Training Report: 3 Day Training of Trainers on Participatory Planning

The training aimed to build the capacity of Master Trainers from eight implementing partners, with a total of 27 participants from eight organizations in attendance. The purpose of the training was to educate participants on the concept of Participatory Planning and Development and its role in the local government system. The training methodology was interactive, with trainers engaging participants in discussions and keeping the forum open for feedback, queries, and suggestions. Training material such as pre and post-test, power point presentations, and handouts on participatory planning were used to support the discussions and interactive sessions. The training objectives included increasing the understanding of participants on Participatory Development and its importance in Local Government System, educating participants about the current project cycle, and enhancing the understanding of participants through training sessions and discussions on the concept of participatory planning for Development schemes. The training participants included staff members of implementing partners and local government representatives, with a total of 27 participants (males: 23; females: 4) from eight partner organizations. The team that delivered sessions during the training comprised of 2 internal experts from Capacity Building Team - Citizens' Voice Project. The training was formally initiated by Mobeen Ajaib, who shared the objectives of the training, and Ubaid Ullah Chaudhary, who warmly welcomed the participants and thanked them for sparing time to attend the sessions. The training began with recitations of Holy Quran and Bible, keeping in view the diversity of the group. Mobeen Ajaib discussed the agenda and set the norms of the training in detail, asking participants to share their expectations and fears regarding the training. Pre-training assessment test was taken from the participants, and training norms were set with consensus from the participants. These norms included respecting each other's point of view, respecting the diversity in the group, ensuring daily attendance as per schedule, and being careful about social and gender sensitivity. The first session, "Introduction to Workshop and Objectives," was led by Mobeen Ajaib, who shared the objectives of the training and set the stage for the workshop. The second session, "Participatory Development and its Importance in Local Government System," introduced participants to the core concepts of development, local government system, and participatory development. Participants were engaged in group work, where they were divided into four groups and assigned a case study of Lodhran Pilot Project. The groups delivered their findings and answers through presentations, which were followed by a detailed discussion for further clarity of the subject matter. Through this interactive session and group work, it was showcased that participatory approach achieves sustainability and efficacy when people are completely involved in the process. The training continued with sessions on Project Cycle, Participatory Planning, Social Mobilization for Participatory Development, Role of Councillors, Monitoring of Development Schemes, and Facilitation Skills. The training also included mock sessions, which were designed to prepare participants for upcoming trainings of 14,000 councilors in KPK. The training evaluation revealed that participants gained a deeper understanding of participatory planning and development, and were able to apply this knowledge in their work. The training was successful in building the capacity of Master Trainers from eight implementing partners, and in enhancing the understanding of participants on participatory planning and development. The training also highlighted the importance of participatory approach in achieving sustainability and efficacy in development projects.