Test Training Manuals for Rainwater Roof Catchment and Spring Capping Systems in Workshops for Togolese Development Agents
A consultant conducted in-country workshops to train Togolese Social Development Agents in the installation and management of rainwater harvesting and spring capping systems and to test the training materials themselves. The most important products of the consultancy, according to this report, were revised and adapted trainer manuals in French, suitable for use in other Francophone countries, for each of the two subject areas. The consultancy also demonstrated the need for, in both training areas, two-trainer teams, with one person skilled in technical areas and the other in community-level promotion. At the very successful rainwater harvesting workshop, a system was built for a local junior high school and 40 Togolese personnel were trained to help villages develop such projects. The workshop on spring capping revealed the doubtfulness of the assumption that village-level agents could be trained to undertake this technically more complicated process. Other constraints included: the inadequate time allowed the training team to choose appropriate sites and materials, prepare the national co-trainers, and translate the training guides; poor housing, transport, and payment of allowances; morale problems caused by arbitrary transfers of experienced project staff; and lack of involvement in the project by national committee members and the National Coordinator.