MS TCDC Newsletter

23rd May 2007

Welcome to the MS TCDC quarterly newsletter 2007.

A note from the Principal
Warm greetings from Arusha and welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter. It is my sincere hope, that the newsletter will answer your pertinent questions with regards to what to expect in the next quarter.

From a strategic perspective, TCDC is in the process of developing a re-alignment strategy paper to support the new MS global focus on democracy. Inspired by a long-term vision of becoming a power centre in democracy capacity building in Eastern and Southern Africa, the initial support to MS Country offices and Partners will revolve around offering cutting edge training courses and acting as a catalyst for knowledge generation, institutionalisation and utilisation.

This is also the time we evaluate and identify your training needs in order to accommodate them in a revised and even better course catalogue for next year.

We also look forward to hosting a number of key events that include the Participatory Forest Management (PFM) manual design workshop and the MS Country Directors workshop. We will also scale up preparations for this year’s symposium to held from 30 – 31st August. The title for this year’s symposium is, “ Poverty Eradication, is Advocacy the answer?”

We look forward to continue offering you the best quality services that you deserve.

Tracer Studies
MS TCDC visited its former participants for Tracer Studies, inorder to assess the impact of Training. This tracer study was done before the annual meeting in Zambia. MS TCDC visited the alumni and their supervisors and this was two of their responses:

Name: Sister Emelda Moomba
Course Attended: Diploma in Development Studies 2003

Have you applied the skills and knowledge gained from the course?
Yes, I have gained a lot since I did this course. For example: I now look at development in a holistic manner; At the hospital where we work with HIV/AIDS affected persons, we now work as a team with my colleagues; I have helped in developing better planning, monitoring and evaluation within the projects; We are now more clear on how to motivate people working in the organisation.

Are the tools learned in the course applicable in your work?
From time to time I have applied the following tools in my work: strategic planning, developing objectives, indicators and action planning; impact monitoring and evaluation; budgeting for the project; resource mobilisation and fundraising; and participatory development methodologies.

Have you shared what you learned from the course with your colleagues?
Yes, I have shared a lot with my colleagues in trainings, planning, implementation, monitoring, reviews and evaluations. I have assisted them to gain tremendous insight in how projects are designed and how they work.

Did you experience any difficulties in applying some of the knowledge/skills gained from the course?
I have not experienced any difficulties so far.

Have there been any changes in your life as a result of attending the course at MS-TCDC?
Yes, there has been changes. I now see development differently, and in practical terms I now deliberately take time to understand people and their aspirations.

What changes would you say have been realised in your organisation or program as a result of applying knowledge and skills gained from the course?
The Zambia Helpers Society is now expanding due to more projects coming up from the community, and more and more of my colleagues who are able to facilitate development out of my facilitation.

What do you think should be improved in the course?
Within the course, the time allocated each subject and literature review in the library is little. This needs to be considered in the future.

What kind of further training do you need in future to improve your knowledge and skills?
I will attend project planning and management in future when I get sponsorship.

Do you have any other comments on the course?
None at the moment.

Another Interview:-

Name: Mulima Kufekisa Akapelwa
Course Attended: Policy Advocacy October 2003

Have you applied the skills and knowledge gained from the course?
Yes, I have applied the knowledge and skills in planning advocacy, setting goals, and evaluation of the strategies.

Are the tools learned in the course applicable in your work?
Yes the tools have been applicable, the only challenge is the monitoring and evaluation of qualitative and quantitative impacts of advocacy, especially in budgeting and deciding how much is enough for advocacy and poverty reduction work. Some of the areas where they have been useful are: publications for advocacy; policy analysis; stakeholder mapping; and analysing advocacy capacity within the organisation.

Have you shared what you learned from the course with your colleagues?
Yes, we have shared a lot in our programs with teams to advance local advocacy, backstopping and on-site visits. And in advocacy skills training for the justice and peace groups across the country.

Did you experience any difficulties in applying some of the knowledge/skills gained from the course?
None so far.

Have there been any changes in your life as a result of attending the course at MS-TCDC?
Yes, I have been able to plan and implement advocacy strategies more clearly and boldly. I have also been promoted ever since I attended the course.

What changes would you say have been realised in your organisation or program as a result of applying knowledge and skills gained from the course?
The organisation is now doing better focused advocacy work on the ground.

What do you think should be improved in the course?
There is need to have one afternoon for an historical visit to Arusha town to understand the origins, the landmarks and milestones in the development of the town.

What kind of further training do you need in future to improve your knowledge and skills?
I would like to get further skills as a TOT and facilitator of advocacy trainings, so that I can deliver trainings in a much better way than present.

Do you have any other comments on the course?
None at the moment.

Annual Report 2006
MS TCDC has already published the annual report for 2006. You can obtain the report by contacting the centre or you can download it as a pdf file from our website.

Click here to download the file.

Upcoming courses
We invite you to apply for our upcoming courses;

1. Basic Finance for non finance practitioners (BFb)Dates: 04-08/06/2007
2. Organisational Capacity Building (OCBa)Dates: 11-22/06/2007
3. NGO Management(module two) (NM2) Dates: 30/07-10/08/2007

You can download our course catalogue 2007 from here

It is possible to subscribe and unsubscribe from the fontpage of our website, www.mstcdc.or.tz

MS-Training Centre for Development Cooperation
P.O.Box 254
Arusha, Tanzania.

Tel:+255 27 2553837/8/9 0r 255 27 2553472 or 0754651715
Fax: +255 27 255 3836 or +255 784562141

mstcdc@mstcdc.or.tz
www.mstcdc.or.tz


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