A year ago Caribbean islands including Dominica and the British Virgin Islands were badly hit by hurricane Maria – a devastating Grade 5 hurricane. In the words of Dominica’s Prime Minister Mr Roosevelt Skerrit:
“It has been brutal… we have never seen such destruction. Homes have been flattened, schools destroyed, telecommunications have been cut off and the island’s main hospital is still without electricity.”
For the past year people across the Caribbean islands affected by Hurricanes Maria and Irma have been rebuilding their lives and properties, demonstrating huge resilience.
To assist the recovery the Caribbean Development Bank Project Cycle Management (PCM) Capacity Strengthening programme has rolled out training to many senior government staff in Project Management delivered by the CIDT training team.
Over an intensive five week teaching period, Philip Dearden (Head of CIDT) and CIDT Associates, Joy Mapp-Jobity and Sergei Prozarau led delivery of Project Management modules in Dominica. In the BVI training was led by Des Mahony and associates Yolanda Alleyne and Mark Lee. Modules include:
- Principles, Tools and Skills for Project Cycle Management
- Project Appraisal
- Project Planning and Implementation
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Risk Management
- Managing Technical Assistant Projects
- Procurement
- Train the Trainer
In Dominica participants focused on design of two large development programmes – one on improving traffic flow in the ever increasingly congested towns of the island and the second on the possible establishment of a much needed national Technical Education Institution. Both project design teams were highly motivated and keen to learn and came up with good project proposals. Feedback on the delivery of all the modules has been very positive. Comments from the independent evaluation exercise being undertaken have included:
“Both the module and the facilitators approach were effective.”
“It was a wonderful experience. The small group ensured that people were open and honest in the interactions without fear of repercussions.”
“The training was well received.”
“The Programme was an eye opener. “
“This enables us to be part of an integrated system which will be necessary and help us move forward with CDB.”
Staff working on the design of Projects in the Principles, Tools and Skills for Project Management module.
