Technical intervention area summary notes: guidelines for training of trainers

Training is the process of acquiring the knowledge, skills, and attitude that are needed to fill the gap between what people want to do, and what they are able to do now. The purpose of ‘cascade training’ is to pass knowledge and skills to colleagues who work at different ‘levels’. In order to teach a trainer how to train well, a ‘learning by doing’ approach is best. For example, participants in a workshop can learn skills in participatory monitoring and as soon as is practical can hold a similar training workshop for colleagues working at district/local level. Training is more effective if visuals are used to communicate and if participants actively participate in the workshop proceedings – or in the words of Confusius1: ‘I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.’ The below offers a series of pointers and considerations that can be used in any training of trainers exercise.