DPO Leadership Skills
A training manual for community level
Disabled People’s Organisations
and
Self Help Groups
Introduction, aims and objectives
This manual has been developed by the National Council for Persons with Disability as part of our training programme to build the capacity of organisations run by and for persons with disability.
The National Council of Persons with disabilities was set up in the year 2004 by the Disability Act. NCPWD is a semi- autonomous government agency with the mission:
“To mainstream disability issues in all aspects of socio-cultural, economic and political development.”
This training manual can be used by DPO leaders trained by the Council to conduct follow-on trainings in their districts.
Aim of the course
1. To give participants an understanding of the advocacy, leadership, entrepreneurship, fundraising and project management skills for use as DPO group leaders.
Objectives of the course
By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
1. Train others in the skills they learn and organise small training workshops.
2. Understand different methods of advocacy and when and how to use them
3. Make a simple business plan and identify business plans that work.
4. Be able to create a simple budget and keep track of rates of return.
5. Identify different sources of funding at a local level and know how to access them.
6. Understand principles of group leadership and how to resolve conflicts.
Contents
Introduction, aims and objectives 2
Contents 3
1 Training Skills 4
1.1 What is training? 4
1.2.1 How do people learn? 4
1.2 Training Needs Assessment 6
1.3.1 Methods of conducting a Training Needs Assessment: 6
1.3 Planning the training project: 7
1.3.1 Setting training aims and objectives: 8
1.3.2 Resources needed for the project: 8
1.3.3 Sample budget for a training plan: 9
1.3.4 Sample timeline for a project plan: 10
1.3.5 Sustainability of a project 10
1.3.6 Inclusivity / Diversity of a project 10
1.4 Implementing training: 12
1.4.1 Example of a session plan: 12
1.4.2 Planning training sessions check-list 13
1.4.3 Some techniques for informal training: 13
2. Advocacy Skills 15
2.1 Identifying and analysing the problem 16
2.1.1 Identifying the issue or problem to work on. 16
2.1.2 Analysing the Problem 17
2.2 Conduct a power analysis. 20
2.3 Key messages of your advocacy: 21
2.4 Identify a method of advocacy to influence the target. 22
2.4.1 Communications and Media: 23
2.4.2 Lobbying: 23
2.4.3 Popular mobilisation: 24
2.4.4 Working in partnership / coalitions: 25
3. Fundraising 26
3.1 Different sources of funding: 26
3.2 Five stages of a successful fundraising application: 26
3.3 Fundraising Tips 27
3.4 Techniques for Fundraising from individuals: 28
4. Leadership and managing conflicts within groups 30
4.1 Leadership: 30
4.2 Conflict resolution / management: 30
5. Evaluation 32
List of Appendices: 34
Appendix 1, How to apply for NCPWD Grants for district Trainings 34
Appendix 2. Evaluation form 34
Appendix 3. Training Needs Assessment Tools 34
Appendix 4. Training Techniques 34
Appendix 5, Stakeholder Analysis 34
Appendix 6, Dealing with Differences and Managing Conflict 34
Appendix 7. Giving feedback 34
Appendix 8: Local Funding Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in Kenya 34
Introduction, aims and objectives 2
Contents 3
1 Training Skills 4
1.1 What is training? 4
1.2.1 How do people learn? 4
1.2 Training Needs Assessment 6
1.3.1 Methods of conducting a Training Needs Assessment: 6
1.3 Planning the training project: 7
1.3.1 Setting training aims and objectives: 8
1.3.2 Resources needed for the project: 8
1.3.3 Sample budget for a training plan: 9
1.3.4 Sample timeline for a project plan: 10
1.3.5 Sustainability of a project 10
1.3.6 Inclusivity / Diversity of a project 10
1.4 Implementing training: 12
1.4.1 Example of a session plan: 12
1.4.2 Planning training sessions check-list 13
1.4.3 Some techniques for informal training: 13
2. Advocacy Skills 15
2.1 Identifying and analysing the problem 16
2.1.1 Identifying the issue or problem to work on. 16
2.1.2 Analysing the Problem 17
2.2 Conduct a power analysis. 20
2.3 Key messages of your advocacy: 21
2.4 Identify a method of advocacy to influence the target. 22
2.4.1 Communications and Media: 23
2.4.2 Lobbying: 23
2.4.3 Popular mobilisation: 24
2.4.4 Working in partnership / coalitions: 25
