Capacity development methods

Factors determining Selection of methods

Lecture Method

 It is one the most classical methods of training.

 In this methodology the trainer gives lecture on various aspects of the subject in
which he wants the trainees to learn.

 The trainer is able to abide the conceptual knowledge

 It is method of telling about

 The trainer or faculty plays the active role and the trainee plays passive role

 The trainees form the homogeneous group

Advantages

 Formal lecture is the only way to build up the theoretical knowledge which must be
gained before the practice of participative training sessions

 Lecture method is of more direct

 Less time consuming and less distortion

 Relatively Large number of people can be instructed at one time

 When teaching resources are less its the best method

Disadvantages

 There will be minimum of active participation

 Monologue may found boring after sometime

 It is largely unsuited to teach the skills ,behavior and attitudinal change

 It is one way communication

 Generally individual differences are ignored

Discussion
  It is one of the intensive participation orientated methodology.

 Learning through this methodology is by discussions

 Discussions involve the exchange of ideas between the trainees and trainers and also
among the trainees themselves

 In this methodology discussions are very lively ,everyone can participate, participants
are encouraged to to express and exchange their ideas with others

 Learning process is simple and suits the matured adult minds

 Different roles are like chair person, reporter, etc., assumed by the trainees

 It is purpose orientated and is about the various aspects of an organization or any

other suitable subject

Advantages

 It is participation oriented method and goes very well with the trainees irrespective of
age and designation

 Because of discussions there is exchange of ideas and experiences

 Self learning methodology. Learning is automatic and spontaneous

 On the spot feedback for trainees from co- trainees about opinions and experiences

Disadvantages

 It is time consuming because everyone wants to add to the discussion

 Many times the discussions are side tracked from the main objective

 Sometimes trainees may dominate the discussion. Outcome and decisions of

discussions may be too controversial

Syndicate method

 The administrative staff college at henlay-on-Thames and at Hyderabad have

contributed to this method

 The staff colleges in India and abroad follow syndicate method in their training and
allied programme

 In this method trainees have been divided into sub groups called as syndicates and
each syndicate has to work on various subjects

 Nomination of office bearers of syndicates like Chairman, Secretary etc are by

rotation and so everyone gets a chance
  At the end of the session each syndicate presents the paper in final form followed by
elaborate discussions with the group

Advantages

 Active participation by all

 Cultivation of leadership qualities as posts are by rotation

 Self-learning process

 Looking at the problem from many angles

 Group cohesiveness is enhanced along with competitiveness and conflicting interests

Disadvantages

 Presence of disagreement on issues

 Careful structured syndicates should be there otherwise it doesn't contribute anything

 Participate of members may be lop sided

Seminars

 Seminars are short term training programmes arranged for a few days (max 3 days)

 Convened to have in depth discussions

 There will be presentation of papers by various authors followed by discussions,

questions and answers

 Seminars help the trainees to broaden their knowledge and outlook

 At the end participants can come out with recommendations.

Advantages

 Helps participants to obtain the views, opinions, research finding etc., of experts
through the papers presented by them

 These are forceful and thought provoking facilitates to change their attitudes and
opinions

 Trainees are given the opportunity of listening to experts from different fields

Disadvantages

 Audience for rhe seminar are too big

 Individual attention as in training situation is not possible

  Seminars have just become rituals without giving much thought to issues

 So no purpose is achieved by convening seminars

 Interaction between participants are very limited

Conference

 All the members in conference are expected to have more or less equal knowledge
(max 5days)

 Suited to executives and senior officers in dealing with complex problem

 Delegates are informed about the issue in advance and they prepare material, present
and explain various aspects of the problem

 Participants are requested to put forth their views at the end solutions and
recommends are made based on the deliberations and discussions

Advantages

 It suits to bigger groups

 Participants can get benefited by listening to various senior speakers

 They are induced to think over issues, problems and solutions

Disadvantages

 It is not participation oriented

 Trainees can be inactive during the programme

 It is difficult to find out whether the trainees learnt anything

Symposium

 It is derived from greek work which means feast

 In this method a particular subject is discussed widely and deeply from the view point
of all well versed authors

 All the speakers will be of equal ability to avoid dominantion of one speaker

 It is more or less a debate in which trainees are participating vigorously

Advantage: active thinking and participation by participants

Disadvantage: lot of controversy and confusion

Role playing
  Highly participation oriented training methodology

 Every trainee is involved and absorbed in session

 Some of the trainees assume the role of different characters and enact the real like
situation like a drama

 After acting there is a discussion about the roles, functions, strong and weak points,
merits and demerits of the situation, commissions and omission of the characters,
application and criticisms of the roles, causes of the situations, decisions and solutions
about happenings and the final conclusions

 There should not be over do or exaggerate in the role play

Types of role Play

Structured Role Play:

 Participants are told in advance about what the action, Attitude and behavior each
character should act

 It is a lively visual aid used to portray varying situations in the work field

Unstructured Role Play:

 Participants are involved in the role play without any preparation.

