I. Profile of the training team

The training team should consist of two people with sound knowledge of both international law related to armed conflicts and the ethical standards that guide humanitarian workers, especially humanitarian principles. Specifically, between them, they should be familiar with international humanitarian law, human rights law, refugee law and other standards that apply in conflict situations. If they are not expert in each of the topics covered, the training team can also draw on external resource persons to assist, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross on International Humanitarian Law, UNHCR on Refugee Law, etc. The trainers should be able to lead discussions on challenges that humanitarian organisations are currently facing, and both trainers should ideally have first-hand experience of working in complex emergencies with UNICEF.

In identifying the training team, as much as possible include those who have followed a "training of trainers" course or those with training skills. Those with training skills will often be more able to communicate the content to learners than those with detailed content expertise, but no training experience.

A pool of trainers who are qualified to deliver this programme already exists within UNICEF. For a list of these trainers, contact your regional emergency officer or the emergency learning officer in OLDS/DHR.

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II. Use of Resource Persons

The need for resource persons will clearly be a function of the training team’s experience and familiarity with the international legal and ethical standards that guide humanitarian action, and UNICEF’s approach to working in complex emergencies.

In the Overview of PATH Materials and Resource Persons (see Annex C) suggestions for suitable resource persons are made by each session. If necessary, participants can be called upon to serve as resource persons. Usually this works well if the person is knowledgeable and respected. The training team should, of course, speak with country or regional management staff about using particular participants as resource persons to ensure an acceptable level of expertise will be available.

Trainers must ensure that resource persons are clearly briefed on the content of the session and the nature of the exercises, as well as on their expected role during the session. Resource persons are most often not trainers. The training team will have to determine – diplomatically – whether a particular resource person is better used as a backup commentator – one who can fill in the gaps as they appear - or the actual lead presenter of the session. Hopefully the resource person has had prior training experience. In any case, try to meet with the resource person ahead of time to go over the session activities and determine how best to use his/her skills.

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III. How to Facilitate this Programme – Make it your own!

The programme should be able to be delivered with a combination of basic training or facilitation skills. As with any training programme, you will need to take time to ‘make the programme your own.’ No training programme is successful unless the trainer takes the needed time to become familiar with the programme in a way that ‘makes it your own.’

Each facilitator also has a style that is unique. How you deliver this programme will depend upon your unique trainer style. There is no right or wrong regarding this. When trainers ‘works in their unique way’ they hit what can be called the ‘training zone.’ Participants will listen, learn, and do - because you are comfortable in your element.

Be prepared! 90% of any training programme’s success is:

• knowing the content -familiarity with it, or having a resource person available who has that familiarity and you facilitating their expertise;
• knowing how each session is to progress - and not diverting from that unless you are very familiar with the material (then feel free to do so but as long as you ensure that the overall session objectives are still met);
• having all the materials organised for each day/session;
• adhering to time constraints to ensure the scope of the material is covered;
• being flexible to adapt to the group’s particular needs if a particular need or issue should emerge; and,
• 4 P’s: Preparation, Preparation, Preparation, Preparation

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IV. Basic Trainer Suggestions

• Time management : crucial for this programme. Watch the time, keep the programme on schedule, be disciplined and maintain the session focus.
• Energisers : introduce and run energisers and icebreakers whenever the programme dynamic calls for it.
• Participants with training experience : use them to run energisers to liven up the sessions or as specific resource persons in their areas of expertise
• Small group organisation : remind participants to identify and use a group facilitator to manage group work and a rapporteur who may be expected to present the group’s findings to the plenary group.

The role of the facilitator is to:

• encourage participation in the discussions;
• ensure that the work gets done; and,
• watch the clock and manage time to ensure that the tasks are completed on time.

The role of the rapporteur is to present group work results. They may be asked to use flip charts or to present using VIPP methodology.

Using VIPP . The basic VIPP rules that should be presented to the participants at the beginning of the programme (and available in a place where they can be referred to throughout the event).

The key rules are:

• when brainstorming, put down every participant’s comment! (It is not for the rapporteur to determine whose comments are considered - all comments are considered in the initial phases of group work);
• think before you write!
• write only one idea per card so that clustering of ideas is possible;
• write three lines maximum on each card and form blocks of words;
• use key words instead of full sentences;
• write large letters in both upper and lower case, if possible, so that your words can be read from 10 meters;
• learn to write legibly and use the broad side of the marker, not the point; and,
• respect the different sizes, shapes and colours of cards to creatively structure the results of discussions.

For more on VIPP and other facilitation techniques, refer to the Learning and Facilitation Portal on the LearningWeb on UNICEF’s intranet site.

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