3. Fundraising 26
3.1 Different sources of funding: 26
3.2 Five stages of a successful fundraising application: 26
3.3 Fundraising Tips 27
3.4 Techniques for Fundraising from individuals: 28
4. Leadership and managing conflicts within groups 30
4.1 Leadership: 30
4.2 Conflict resolution / management: 30
5. Evaluation 32
List of Appendices: 34
Appendix 1, How to apply for NCPWD Grants for district Trainings 34
Appendix 2. Evaluation form 34
Appendix 3. Training Needs Assessment Tools 34
Appendix 4. Training Techniques 34
Appendix 5, Stakeholder Analysis 34
Appendix 6, Dealing with Differences and Managing Conflict 34
Appendix 7. Giving feedback 34
Appendix 8: Local Funding Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in Kenya 34
1 Training Skills
1.1 What is training?
Definition:
“Opportunities for people to learn specific things in a short period of time”
Training should be learner-centric. It should fulfil the needs of the learner not the trainer. At school we usually have quite a teacher-centric approach where teachers speak and the students listen. While this method can sometimes be appropriate this manual encourages you to explore other non-formal and interactive methods of training and learning.
1.2.1 How do people learn?
One useful model of learning is the four-stage model:
Reflect (Analyse) – You reflect on your previous experience, read new knowledge in a book or learn from your teacher
Plan – You plan how to apply this knowledge in practice.
Do - You try to do something
Review – You review how successful it was, why you were successful or not and what you could do better next time.
Note: This process goes around in a circle. After you have reviewed, you begin reflecting and planning again for your next activity. Learning can begin and end at any time.
Diagram of the learning cycle
Students Learning about how Maize grows. Example:
REFLECT (ANALYSE)
The teacher tells his students about how plants need water, soil and sunlight to grow. He draws a diagram of how they absorb water through their roots.
PLAN
The teacher tells his students how they are going to go out and plant and cultivate some maize. They plan how they will make sure it is watered properly.
DO
The students plant maize in the school grounds. They try to remember to water it and look after it. Some grows plants grow well but others die.
REVIEW
The students study the maize and try to understand why some plants have grown and some have died. They learn what they could do better next time.
Whenever designing training you should think about how to take learners through a full learning cycle during the session.
1.2 Training Needs Assessment
The first stage of planning training should always be to conduct a needs assessment. Without a needs assessment you will be unable to plan properly as you won’t know the requirements of the people you are trying to benefit.
Definition: “An assessment done to identify the problems / needs / interests of an individual / group / community, that can be strengthened or built through training”
A need is the gap between “what is” and “what ought to be”
A needs assessment should aim to answer the following questions
Why do you need this training? What is the most important need / problem that needs to be met? To what extent are the learners aware of this need?
What is most important to them?
Note: This stage will help you understand the aim of your workshop. The final aim of all your activities as a DPO should be to improve the lives of persons with disabilities in your area. This is the final impact of your work.
You should try to involve your group members in identifying the aim of the workshop so that the workshop meets their needs and priorities.
Who needs to be trained? Who are the people that need the training? What is their current level of knowledge? What is their age and gender? What is their past experience of training and how do they prefer to learn?
Note: At this point you should think about making sure that you include diversity in your workshop – include people from all kinds of backgrounds, men and women, people of all ages, people of all disabilities.
What needs to be trained? What are the knowledge, skills and attitudes that need to be taught to the learners? Is the need best met through training or are there other ways to meet the need?
