Capacity Building Perspective

A scan of the livelihood options, skills and resources of communities show that typically poor communities in the region have few skills and resources. In addition, access to credit is poor and services for training and skill building are non-existent. The TARA Livelihood Academy, through a capacity building approach, follows a three pronged strategy:

• Skill and knowledge building
• Life skill development and vocational training for employability in the new urban economy
• Training on entrepreneurship development and linkages for self-employment

The above components will, wherever required have the inherent component of technology transfer and other such backward and forward linkage support.

Besides, to conduct effective trainings, TLA’s training programmes are based on the following principles:

• Trainee Centric Approach

  All three essential objectives of a training programme – ‘Cognitive’, ‘Psychomotor’ & ‘Affective’ are used for enhanced learning and performance

• Learning & Developmental paradigm

  The trainings use the learning and developmental paradigm, which begins with creating awareness, knowledge and insight; commitment to act; behavior modification; and finally evaluation of performance

• ADDIE Process

  Stands for Analyse (analysis of training needs like knowledge, skills and attitude; job analysis, task analysis, Goals analysis, problem analysis etc.); Design (designing the programme, writing trainee objectives, developing test items, planning training strategies); Develop (developing training material, training documentation etc.); Implement (conducting the course, validating training material & design, providing mid-course corrections); Evaluate (evaluation at the end of the course, trainee behaviors, feedback of training programme)

• Adult Leaning Principles

  Principles of adult learning incorporated in the trainings, like using more of discussion modes than lectures mode, promoting inter-personal linkages for creating an informal environment etc.

• ‘Three Sense’ language

  Involves use of visual, auditory and kinesthetic (feeling) training modes

• Feedback

  Includes both receiving feedback from the trainee and giving performance feedback

• Training Methodologies

  Different training methodologies like experiential learning, lecturing, audio/ video tapes, presentations, Group discussions and group exercises, case studies, role plays, self-assessment tools, interpersonal feedback etc.