The role of training initiative and its effectiveness in community capacity building

Pages: 2009-2013
Nidhi Prakash (Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi)

Community Capacity Building is an approach to social and personal development that focuses on understanding and removing the individual, interpersonal, institutional and social obstacles that inhibit people and communities from realizing their developmental goals. Using training as a tool for development, the objective of the present study was to examine the role of a training initiative and its effectiveness in community capacity building. A training workshop titled ‘Towards becoming a Professional: A Psychosocial Approach to Self-development and Growth’ was developed and delivered to a group of 18 university students and teachers. The resulting knowledge acquisition and skill development were examined at the Reaction and Learning levels of training evaluation. Results indicated positive impact of training at the reaction and learning levels of evaluation. At the reaction level, participants’ qualitative remarks indicated knowledge acquisition, relevance of workshop content, experiential learning, and effectiveness of trainers’ delivery and personal connection. Quantitative analysis indicated a favorable response towards the objectives, curriculum, trainer, time, length and facilities. At the learning level, students benefitted in developing their understanding of self, skills for lifelong learning and competence building, and tools for building trusting cultures. The benefits of the training to the students, trainers and participating institutions were examined and their implications for community capacity building were discussed. The paper addresses the role of training within a data-driven, action research paradigm for meeting the goals of community capacity building by designing interventions that address multiple levels, i.e. institutions, trainers and students.