and methodology of curriculum development.
a. What is the content and structure of a training curriculum document?
b. How to define and formulate SMART learning objectives for training that
reflect the knowledge, skills and attitudes expected by the trainer?
c. What are the different methods of teaching/learning with some tips for
good learning?
d. What is “trainer notes” and how to prepare and use them?
e. How to develop, use and analyze pre/post-test so they effectively
measure the progress and achievements of the learners?
2. Develop term of reference (TOR) for hiring a trainer consultant for a specific
training topic.
3. Receive direct or distance coaching for developing and finalizing their own
curriculum document related to the training activity of their TEAM project.

Expected deliverables:
 A brief, practical guideline/handbook on how to develop training curriculum from A
to Z adapted to the TEAM Laos project context will be developed and delivered to
sub-grantees.
 If requested by sub-grantees, each TEAM Sub-Grantee’s curriculum and TOR drafting
process will be accompanied (directly or through distance coaching) by the
consultant with advice, recommendations and corrections.
 A final report on lessons learnt and recommendations for building capacity of TEAM
Sub Grantees staff in Laos on developing training materials will be prepared.

31
Timeframe
 Monday May 18th:
o Arriving in Vientiane, documents review and discussion with TEAM team.
o Basic ToT training for TEAM staff
 Wednesday-Friday May 20th-22nd (2.5 days)
o Training session on curriculum development with case studies related to Sub-
Grantees’ training subjects.
 2 first weeks of June;
o Distance coaching and questions & answers upon request from sub-grantees.
 August - September:
o Distance coaching and question & answers upon request from sub-grantees.
 End of September
o Final report with lessons learnt on capacity building in curriculum training
development.

32
 Example Terms of Reference #2

Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD)

Terms of Reference
Trainer: Disability Rights and Equality Training
1 June 2015 – 31 August 2015

Background
The Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD) has been working in Laos to promote
equal opportunity, equal access to services, economic power and independent living for
individuals with disabilities since 2005. Throughout the past ten years, APD has worked
with government agencies, international non-profit and community based organizations
to provide capacity building opportunities for persons with disabilities, as well as to
create awareness on disability rights and the social model of disability for all citizens of
Laos. Our vision is to create a Lao society in which all individuals are included in all
aspects of work and life.

Rationale
The World Education Laos TEAM project is a USAID-funded project that intends to
develop and strengthen the disability and physical and rehabilitation medicine sectors in
Laos. The goal of the TEAM project is to enable people with disabilities, especially
women and girls to attain and maintain maximum independence to fully and equally
participate in all aspects of life. The four components of the TEAM project are (i)
Training, (ii) Economic Empowerment, (iii) Assistive Technology and (iv) Medical &
Physical Rehabilitation.

APD has received a TEAM grant to provide Disability Rights and Equality Training for
business managers in the private sector in Vientiane Capital.

According to USAID’s requirements in term of indicators, training will be counted in

indicators as far there is a written curriculum.

Purpose of consultancy
The consultant will organize and facilitate a one-day training on Disability Rights and
Equality for business managers in Vientiane Capital. The consultant will also be
responsible for ongoing documentation for monitoring and evaluation purposes,
including participant registration forms and pre and post tests, and will work with the
APD M&E officer to design appropriate M&E tools. The consultant will also work with
the Program Coordinator to identify potential participants within the target group and
organize training logistics.

33
Objectives of this Consultancy
By the end of August 2015, at least 100 for-profit business managers in Vientiane Capital
will be able to identify ways to create an enabling work environment that gives each
employee or potential employee an opportunity to fulfill his or her job responsibilities.
They will be able to:

 Identify common stereotypes and prejudices that persons with disabilities face
on a daily basis.
 Summarize the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities.
 Identify barriers to inclusion and equal access of employment in their respective
companies.
 Identify ways to address inclusion and equal access of employment in their
respective companies.

