Representatives from Red Cross/Red Crescent National Societies from Russia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, USA, Indonesia, China, and Thailand (total number of 42 people) participated in a training course called “Management of Projects for Professionals” on August 13-16, 2012 in Bangkok, which was conducted by the International Non-profit organization «Inside NGO».  The training was organized and financed by the American Red Cross. There were two trainees from Russia – the regional coordinator Elena Fedorova and the Technical Support Group Director of the Resource Center for HIV Anna Zagaynova. 

International Non-profit organization «Inside NGO» offers professional training to staff and volunteers of non-governmental organizations around the world related to project planning and management in line with up-to-dated international requirements. The goal of the organization and the resources provided to her is to build capacity and strengthen the potential of non-governmental organizations, raise the sustainability of project activities through the improvement of the management system.

A three-day course of “Management of Projects for Professionals” cycle is the first out of three training stages; each of them is finished with the on-line test. It is required to complete not less than 75% of the questionnaire correctly to pass the test.

Main components and tools of planning and project management were considered at the first stage in Bangkok. The training course contains the most up-to-dated approaches and efficacious methods of project management in the non-profit sector. Besides the theoretical part, participants were offered a lot of practical exercises, which helped better understand and learn the theory. The practical part was based on a personal experience; therefore it was more useful for the development of managerial skills. At the end of each day of training, participants were offered a training test to check the topics under discussion. The final one proved to be rather challenging and unexpected to some extent.

It is good that the organizers of the training provided each participant with the handbook and other training materials, which helped get better prepared for the test and pass it successfully. Knowledge and skills gained at the training are of great practical importance. They will help to build a system of management in a more efficient way.   

Specialists of the Resource Center of the RRC are planning to adapt and integrate the gained information into training programs related to planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and management to disseminate it among the RRC branches and other RC/RC National Societies.

Anna Zagaynova,

Director of the technical Support Group

RRC Resource Center

zagainova@redcross-irkutsk.org