Project News

O&OD Project Phase 2 aims to develop an "institutional training system" within Local Government Training Institute^[1] (LGTI) to function as the main training provider for Improved O&OD.

The project has started training development activities in collaboration with LGTI. Here are the major activities conducted so far.

1. Field visit

Group discussion during the workshop

After several preparatory meetings conducted from October to January 2015, LGTI-O&OD team embarked on a field visit to Maseyu Village, Morogoro District and Mang'ula B Village, Kilombero District from January 9 to 10, 2016. The purpose of the visit was to build a common understanding on the present condition of Improved O&OD in the field, in terms of facilitation process, communities' positive changes and Community Initiatives^[2] (CIs).

2. Kick-off Workshop

From January 13 to 15, 2016, LGTI-O&OD team conducted a 3-day workshop at the LGTI campus in Hombolo, Dodoma, as a kick-off activity for collaboration between O&OD project and LGTI. In the workshop, the following topics were discussed:

1. the background of decentralization and O&OD in Tanzania,
2. Japanese experiences in decentralization and local development,
3. experience in Conventional O&OD and Improved O&OD Project Phase 1, and
4. the purpose and approaches of O&OD Project Phase 2, including prospects on the collaboration with LGTI.

3. First Training Development Retreat with candidates of Master Trainers^[3] (MTs)

Group discussion during retreat for training development in Morogoro

After a series of discussion on the objectives and approaches of the facilitator trainings with LGTI members such as Mr. Mwanga (a lecturer), the first retreat for training development was conducted in Morogoro from March 7 to 12, 2016.

In the retreat, candidates of MTs discussed how to understand communities and learned the conceptual frameworks of Participatory Local Society Development (PLSD) and Participatory Approach (PA), with a reference to the social context and historical policy background of Tanzania. In addition, the comparison between Conventional and Improved O&OD was explained to them. In order to effectively deepen the understanding of the participants, the retreat focused on discussing the specific cases at the actual communities first, and then the concepts and theories were introduced at an appropriate timing, and finally the conceptual frameworks were used to analyze these actual cases.

During the retreat, a field visit to 2 villages, in Bagamoyo District, a model area of the project, was conducted, which included some interview sessions to the stakeholders of the villages. The purpose of the visit was to expose those candidates to the practices of Improved O&OD on the ground and to accumulate their experience in community analysis.

The next retreat is planned to be conducted in mid-end of June 2016 in order to deepen the understanding on Improved O&OD and related conceptual frameworks in community and local development, as well as facilitation methods and skills. This time around, a field exercise is expected to take place at 2 villages in Kilombero District, another model area of the project, in an aim to deepen the understanding and practical skills of the candidates of the master trainers.