TOOLKITS Innovation Toolkit for UNDP Signature Solutions
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Online user-center capacity-building training

What it does.

This online user-center capacity-building training allows you to:

  • Strengthen and boost refugees, migrants and the host population’s entrepreneurship skills and resilience.
  • Promote social cohesion among migrants and the host population.
  • Build a learning community.

Value proposition for the government/other partner.

By having an online user-center capacity-building training you allow local governments, international cooperation and grassroot organizations to boost entrepreneurship and social cohesion through an energetic and motivational learning journey, actionable and easy to follow, focused on resilience and networking opportunities.

Why and when to use it.

This tool is useful to build a learning community among specific vulnerable populations that require business skills to strengthen their enterprises, either for profit or not. It is especially helpful when there is fragmentation among the host population and migrants/refugees’ population.

Known issues and troubleshooting.

It is not yet the best moment to make use of this tool if:

  • there is a digital gap in terms of kills or connectivity among the beneficiaries; in this case consider offering previous learning sessions for Zoom and the digital platform before the start of the learning journey, as well as short tutorials and dedicated ‘office hours’ for troubleshooting;
  • the partner is not considering reaching to the grassroot organizations that already work with the target population to ensure that expected participants are aware and register;
  • the partner can’t provide a repository for all resources (and video of the online sessions).

Context.

CREANDO was launched in 2021 with a small grant from the Swiss Development Cooperation to pilot projects on digitally enabled livelihoods among migrants. UNDP Peru had prior experience in deploying capacity-building initiatives for migrants, but with limited success (only 17 registered participants). The Peru Lab suggested using an ethnographic approach to design a project that considered entrepreneurs’ specific needs, time availability, and even their concerns regarding their migrant status (compared to Peruvian entrepreneurs). This user-centric approach yielded the expected results: over 600 registered participants in CREANDO’s first edition in 2021 and over 2100 registered participants in 2022. During the program, the beneficiaries attend and participate in a three-week training including business tools sessions, inspiration sessions, business clinics and networking sessions. CREANDO’s next steps include a festival scheduled for April 2024 and local innovation labs that address issues related to migration through a co-creation process between authorities and citizens.

The Peru Lab has used the CREANDO learning journey with Venezuelan entrepreneurs based in Peru, but it can also be adapted for young changemakers, social entrepreneurs, etc.

Cost to implement.

To carry out the online capacity-building training you will need an online meeting application subscription, such us Zoom/Typeform/Vimeo.

Time

You will need around three months to plan and organized the training. Consider at least two months in advance to contact all potential experts and panelists, prepare materials (such as canvas) and to convene participants. It is recommended that the call for participants should be at least two weeks long, preferably relying on existing grassroots organizations, and should be sent at least 2 weeks before the start of the training if not more. The complete learning journey takes six weeks, with three 1.5-hour-long sessions per week.

People.

To carry out the online capacity-building training, you will need a team of four people:

  • One person to lead the online class and a second one to cover the chat and address technical issues (open mics for example) at the online class. Depending on the thematic of the online class, it could be led by the Lab’s team, by academic experts or by consultants.
  • One person to oversee online reminders to ensure participants join the sessions.
  • One person to plan and coordinate with partners the call for participants and other logistics.

Focal point.

Mariana Olcese

Country, year, and language.

Peru, 2022, Spanish.

Resources.

Enablers
Digitalization