Results-Oriented Monitoring Workshops

In 2004 GTZ published new RESULTS-based Monitoring Guidelines for Technical Cooperation Projects:

 

"Today, any agency using the taxpayer’s money to perform development cooperation will be asked about the results of that cooperation. Good planning, timely service delivery and optimistic reports alone no longer provide sufficient justification. Nor can the question of results be averted by pointing out that development cooperation does not possess the leverage to radically change the world. Indeed, this limited scope for action is the very reason why development cooperation must plausibly demonstrate that it is making effective use of the funds at its disposal, thus making a relevant contribution to the economic and social development in partner countries."

 

 

Following the introduction of the new framework for contracts and cooperation (AURA) in 2002 "managing for development results also became a key aspect of the contracting procedure between GTZ and BMZ".

 

In order to report on RESULTS-achievement each project must have a systematic, RESULTS-oriented monitoring system. To qualify project managers and staff to be able to elaborate such systems is the main focus of the AMI training programmes PM I and II.

 

Apart from that we have made the experience that the demand of projects goes often beyond mere training. Project teams are looking for opportunities to discuss and agree together how to organize monitoring and reporting to fulfil the reporting requirements of GTZ and other parties/stakeholders concerned.

 

AMI provides for GTZ-project teams (advisors and counterparts) the opportunity to develop project-specific RESULTS-oriented monitoring schemes. Experienced trainers/facilitators with up-to date knowledge and experiences concerning GTZ-specific monitoring requirements help project teams to define an efficient, realistic approach for monitoring and reporting.

In a Results-Oriented Monitoring Workshop project teams:

 

• are informed about GTZ requirements for monitoring and reporting
• get the opportunity to systematically analyze their own information and reporting requirements
• go through the SIX STEPS of developing a hands-on Results-oriented monitoring system
• agree on procedures and responsibilities for data gathering, analysis and reporting
• have a unique opportunity to discuss about their project and to develop a common understanding about results, implementation strategies and modes of cooperation

 

The recommended duration of such a Monitoring Workshop is 4 - 5 days. We recommend to hold the workshop not in the office/partner organization but to use a venue where all participants can communicate undisturbed in an atmosphere that is conducive for listening and reaching mutual understanding. AMI has very good experiences and resources in organizing such workshops in different locations in Thailand, but we can as well provide our services in your host country.

 

Trainer(s):	AMI Trainer Pool
No. of Participants:	8 - 20
Location:	Thailand or in your host country
Duration:	4 - 5 days
Dates:	On demand

Registration

 

 

 

 

Team Building and Team Development Workshops

for Intercultural Teams

AMI -Team Workshops are a management instrument to facilitate team building and team development processes. Team building processes take place within or between groups (sections, departments, project teams, etc.) of an organization or institution. The main objective of teambuilding and development workshops is to provide members of groups who have to work together with a forum to discuss:

 

• Cultural approaches to management and co-operation and related issues of intercultural co-operation
• Interaction at the professional level aiming to ensure efficient and effective cooperation
• Personal working relations and team spirit

 

Depending on the team’s situation team building and team development can be distinguished:

 

• For newly formed working groups the first task is team building: to manage the transformation from a group of individuals to a real effective team with common goals, agreed upon interaction, roles, norms and a strong team spirit. Team building workshops (Start-up Workshops) help to facilitate this process.
• For existing teams who have worked together for some time, the task is team development: to maintain and to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the team, to learn and develop continually. Team development workshops help the groups to monitor and steer the team development processes.