Expected Deliverables
 A training plan that follows the APD’s Disability Rights and Equality Training
Curriculum Outline.
 A participant profile form to be completed at the beginning of the training.
 A pre and post test that is aligned with the training goal and objectives.
 A final report that includes basic demographic information on all participants, an
analysis of pre and post test scores, an evaluation of the training, lessons learned
and recommendations for future trainings based on data analysis.

Timeframe
 June 1 – 30, 2015
o Working in APD office in collaboration with Program Coordinator to
identify potential participants and organize training logistics.
o Collecting, creating and piloting all training materials, including training
plan, pre and post test and participant profile form
o Collaborating with M&E officer to identify the most appropriate M&E
tools
 July 1 – 31, 2015
o Facilitating trainings for at least 100 business managers at various
locations in Vientiane Capital
o Documenting information on participants and pre and post test scores on
a regular and ongoing basis
 August 1 – 31, 2015
o Working in APD office to write the final training report that includes basic
demographic information on all participants, an analysis of pre and post
test scores, an evaluation of the training, lessons learned and
recommendations for future trainings based on data analysis.

34
Chapter 8: Writing a Training Plan

What is a Training Plan?

Training plans…
 are detailed plans that document exactly how a trainer will facilitate a training
 can also be called “lesson plans” or “trainer’s notes”
 are written before the training
 are used and followed during the training

Why do we write them?

Training plans…
 help trainers to be well-prepared
 guide trainers on what to do and when to do it during the training
 keep trainers and participants on time and on task
 ensure that there is a learning activity for every learning objective

Components of Training Plans

There is no “right” way to write Training Plans. However, good training plans should
include a description of the following:

 Learning objectives  Learning Activities (what is the

 Content (what information are activity? How do you facilitate it
you teaching?) step by step?)
 Assessments  Duration of each activity
 Materials Needed

Case Study:
Healthy and Happy NGO – training plan

A Happy and Healthy trainer plans to give the Mobile Phone Training. She has reviewed
the curriculum outline, so she knows the training goal and learning objectives. She
decides that she does not need to write a training plan since the content is very basic.

During the training, she explains to participants how to save the health center numbers
into the phone. However, she has not prepared any activities that allow participants to
practice this skill, so she continues on the next objective. At the end of the training, she
asks participants to show her how to save a number into their phone. They cannot
remember.

How would a training plan help to solve this issue?

35
 How to Write Training Plans

1. Divide the training content into smaller sessions. Often we use the learning
objectives to determine the sessions.

2. Determine the sequence and length of each session?

 What will you teach first? Next? Last?
 Make a prediction about how long each session will take
 Usually we begin with the more basic content and move to more complex
content so participants can build knowledge and skills little by little

Beginning of training Middle End of training

3. Include the important content in the training plan

 What exact information does the trainer need to share in each session?

4. Create learning activities for each learning objective.

 Plan specific activities that connect to each objective to make sure that
nothing is forgotten, and that the training goal is met.

5. Plan for practice time within the training

 One of the most common training mistakes is to explain content but not
give participants a chance to practice it.

6. Write the procedures for each learning activity

 Include step-by-step instructions on how you will facilitate each activity.
What should the participants do? What should the trainer do?

7. Include assessments
 How will you assess participants at the beginning, middle and end of the
training?

36
 Sample Training Plan, Page 1
Healthy and Happy Mobile Phone Training

Time Learning Objectives Method/ Procedure Resources and Assessment

Learning Activity Materials
8 :30 am Registration and Opening Ceremony Sign-in sheet
9:00 Identify the training Presentation 1. Introduce the training goals, - Chart paper w/
goal, learning learning objectives and schedule. schedule
objectives and
schedule for the day
9:30 Share prior knowledge Written Pre-Test 1. Hand out pre-tests - Pre-tests
and skills on using Completed 2. Answer any questions about the - Pens/pencils
mobile phones individually meaning of the questions, but do
not provide answers

