Transfer of knowledge in the service of the local resilience

The ‘EU for Serbia Resilient to Disasters’ partnered with the National Academy for Public Administration (NAPA) to organise three advanced trainings for the future Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) trainers.

Each of these “Trainings of Trainers” lasted for three days. The training sessions focused on improving trainers’ competencies and skills: the delivery of quality training content represents the first of many steps in the process of gaining the status of certified NAPA trainers in DRR. Sessions included thematics such as public speaking, testing of communication and organisational abilities aiming at enriching the participants’ competencies. Experienced NAPA trainers successfully sailed with the participants through the demanding processes of preparation, performance and training evaluation by using inspiring practical examples and theoretical settings.

The trainees consisted of three groups: eight experts of the Sector for Emergency Management of the Ministry of Interior (SEM) and Public Investment Management Office (PIMO), and twenty-one local self-governments employees responsible for DRR and civil protection affairs. In total, 29 attendees successfully followed this training.

After the completion of the training, this newly formed pool of trainers, have adopted the skills, knowledge and capability to:

• Create interesting, interactive and inspiring sessions;
• Time management in session planning and realisation;
• Display the content in a creative approach and using all available audio-visual means;
• Handle resistance and resolve conflicts in a group of participants;
• Understand the basic axioms of developing online courses;
• Devise a plan of individual advancement and development, based on evaluation outcomes.

Representatives of national institutions and local self-governments have received excellent results of the exit knowledge test and training evaluation that undoubtedly confirms the significance this type of learning has.

After the completion of the accompanying modules related to disaster risk reduction, disaster recovery and civil protection, followed by the certification exam, the participants shall obtain a status of certified NAPA trainers.

In this way, the project will create a national pool of DRR trainers tasked to transfer the knowledge and expertise to the local self-governments colleagues, civil society organisations and all the relevant local level actors. Creation of the national pool of trainers will further strengthen DRR field network for disaster prevention and emergency response.