A) START UP WORKSHOP

 

The main goals and contents of a start-up workshop for newly formed teams (or for existing teams who never organized a team building workshop) are:

 

1. Getting to know each other

 

The workshop provides an opportunity for the participants get to know each other:

• Personal background (including cultural aspects)
• Professional background and experiences
• Representation: Why are we members of this team, which group and which interests and positions do we represent?
• Expectations towards co-operation in the professional and the interpersonal sphere

 

2. Role, Status and Mission of the Team

 

The workshop should help to create consensus on the team’s status and mission:

 

• Position of the team within the structure of the institution or organisation or in relation to other institutions/organisations
• Goals and purpose of the team (rationale and mandate of the group)
• Functions and products of the team (who are the team’s clients and what are the team’s services and products?)
• Strategy to achieve the objectives ( consensus on priority areas and functions, long-term development strategies)

 

3. Co-operation and Communication within the Team

 

During the workshop the internal co-operation within the team should be clarified:

 

• Team structure: Functions, tasks and products of hierarchical levels and different horizontal sub-groups (sections, departments)
• Role clarification: Based on the job descriptions, the plan of operation and special assignments discussion of:
• functions and duties
• responsibilities and rights (especially regarding decisions)
• interaction with others (information, reporting, co-ordination)
• Mutual expectations of individual team members or sub-groups
• What are my/our functions and responsibilities, duties, products?
• What do I/we need and want from others (staff members or other departments) in order to do my/our job successfully
• What can I/we offer to others (staff members or other departments) so that they can do their job successfully
• Information system: elaboration of a system to exchange information(flow of information, role and function of meetings, etc.)
• Co-ordination: organisation of the actual work and production processes, co-operation between different units, delegation, clarification of responsibilities, feedback mechanisms, etc.
• Norms: development of norms for working together with special regard to cultural norms (how to create consensus, solve problems, resolve conflicts)
• M&E of team development: establishing a learning system to monitor the team’s progress (how to qualify team members, how to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness and the impact of the team, how to learn and improve)

 

4. Co-operation and Communication with External Partners and Clients

 

Service delivery of the team to external partners and clients should be clarified

 

• Strategies to make the team, its services and products known and accepted
• Identification of areas of mutual co-operation
• Consensus on the type and level of co-operation, participation or involvement

 

5. Strategic and Operational Planning (Based on Logical Framework)

 

An optional step in a team building workshop is to include the strategic and operational planning:

 

• Review existing policy and planning documents
• Analysis the existing situation: bottlenecks, challenges and potentials
• Agreement on objectives and strategy
• Definition of performance indicators
• Elaboration of a work plans including resource allocation
• Definition of hands-on monitoring schemes and feedback mechanisms

 

6. Follow-Up

 

At the end of the workshop there should be a thorough discussion of how:

 

• the agreements and decisions can be implemented
• who will be responsible for the implementation
• follow-up activities should be organized

 

B) Team Development Workshops or Meetings

 

Team development workshops help to safeguard the continuous development process of working groups and increase the team’s efficiency by tackling existing tensions, friction and conflicts.

 

Typical elements of a team development workshop are:

 

1. Status of Team Development

 

• Phases of team development: a theoretical introduction into phases which every team passes through during its development
• Assessment of the stage the team has achieved (self-assessment by means of questionnaires, projective techniques etc.)
• Problem areas: overview of existing problems of internal or external co-operation

 

2. Co-Operation within the Team

 

• Feedback: comparing the team’s self image with the perception of others
• Feedback among individual staff members: who has to talk with whom to solve existing friction or conflicts and to create better understanding
• Feedback with the help of feedback sheets: It would help me to do a better job/you would be more successful if:

 

• you continue the following things ....
• do the following things more ....
• do the following things less ....
• do the following things differently ....
• stop doing the following things ....

 

• Discussion, analysis and handling of conflicts
• Review of existing rules, norms and values
• Agreement on further action plan according to the findings of the analysis to establish or re-enforce: common goals, constructive interaction, etc.

 

3. Co-operation with External Partners and Clients

 

• Analysis of the relationship with co-operation partners and clients
• identification of areas of success and positive achievements
• identification of areas of problems or failures
• analysis of reasons for successes and deviations from the plan
• agreement on what should be continued, what should be changed/improved
• Elaboration of an action plan to consolidate/improve existing relationships

 

4. Follow-Up

 

• How can the team development process be continued, who is responsible for what?

 

Trainer(s):	AMI Trainer Pool
No. of Participants:	8 - 20
Location:	Thailand or in your host country
Duration:	4 - 5 days
Dates:	On demand

Registration