Wednesday, April 12th, 2006
Building Microfinance Training Capacity in Asia
Second "Microfinance Training of Trainers Course" Certifies 32 New Trainers
A display of fireworks burst across the screen on 7 connecting sites in Asia, celebrating the successful conclusion of the second "Training of Trainers Course on Microfinance (MFToT)". 32 participants from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam were fully certified as trainers of the Microfinance Distance Learning Course, developed by the UN, at a ceremony moderated from the TDLC on April 12, 2006.
Ms. Sonoko Takahashi of JBIC is certified as a MFDL trainer at a ceremony connecting the TDLC with 8 other sites.
The second MFToT, a blended distance learning course organized by the TDLC, Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), was conducted over 3 months beginning in October 2005. It was first given in February 2005.
At the ceremony, "There is a great demand for training at all levels in the Asia Pacific region, which cannot be met if we rely on face-to-face instruction" said ADBI Dean Peter McCawley, expressing strong support for blended learning courses as an effective way to use ICT for development. Dean McCawley also emphasized the importance of content localization, not only with respect to translation but converting and customizing to include local materials. TDLC Manager Ryu Fukui congratulated the new trainers, highlighting the importance of microfinance in Asia. "You have become a strong focal point" he said, and pointed to mainstreaming, building the capacity of microfinance institutions and balancing commercial and profit incentives as some of the tasks ahead.
TDLC Instructional Designer Jiping Zhang emphasized the significant impact of the series on microfinance capacity building in Asia, with the number of certified trainers now totaling 46. "You are empowered" said Zhang, "with certification, access to course material, a local team, and a network of tutors and peer participants".
"The two MFToT courses have real impact on Vietnam" said Minh Thai, a participant of the first course who finished with distinction, and became a tutor for the second course. She is leading the Vietnam team to work on its localization plan. Trainers in Mongolia were enthusiastic about setting up a microfinance training center, and hoped to have the course material translated from English into the local language.
Reflecting on results, the average score for the course requirement of 11 assignments and final exam was an impressive 78%, an outcome of goal management: the accreditation criteria were announced at the beginning, with tutors providing feedback on assignments and tips for getting higher scores. 80% of the total number of accepted participants received accreditation. 3 certified trainers from the first course served as tutors for the second course.
Highlights of the evaluation and impact survey, conducted after the conclusion of the course, were introduced by Sununtar Seboonsarng of ADBI. According to the survey, the second MFToT was well perceived with a high overall rating of 4.20 on a scale of 1 to 5 from participants. The high quality of course materials, mechanisms for student support and the provision of incentives through accreditation, as well as the mix of learning materials, media and technology contributed to its success.
Looking ahead, the MFToT will be delivered for the third time in 2006 to a new set of countries. Support for well designed and highly committed localization plans from countries, support of a community of practice of microfinance trainers, and expanding training by certified trainers were among the issues raised for future planning.
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