10:00 - Identify the contact Presentation 1. Present health center numbers - Health Center Visit each
numbers of the 2. Hand out phones contact numbers participant
nearest district and Individual 3. Present and demonstrate steps - Chart paper with check that
provincial health Practice steps to save numbers he/she has
to enter and save numbers
centers including pictures saved each
- Save the health 4. Have participants follow along - Phones (1 per number
center contact step by step to enter and save participant) correctly
numbers into the - Phone instruction
phone manuals

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 Sample Training Plan, Page 2
Healthy and Happy Mobile Phone Training

Time Learning Method/ Procedure Resources and Assessment

Objectives Learning Activity Materials
11:00 Call the health - Presentation 1. Presentation - Explain protocol for calling -Chart with Visit each pair
center and - Role-play the health center protocol and to observe and
provide the - Pair Practice 2. Role-play - one trainer is the VHV calling pictures give additional
appropriate - Phones support as
and one is the doctor.
information needed
3. Participant role-play - invite one
volunteer to be the VHV and one to be
the doctor
4. Practice – participants do the role-play in
groups. One is VHV and one is participant.
Then switch roles

Lunch
1:00 Send a text - Presentation 1. Presentation - Explain what information - Chart with Check to make
message with - Demonstration must be included in the text message. sample text sure each text
the appropriate - Practice Explain how to write and send a text message message
information to includes the
message.
the health correct
center 2. Demonstrate how to write the text information.
message while participants follow along Provide
and write text messages on their phones additional
3. Practice - Participants send the message support as
to another participant in the training needed.

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 Sample Training Plan, Page 3
Healthy and Happy Mobile Phone Training

Time Learning Objectives Method/ Procedure Resources and Assessment

Learning Materials
Activity
2:00 Top up phones when -Presentation 1. Presentation - Explain the steps for - chart with steps for Visit each
they run out of money -Demonstration topping up a phone topping up including participant
-Practice 2. Demonstrate how to top up a pictures to confirm
-codes for topping that the
phone
up phone is
3. Practice – have participants do each topped up
step while you do it.

3:00 Review of all learning Team Game 1. Divide into 2 teams - Pre/Post Test
objectives 2. Ask each team a question from the questions and
pre/post test one by one. Give the answers
- Prize for winning
team a point if they are correct.
team
Provide the correct answer if
necessary
3:30 Share knowledge and Written Pre- 1. Hand out pre-tests - Post-tests
skills learned during Test completed 2. Answer any questions about the - Pens/pencils
the training individually meaning of the questions, but do
not provide answers
Answer any final questions
participants may have about using
cell phones

39
Appendix

Useful Templates

40
 Curriculum Outline

Training Topic:

Target Group:
Duration:
Location:
Dates and Times:

Training Goal

Resources and Materials

Learning Objectives

Assessment

41
 ToR
Trainer Consultancy
(Training Topic)
(Dates and Duration of Consultancy)

Background

Rationale

Purpose of consultancy

Training Goals and Objectives

Expected deliverables:

Timeframe

42
 Training Plan Sample Template #1

Time Learning Objectives Method/ Procedure Resources and Assessment

Learning Materials
Activity

43
 Training Plan Sample Template #2

Lesson 1:
Time:

Learning Objectives for this lesson:

Resources and Materials for this lesson:

Learning Process (Steps):

Activity/Time
Learning Activity 1:

Time:

Learning Activity 2:

Time:

Learning Activity 3:

Time:

Assessment

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Summary

10 Quick Steps to Planning a Training

• Identify the Training Needs

1

• Identify Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

2

• Write the training SMART goal

3

• Collect and review the content available. Brainstorm training

4 topics

• Write SMART learning objectives

5

• Determine how you will assess

6

• Complete a curriculum outline

7

• Write a ToR for the trainer

8

• Create a pre/post test that measures the learning objectives

9

• Write a training plan

10

45