A Hand Book on Training for Development; A Must Read Book

Baldeh had a series of on the job professional training courses and obtained OND, HD, Dip in Rural Development, and BS and MS degrees from Virginia State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison respectively.

Formerly served as Agricultural Assistant, Counterpart to FAO Fertilizer Project agronomist, Research Extension Liaison Officer in the Department of Agriculture Research, as well as  the Coordination of the Inter-Sectoral Network of the National Environment Agency, Project Coordinator of Rural Finance and Community Initiative Project, first World Bank Liaison officer, first Director General of the National Agricultural Development Agency, and Permanent Secretary, Department of State for Forestry and Environment, Baldeh recently returned from Liberia where he was hired as a World Bank consultant.

The book which is one of the recent authored by Baldeh, is designed for use by training institutions involved in various training for development programmes in the country. The author, in the first pages of the handbook gives a definition of the fundamental differences between training and education. In that, he says education is a generic term related to acquisition of knowledge, right attitudes and skills, whiles training is specific. It is a mechanism to bring about the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes. 

The book, further explains the context within which the training programmes take place, which is very important, as it has an influence on the design, implementation and evaluation of the training programme.

The handbook can be perfectly used by individuals or institutions who want to conduct trainings with a desire of development programme for its people. The book adequately takes care of such training courses, from planning to implementation stages.

There is a six-bullet point on Training Aims and Objectives (TAO), which is highlighted in the handbook and are as follows: 1) to give proper guidance and direction to training programmes, the author explains in the book that if the training is to follow any meaningful sequence, then one should be clear of the desired results. 2) Training should be made relevant to the needs of environment and trainees. 3) the TAO should enable the design of appropriate approaches and methodologies to accomplish the desired results,   4) the TAO should be in place in order not to confuse general objectives with specific objectives and to ensure that long term aims are not mixed with short term goals 5) the TAO reduces excesses in training cost, and 6) it facilitates effective evaluation, when training aims are not clear, it becomes increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to carry out any meaningful evaluation. These, I believe, are key in training, and as a trainer, one needs to be equip with such skills. The book is able to do that for anyone who gets a copy.

The book clearly defines the various forms of training; short and long courses and also how one plans such courses, and what factors need to be bone in mind. For example, the human, objectives, subjects, time and materials, principles of learning, all of which are key in considering or choosing training methods and techniques.

The handbook on training has a whole chapter dedicated to strategy selection. Strategy selection is part of the training approaches used in the implementation of the training programme. This includes identifying training needs, which help right training strategies.

Other very important areas covered in the book are as follows: design variables curriculum development process, materials development and media selection, teaching and learning transactions, administration of training programme, evaluations and training of trainers.

Copies of the Handbook on Training for Development are available at the Fulladu Publishers Kanifing or at Timbooktoo Bookshop, Bakau.