The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety (also known as 'The Alliance') received a generous grant from FedEx to help further develop the capacity of the 180+ Alliance members in 90 countries.
The Alliance created the 'Alliance Empowerment Program', an overarching program that has the aim to work with NGO leaders to improve their effectiveness and impact. Members of the Alliance identified several key areas for development that would help them in their road safety missions on the ground. This was realized through an Alliance wide 'Learning Needs Assessment' in which members reviewed the skills they need to make real lasting change in road safety. In response to a clear capacity development need, the Alliance developed supportive programs under the banner of the Empowerment Program. These include: The Alliance Academy: which offers trainings such as online webinars and in-person training workshops.The Academy Advocates: is an initiative that results from the Alliance Academy. The overall aim is to increase the quality of work that Alliance member NGOs implement. It builds on key skills such as planning, identify funding, implementing and evaluating effective advocacy activities, community mobilization, press attention, legislative change and more.
We (YOURS), were called in to develop the training curriculum based on our training experience. The curriculum was developed through month-long consultations with the Alliance and informed by the Learning Needs Assessment.
We used our track record in workshop delivery to design, develop and implement the training. Floor Lieshout conducted the training and Alliance Member, National Road Safety Council NGO’s staff, Poghos Shahinyan also provided training inputs directly related to his extensive experience in advocacy. External facilitators, such as Safe Kids and Johns Hopkins, Bloomberg School of Public Health as well as FedEx staff were brought in to provide specific inputs to compliment the training.
Childsafe South Africa - Alliance Advocate
The first class of 15 Alliance Advocates participated in an intensive training at the FedEx World Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee from 23 August – 1 September 2016. The Alliance Advocate training program is one part of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety’s capacity building initiative, the Alliance Empowerment Program.
The Empowerment Program includes three main components: Alliance Academy – offers trainings such as webinars and training workshops; the Alliance Seed Program which offers small grants to small evaluated and replicable road safety projects and the Alliance Mentorship Program – which pairs Alliance members with experienced organizations to grow them in a specific area.
We joined the project as consultants in workshop facilitation. We worked with the Global Alliance of Road Safety NGOs and FedEx to develop a robust agenda to meet the needs of ambitious NGO leaders in road safety. We worked to develop a complete set of training materials to be delivered at the 'Alliance Academy' through our interactive, brain-friendly yet engaging and informative style.
The Alliance Advocates were selected through a strict, competitive, bidding process from among member NGOs. The 15 chosen advocates each came different countries and organizations and will become role models for other Alliance members, governments and their home communities.
‘Inspire and motivate Alliance Members in their region to become actively involved in contributing towards the road safety target mentioned in the Global Goals of halving road deaths and injuries by 2020. This will be done by further developing their knowledge and skills that they need to implement their own effective advocacy campaigns.’
Overall goal of the Alliance Advocates
“The Academy selected and trained 15 Alliance Advocates who will push for and support action in established risk areas. The Alliance Advocates will work together as a team to focus on specific deliverables and outcomes.”
The Alliance Advocates will:
Alliance Advocates underwent a comprehensive introduction to a range of topics designed to bolster and develop skills to take meaningful road safety action. Advocates were taken through a range of interactive sessions to stimulate group work and personal reflections.
Topics included:
As well as specially selected 'Master-Classes' by expert guest presenters on a range of in-field experience sharing.
A workshop is only as powerful as its impact and measurable results. Participants to the training became 'Alliance Advocates' on graduating from the Alliance Academy.
At the end of training, Advocates took the opportunity to evaluate the programme in its entirety as well as offer feedback on the content, delivery and impact. They were asked to rate the Alliance Advocate training course. 87% indicated that the training had exceeded their expectations.
100% of participants said the training was successful in preparing them for advocacy for change upon their return. During the training, the advocate refined and built upon new skills required to make positive change in specific key risk areas.
Alliance Advocates expressed that the training was successful in giving them the critical skills needed in preparing them to take action in their countries. The training was devised to ensure that Advocates from each country could take the skills acquired and adjust them to a localized setting.
This ensures that the training is adaptable and each participant can make sense of the content in personalized reflections that are relevant to the cultural, national and societal variations that exist between the 15 participants from 15 different countries. 100% of participants expressed that the training was successful in this regard.
The findings from the evaluation reports on a very successful training. There is an overall sense that the skills acquired at the training, will contribute to an increase in the quality of Alliance members work, and enable them to raise funds, identify and implement relevant advocacy projects in their country within in key areas, that leads to relevant advocacy projects and relevant law changes. Alliance Advocates also made robust action plans to take their work forward in their countries. Regular updates and progress logs will be undertaken to track progress.
More information about the Alliance Empowerment Program can be found at the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety's website.
Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, Administrative Director