TrainingTraining
Training was Community Connections’ first programme. It existed before the organisation itself came into being: In 2000, a comprehensive needs assessment was conducted, which resulted in a capacity development pilot training between August 2000 and January 2001. Following this training, the 20 participating CBOs expressed the need for ongoing support. As a consequence, Community Connections was constituted and launched in May 2001 and formally registered as a non-profit organisation (NPO) in August 2002.
We have since constantly adapted the first pilot course and added further courses to our offer. All of our courses aim to assist community workers to contribute more effectively to the running of their organisations. Our courses explore issues of community development with a strong emphasis on organisational and life skills development. They are experiential in nature and focus on community work at a grassroots level. We acknowledge that each person taking part in our courses (i.e. each “learning partner”) brings a wealth of experience and thus provide ample space for horizontal learning. Each course can accommodate 20 – 30 community workers.
Our aim is to support the professionalisation of community work and promote leadership and good governance. We further promote an understanding and appreciation of existing strengths and build awareness of good development practices. In particular, we offer courses in the following fields:
Introduction to Community Development Practice (IDP)
This two modules course is an introductory course that explains the meaning of development and looks at different development approaches.
Basic Course in Development Practice (BCDP)
Learning partners must have completed the IDP course or have prior skills in other courses. This course aims to contribute to the professionalisation of community work and to promote career paths and opportunities for community workers so they can operate in a more sustainable way. It has three modules focusing on strategic review and strategic and project planning, organisational building, structure, leadership and governance, creative resource mobilisation and proposal development and monitoring and evaluation.
Basic Course in Computer Skills
The course is designed for community workers who are currently participating in a Connections Training or OD Support Programme and do not hold any computer skills.
Administration
This five days course focuses on the importance of good administration in an organization.
Financial Management
This five days course looks at the importance of good budgeting as well as financial administration and management.
We are currently applying for accreditation through the Services SETA (Phase 2).
All our programmes are people-centred and promote transformative learning with regular planning, monitoring and evaluation cycles. Programmes are also regularly reviewed and externally evaluated for quality assurance.
On request, we gladly provide you with a list of recent beneficiaries.