 They act out according to their mind, attitudes and styles

 It is a democratic type of role play

Controlled Role Play

 Trainer gives directions to participants of role play also the scripts

 Characters having no choice or freedom except acting according to the wishes of the
trainers they have to memories and present

 It is effective tool for the trainer to present to the audience what he wants to say

Advantages

 Role Play bridges the gap between theory and practical

 Trainees have opportunities to develop communication skills, interpersonal skills,

decision making skill , observation skills

 It relieves the monotony and dullness of the participants

Disadvantages

 It is time consuming

 Well-developed and experienced trainers are needed to conduct role play sessions

Case study

 Method introduced by Harvard Business School and used by management institutions

 IIM , Ahmedabad and Asian institute of management, Manila utilize this method
extensively

 It develops analytical and decision making skills of the participants to a greater extent

 Positive interactions, 2 way communication, give and take policy , mutual

adjustments are observed during this method

 It is about success stories and telling about failures of an organization

 Supported by adequate data

Cases are divided into 2 major headings

Cases which are written for diagnosing the problems

Cases which are requiring solutions to problems

Some authors classified into 4 types

 Narrative type

 Story type

 Document type

 Hybrid type

Advantages

 Lively and interesting

 Develops thinking, analyzing, problem solving skills

 Relieves monotony

 Helps to solve the problems

 Human relation skills are developed, cooperation and understanding

Disadvantages

 Time consuming
  Lack of provision of adequate data may dilute the case study method

 If case study is lengthy, trainees may lose interest

 Insightful trainees may find solutions very quickly whereas the dull ones may not find
out anything

Programmed instructions

 It helps the trainees to learn on their own

 It is one of the innovative teaching technologies

 It is self-instructional learning and course material is prepared or programmed in such

a way that the trainees learn in a series of sequential steps

 Subject matter to be learnt is divided into small steps

 They start learning from simple steps and progress towards more complex steps

 Programmes are released in the form of books, brochures, audio and video cassette,
exercises etc.

 The person who designs the programmes is called as programmer.

Advantages

 This method is self-teaching methodology

 Large number of people can learn and large amount of information can be given as
input

 Good infrastructure facilities are not needed

 Highly elastic and flexible

T- Group Training

 It is usually used as a Laboratory training method

 It is also known as L- Group, means Learning group

 It is a group training method

 Intensive participation and immediate feedback are 2 important aspects of sensitivity

training

 Responsibility of training rests on trainees themselves based on introspection,

feedback and openness

 Enhances self awareness, interactive method

  Consists of small group of 10-15 trainees working under close observation

Types of T- Group

 Based on the target group these are 3 types

 Stranger group programmes

 Family group training

 Cousin groups

 Principles

 Understanding self and others

 Giving and receiving feedback

 Mutual trust and faith

 Team work for effectiveness of the group

Advantages

 Self-learning process suited to mature groups

 Mental blocks and hidden agenda of participants are removed in a spontaneous

process

 Interaction skills are very much developed

Disadvantages

 Sensitive type of programme some of the managers can’t put up with such
programmes

 Participants with strong psychological diseases may upset programme

 Highly trained personnel are required to conduct sensitivity training programmes

 The sensitivity training is not suitable for below certain cadres

Factors determining selection of methods

Capacity development objectives

 To strengthen the knowledge, expertise and technical skills of personnel to improve

individual and programme performance and service delivery.

 To ensure the availability of all facilitates

 To enhance the systems for improving performances

  To establish and staff the programme

 To ensure the coordination

 To identity restrictions and address them

Subject matter

 Depending upon what kind of information people have to be known, method of

capacity development is chosen

 If the subject matter is theory then seminar, conference will be chosen

 If the capacity development programme is conducted to teach skills other methods are
selected

 Depending aupon capacity development dilemmas and approach it will differ

Categories of participants

 Individual participants

 Organizational members

 Newly recruited personnel

 Middle level officers

 High level officers

Available resources

 Infrastructure facilities availability

 Time availability

 Human resources availability

 Financial resources

 Location of the training

 Electronic particulars

 Internet facility

Capacity development aids

 Need assessment

 Design

 Implementation
 Monitoring

 Evaluation

 Follow up

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