E-learning pilot in Africa

Some of these lessons and new thinking on e-learning are taken on board in one of the projects of IRC and partners, the DFID-funded Building Capacity for a Strategic Approach to Water Resources Development and Management (EUCAP) project for the European Commission. IRC and African partners started from end July 2002 pilot testing e-learning based tools to enhance the impact of the training activities carried out under the project. The purpose of adding an e-learning based component to the proposed mentorship and impact assessment activities after the short course under EUCAP is to assess whether, if certain pre-conditions are met, this will provide a less costly, more effective and therefore more sustainable and enhanced way of achieving the objectives of the project.

The e-learning based component is fully integrated in the mentorship and impact assessment methodology. The main difference is that the e-learning based approach does not require any physical meetings and / or on-site visits by the training institute of former participants, their employers and institutions and thereby potentially be achieved at a lower cost.

All participants - and where relevant their employers - were offered the possibility to participate in the e-learning mentoring and impact assessment, provided they have a good email / internet access. Others were provided with a less intensive mail, fax, email based post training support.

Advantages of an E-learning based Approach

This e-learning based approach allows for a number of enhanced mentoring, joint learning and impact assessment activities, which are difficult or not achievable at all in a 'classical' approach to mentoring and impact assessment.

The activities will include but are not necessarily limited to the following:

Co-operation among the (English speaking) EUCAP partner organizations:

1. IRC will take the lead in setting up a Yahoo Group based joint e-learning environment;
2. IRC will provide the on-the-job training and moderation for all participants (partner institutes and participating trainees and their organizations);
3. All participating partner institutes will provide access to internet based resources relevant the implementation of individual assignments and putting into practice IWRM by the selected trainees;

Parties involved

EUCAP partner institutes at interntional and national level and participants of EUCAP courses:

- IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre

- HR Wallingford

- Office International de l'Eau

Local training institutes

- NETWAS

- NCWSTI

- CEFOC (English speaking participants only)

Trainees and their organizations

- selected trainees with adequate internet access

- the employers / organizations of the participating trainees (with adequate internet access)

For this e-learning pilot only one English language Yahoo Group was setup. The group will cater for the mentoring of all interested participants attending the training events at NETWAS, NCWSTI and CEFOC.

Conducting the e-learning pilot with a larger group allows for economies of scale in terms of moderation and potentially allow for a richer exchange of experiences across countries.