Post-Event Report: June 2023 Virtual CSAid for CVP

The course aimed to improve USAID staff's ability to integrate and adapt conflict sensitive practices throughout the USAID Program Cycle, with the expectation of improved effectiveness and sustainability of USAID's programming. The CSAid course consisted of four modules: Module 1, a 60-minute asynchronous e-learning course that provided an introduction to conflict sensitivity; Module 2, a three-day virtual workshop from June 26-28, where participants created Action Learning Project plans to incorporate conflict sensitivity into their work; Module 3, an Action Learning Project where participants applied conflict sensitive approaches to their work, receiving three "learning and performance bursts" via email with refresher micro-learning content on conflict sensitivity; and Module 4, a final two-hour virtual session on July 25, where participants shared their experiences, strategized together, and discussed lessons learned. The course facilitators designed and delivered the workshop in partnership with CVP's Partnerships and Education (P&E) team, and provided logistical support. The agenda for the three-day virtual workshop and the final virtual session can be found in Annex A, and the participant attendance list for the virtual sessions is presented in Annex B. Participants were asked to complete CDAT-administered evaluations at three points throughout the course delivery: during Module 1 (the learning needs assessment or LNA), after Module 2 (the technical workshop evaluation), and after Module 4 (the end-of-course evaluation). The purpose of the LNA was to collect information from participants that would enable facilitators to meet their learning needs, such as their expectations for the course and their experience with conflict and violence prevention. The purpose of the technical workshop evaluation and end-of-course evaluation was to solicit feedback on participants' satisfaction with the course, its relevance to their work, and their confidence and commitment to applying learnings on the job. Delivery details included virtual delivery dates from June 26-28 and July 25, 2023, with a total of 14 technical workshop participants and 10 final vILT participants. Evaluation respondents included 9 participants for the LNA, 9 participants for the technical workshop evaluation, and 6 participants for the end-of-course evaluation. Feedback from course participants was positive, with the majority of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that they see specific ways to apply what they learned in the course to their job (67 percent), are committed to applying what they learned in the course back on the job (100 percent), and would recommend the course to colleagues (67 percent). Half of the respondents (50 percent) agreed or strongly agreed that they feel confident applying what they learned. Evaluation feedback also indicated high satisfaction with course facilitation, with the majority of respondents (89 percent or more for each facilitator and category) reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with each facilitator's knowledge of the subject matter, effectiveness in engaging participants, and effectiveness in facilitating responses to participant comments/questions. Based on a review of participant evaluation responses, facilitator feedback, and input from the P&E and CDAT teams during post-course after-action reviews, CDAT recommends the following adjustments for future deliveries: ensuring sufficient time for reflection and revision between deliveries, further defining internal roles and processes, considering revisions to the MEL technical content to make it less dense, and supporting logistics capacity-building for CVP. The CSAid course demonstrated a successful delivery, with strengths including the experiential knowledge of the participants and subject matter experts, seamless facilitation and production by CDAT, strong participant engagement as evidenced by active discussions, and streamlined communication with participants throughout course delivery.