Creara International advocates for the promotion of the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable practices by sharing our knowledge with others, specially with those who are facing the challenging of growing fast without committing future resources. Creara is at the forefront of the knowledge transfer on Energy Efficiency in some parts of the world where the awareness and concern for sustainability just recently arose.
Creara’s capacity development and training experience included providing evaluation and assessment of training needs, design of tailored capacity building programs and delivery of training programs with a methodology suitable for professional and adult education.
We are passionate when it comes to capacity building and effective training methodology is vital to our industry. Creara International is aware that having guiding principles for capacity building is a sure way to maximize benefits of the participants.
For a training program, the training should be a learning experience that effectively transfers the knowledge, skills and experience to empower the participants perform specific tasks. In carrying this model out, the following methodology principles guide this training and facilitation processes:
- Needs assessments will always precede all training activities. In addition to guiding the program design to respond to participants’ needs, needs assessments take the whole process back to the participants to ensure the capacity building activities respond to their own needs and field situations;
- Everyone brings something (gifts) to the learning table. The role of training facilitation is to provide appropriate space for the sharing of these gifts to happen. To achieve the previous point, facilitators speak just to deliver hard information, and the rest of the learning takes place through a variety of interactive activities including games, exercises, small group discussions, socio-drama, etc.
- Training programs are tailored to the diverse learning styles of adults and provide a variety of learning activities to accommodate various learners’ styles.
- Facilitated learning occurs in a safe learning environment where it is fine for everyone to speak her/his mind.
- Training focuses on achieving concrete products and results in the field.
- In line with the previous point, training activities end with identifying specific methodologies for participants to implement. This helps the participants see the relationship between the training and the actual field situations in which they work.
- Training activities are opportunities for networking and collaborative work especially.
- When the audience includes groups with different job descriptions and might not necessarily see things eye to eye, diversity is very important for enriching the experience and building strong interactive working relationships. Learning how to appreciate and build upon the diversity we have in the training events is one of the major things training can achieve.
- Training activities are based on, and oriented to, the actual work of the participants.
See below an example of Creara International's work in this field:
Training course in energy efficiency measures in buildings – Algeria
Training seminar on sustainable energy financing – USA
Training course in energy efficiency lighting – Egypt