In the times when most of the trainings and events go online, we all need to step out of our comfort zones and adjust to the new conditions. One of the ways to do so is by mastering new training and moderation skills for virtual work. The training we organised today for the Pool of Trainers, Moderators and Advisors of the Regional Capacity Development Program for Water and Sanitation Services (RCDN) equipped our trainers with practical skills and tools for designing and delivering online trainings.

Led by the trainer Mr. Stefan Friedrichs, from Public One, based in Berlin, Germany, 30 participants dived into the details of transforming face-to-face into online trainings, appropriate training design, ensuring participation and interaction during online trainings and communicating effectively in a virtual environment. The participants had the chance to learn about and practice various online tools that can support their work as trainers for online trainings, ensuring relevant, interesting and engaging training formats. 

“It is completely irrelevant whether people work together in analogue or on the basis of digital instruments: What matters is whether they work together”, summarises the trainer Mr. Stefan Friedrichs.

“In the ocean of online trainings around us, only a few stand out – those that are not only relevant, but also keep participants’ attention and retain their energy high until the end”, says Ms. Jelena Janevska, RCDN Knowledge Manager from NALAS, the organiser of this training. “I am now confident that the trainers from our Pool will now deliver quality and interesting trainings for the benefit of the end users-the municipalities and public utility companies in our Region”, adds Mr. Miodrag Kolic, RCDN Quality Manager from NALAS.

***

RCDN aims to increase effectiveness and efficiency of the water utilities in the Western Balkans, contributing to better service provision with larger numbers of population groups getting access to drinking water and sanitation services and meeting the European Union (EU) environmental Acquis Communautaire. To achieve this, RCDN has three key components: 1) Association Development, 2) Capacity Development Offer and Delivery and 3) Partnership and enabling Capacity Development Environment.

RCDN works with LGAs and APUCs in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, while the final beneficiaries are the top and middle managers from municipal and regional utility companies and officers in charge in municipalities. The project is managed by GIZ, on behalf of SECO and BMZ, and is implemented by a Project Implementation Team consisted of IAWD, Aquasan and NALAS.