1.3.1 Methods of conducting a Training Needs Assessment:
(A longer list of methods of Training Needs Assessment can be found in Appendix 2)
Interviews: Talking to people over the phone or face-to-face. This could include the learners and other key stakeholders like DSDOs, business people, teachers etc. This is a very flexible technique, you can choose what questions to ask and change the questions depending on the situation. You also build a personal relationship with the interviewee. The disadvantages are that interviews take time and are expensive in travel and communication costs.
Use previous research: You can read reports and the results of surveys that have already been carried out. This is usually cheaper and quicker than carrying out research yourself. Two very important sources of research on disability in Kenya are:
· State of Disabled Peoples Rights in Kenya (2007) Report
Available from: www.yorku.ca/drpi/files/KenyaReport07.pdf
· “Kenya National Survey for Persons with Disabilities: Preliminary Report” 2008 which is available on: www.cbs.go.ke
The disadvantage is that existing research may be out of date.
Group discussions:
These could happen during a scheduled group meeting or you could organise a special meeting for the TNA. It could take place in a large community meeting or a small “focus group” of around 8 participants. The advantage is that they can provide a forum for everyone to share ideas. They are relatively quick compared to individual interviews. The disadvantages are that they can stray from the topic and it can be difficult to get everyone together.
Questionnaires: Sending a list of questions to people for them to complete and return. The advantages of this method is that you can include a large number of people in diverse locations. You need to be careful about how you write the questions because sometimes they will be misunderstood. It is also sometimes difficult to get people to return questionnaires.
Work Observation
This involves watching how people carry out work. For example, you could attend a DPO group meeting to see how well the group works together, plans their activities and writes their minutes etc. The advantage of this method is that you can assess directly how competent people are. Disadvantages are that it takes a lot of time and that the observer can change the way people act in front of them.
1.3 Planning the training project:
A workshop session is a project in itself. When you organise a training session you use and develop important project management skills.
A project is defined as an activity with:
· Clear start and finish times
· Specific aims and objectives
· A group of people working together on the activity
· A range of activities some of which can only begin when others have been successfully completed.
When you plan a training workshop it is useful to write down a training project plan. This can be shared with other members of your group so that you can plan the project together.
This is also important for applying for funding because the funder will want to know what you plan to achieve with your training session and how you plan to achieve it.
A project plan should include the following elements:
1. The rationale for the training project: This should be a brief description of the need for the project i.e. why is it important to hold this training workshop with these participants? The training needs assessment can help you write this part. You can also use your own knowledge of the needs of the people your project will help.
2. The aims and objectives of the training project
3. The resources needed for the project including the budget
4. A timeline of how the project will be implemented and who will be responsible for each part.
5. You should be able to show how the project will be sustainable
1.3.1 Setting training aims and objectives:
When you have done the needs analysis you are ready to set the aim and objectives of your training.
The overall aim of the workshop answers the question of why you are holding the workshop which you answered by doing a training needs analysis. The final aim of your session should be to benefit persons with disabilities in your area.
The objectives of the session should contribute towards achieving the overall aim of the session. They describe the things you want the learners to do or know by the end of the session.
All objectives should be SMART:
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Time-bound
1.3.2 Resources needed for the project:
Human resources: Who is able to work on this project with you? What are their skills?
Travel expenses (bus and matatu costs) – how far will people be coming?
Note: NCPWD will only refund travel on public transport.
Refreshments (food, water, tea etc) – will you just have one meal? What about refreshments during breaks?
Venue – can you get the venue for free? Some churches and community centres will provide this service. Is the venue accessible to wheelchairs without slippy floors?
Does it have enough space and isn’t too noisy? Are there enough chairs and tables?
Materials – Will the participants need notepads and pens? Are there any hand- outs you want to give in advance? Will you need visual aids like flip chart paper and post-it notes?
Equipment: Do you need flip chart paper or even a projector?