Culture, Religion, News, Events, Reports and Services etc: African Europe Platform (AEP) Training in Brussels- Belgium by Luc Ameye

By Shey Tatah Sevidzem (Wo Scandy)

Delegates from 28 EU countries and two from Norway and Switzerland respectively assembled Mid November 2013 in Brussels-Belgium for the second training. These delegates answered present on the invitation by The Africa-Europe Platform (AEP) consortium on Capacity-Building Training on Results-Based Project Management facilitated by Luc Ameye from Brussels.

Luc Ameye

The training kick-started with the presentation of participants and trainer who briefly introduced themselves giving a clue to the trainer to understand their professional backgrounds.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPEvbRl0xJs

Worth noting that this training was supervised and moderated under the personality of Dr Aurthur Yenga.

The Trainer took time to outline the objectives of the training on the part of the participants which to him were to de-dramatized & de-mystify the methods, appropriated the concepts, harmonize the terms, feel capable of having "Methodological dialogue" with the "experts" motivated for more, implementing etc. This led to the Theological Introduction of Fundamental Concepts in project Cycle Management. (PCM/RO) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUMDxYzzAzs

He defined PCM/RO as the concensual method of planning in successive stages and a monitoring evaluation phase oriented towards the accomplishment of results based on an inclusive and flexible approach.

This gave room for the objectives and advantages amongst which were to improve aid to development efficacity, quality of actions & management, Planning implementation and evaluation of development actions etc. Although he acknowledged that it was difficult to follow but promised that a joint deliberation was to help understand the concepts. (Watch above video)

Due to a charged program with limited time, a project that needed minimum 5 days, he has to thrill experts on the Limitations constraints. He shared an experience of a negotiation business in the bank to get money to construct a house, one has to be well armed to convince the Bank.

This brought him to elucidate the meaning and express the differences between Offers- Demands and Needs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcjEy4qxGRY

This gave him the audacity to return to the definition of the Project Cycle management into indepth. This was in order to have a fixed objective for all. This can be achieved through what is referred to as "Step by step", taking one step at a time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzcpX8ZbNlg

Luc gave room for participants to err their views asking them to cite specific objectives on project management. This was closely compared with General objectives as delegates were given the chance to expantiate on the differences.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghwnztJ-s-0

Ameye Luc went ahead to explain the concept of risk and how it can affect the project. He cited a campagne on HIV aids, while one sensitizes on Preservatives, the church preaches on abstinence. This could greatly affect the project itself depending on the audience.

Luc used Coherence to differentiate the General objectives from the specific citing the General as global, impact and Vision while the Specific as Incidence, influences and Mission. '

This led to substantiating on how to evaluate a project. He brought a list of criteria starting from Relevance to Sustainibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jKyp3YI7aA
The question on beneficiary came into play. Although it took a while to identify who the beneficiary should be, it was agreed the population should be the beneficiary. This, Luc used another model of stakeholders to express his argument.In this light it was easy to differentiate between a target group and the Audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpWqMu8NJU4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVvMC_GRiak
more video links on the Criteria http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnv2O0MZ8G4

The Trainer then presented the phases of a project cycle. He started with Programming, followed by Identification, Formulation, contractualization/Financing, Implementation and Monitoring & Evaluation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR6tQfe79Bo

It was evident that this was leading to the practical methodology which had to deal with the Aanalysis and Planifications.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9THjrv2NFI

He could not end the day without providing Alternative. He used the PESTEL Model to explain this, what he called the Environment research through analysis of dimensions:
This is closley followed by RAR (Rapid Rural Appraisal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glVZl5oOwhY

He used the Entity Analysis to expand on the subject delimitation and defining the context. This has to do with the Geographical Area, Timing, Budget, Original issue, Stakeholders, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSWbuNLhcRI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jUHpwVY10w

Tuesday 12th: Strategies and sustainibility Analysis:

'Luc Ameye took particpants Tuesday morning on Logical Framework Elaboration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36TxveMdZeY
What was this about? General Objectives seeking to contribute to, Specific objective absolutely required to attain, Result, activities etc. This is effective enough to bring the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Available "at an acceptable cost", Relevant, Timely) Model acting as Indicator, Value, Means, Source of verification and baseline etc.

This was Characterized by some group work, which also gave room for questions and answers

The training ended with participants together with the facilitator evaluating and improving on the working material.

Dr Yenga Arthur and Sarah Schlaeger thanked the facilitator as they distributed certificates to the particpants as sign of having been armed as Project Managers. Individuals gave their own verbal appraisal to Luc Ameye and Thanked him for his flexibility and talents in the subject.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia2NE-8up0E