Effective professional development in international aid projects

In development, many organizations rely heavily on training and workshops in order to improve capacity of local counterparts and civil staff. Millions of dollars are spend each year, but the effect of these professional development activities is often low, sometimes even negligible. The learning activities used are seldom contextualized for the setting they are used in and participants are more often than not approached as tabulae rasae. The research described in this book shows the importance of thorough cultural understanding for effective capacity building, and the need for contextualizing training and learning concepts before applying them. Through socio-constructivist and collaborative learning approaches, a community of adult learners worked over an extensive period of time in order to develop a more effective methodology for professional development. Although the research presented in this book was carried out in the Cambodian context of education, its implications are of major interest for organizations and consultants delivering training and workshops in the broad field of international professional development.