© Plan COMPETENCIES Transferring competencies to the field level Bell’Aube Houinato Geneva, February 2007

© Plan Key Message Transfer of competencies is never a one way street. Every interaction between two individuals or organisations creates transfer of knowledge and contributes to growth and development.

© Plan Key Message Transfer of competencies at any level in an organisation is challenging. There is no one way of achieving it and measuring results. And ensuring same levels of comprehension and use amongst employees and management is difficult.

© Plan Key Message By sharing Plan Togo’s experience in transferring competencies to the field level I will argue that “Learners” should be at the centre of any process of transfer of competencies

© Plan Today’s Discussion Mindsets in Competency Frameworks Approaches to “transfer” and related issues Indicators: Who says if we have learned? Summary & Next steps Reflection in group

© Plan Competencies: What are we talking about?

© Plan Our operational vision together with our values and principles contribute to determining the specific skills, knowledge and behaviours that are necessary to implement the programs Mindsets in Competency Frameworks

© Plan The gap between our values and principles and those of the people to whom we want to transfer competencies generates several other gaps: Purpose, Objectives, methods, utilization Mindsets in Competency Frameworks

© Plan Targets for Competency Transfer Capacity building of adults supporters Building capacity of children and youth Creation of conducive environment

© Plan Mindsets in Competency Frameworks Cartesian methods and dominant use of logical frameworks and thinking styles refrain us from due investment of indigenous knowledge in transfer of competencies which inhibit the cultural sensitivity of our competency frameworks

© Plan Mindsets in Competency Frameworks Plan Reads and writes Effective communicator Ability to work with children Be accepted by the community Communities Knows the village Knows the children Knows the work of Plan Respects the elderly Views on Volunteers’ Competencies

© Plan Approaches to transfer of Competencies and related issues One should not impose transfer of competencies: The most effective capacity development initiatives are the ones that are initiated by the people themselves or self imposed. Ex: Community to community learning, Self enrolment of staff on a course, children plays, etc.

© Plan Approaches to transfer of Competencies and related issues

© Plan Indicators: Who says we have learned? The girls’ club of Aleheride school, Central Region in Togo, uses the following indicator to monitor abortion among students: “Number of girls who start to spit then are absent from school for a few days and then come back and do not spit anymore”

© Plan Challenges Traditions and socio cultural environment limit staff understanding and ability to adopt/promote certain behaviours such as valuing children or even community members’ contributions to development activities; Socio-political environment may not be conducive to the promotion of certain competencies: Rights or Advocacy related;

© Plan Challenges Organisational culture and heritage; Staff views, perceptions and expectations may inhibit organisational creativity in training and development solutions; Unavailability at local country or even regional level of technical expertise or resources required for program implementation

© Plan Challenges Weak capacity of implementing partners (NGOs/CBOs) both in program concept, management and accountability; Absence of a comprehensive model for competence management Lack of initiative, hierarchical thinking contributing to a “high power distance”;

© Plan Lessons Learned As they are related to the organisation’s work, competencies are useful as a “common ground” to determine success factors beyond individuals’ qualifications. Competencies framework is still new and complex to many and therefore, care has to be taken in ensuring that it is adapted to your specific needs, derives from your program set up and is understood by both employees and employers and the implementation go at an adequate pace.

© Plan Lessons Learned Approach Transfer of competencies in a holistic way: Not to one category of staff without considering the implications on others, not at one level without considering the implications at other levels not in one sector without considering the implications on others Transfer of competencies is not a one time activity but rather a continuous effort as our organisations operate in a rapidly changing environment with an increasing impact of technology. Competencies required at certain level are subject to evolution.

© Plan Lessons Learned It is indispensable to create awareness among staff and to follow a participatory process in determining required competencies. This enables staff to responsibly manage their personal development and career in a way that is congruent with organisation’s approach; Our approaches should be geared towards creating an enabling environment where staff and partner organisations learn and acquire the relevant competencies to deliver what is expected from them.

© Plan Summary & Next steps Our approaches of transferring competencies is comparable to the work of a medical doctor in a remote African village

© Plan Summary & Next steps But, side effects of the cure should not be worse than the disease!

© Plan Group Discussion In three groups of five participants each do the following: 1.Give your group a name; 2.Identify a reporter, a time keeper and a facilitator; 3.Based on your experiences, identify three (03) key enablers (Group1), Challenges (group2) and most effective strategies (group3) for transfer of competencies; 4.Prepare a 5 minutes presentation. 20 minutes discussion