Newsroom /

Our News

Thursday, 04 April 2024

Training for Jordan Government Officials on “Management of Programs Funded by International Donors”

Made possible by funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the Institute of Public Administration of Jordan (IPA) successfully launched a training program for Jordanian civil servants on the topic “Management of Programs Funded by International Donors”, from 18 February to 4 April 2024.

The objective of the training program is to improve the capacities of Jordanian Civil Servants in Jordan to plan, design, implement, monitor and evaluate programs funded by international donors. The Program aims at facilitating cooperation and coordination among Government agencies and donors in Jordan, increasing the involvement of the communities affected by such programs, and enhancing the impact of the programs for Jordan’s development.

It’s the first time that the IPA delivers a training program for Civil Servants that focuses on the management of donor-funded projects. Jordan receives over 4 billion USD in foreign aid annually from international donors, which provides critical support to the development of the country, including education, health, agriculture, food security, economic development, social protection, institutional support, culture and humanitarian aid.

This innovative training program was designed and developed through the project “Support to the Institute of Public Administration of Jordan”, implemented by the European Public Law Organization (EPLO) in partnership with the Italian National School of Administration (SNA). Funding for the project was provided by the Government of Italy through AICS.

It was elaborated based on an extensive needs assessment which involved consultations with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC), twelve line-Ministries, as well as key donors operating in the country, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the World Bank.

The program is structured in six training modules which address critical elements in the management of donor-funded programs, such as: international development cooperation policies and strategies, identifying the appropriate donors for specific projects, preparing project assessments, designing projects, project budgeting, financial management, drafting of project proposals, monitoring, evaluation, and technical, cultural and political challenges in navigating donor support.

The program was launched through the organization of a Training of Trainers (TOT) course for a group of twenty senior officials from various Government agencies who were appointed to serve as the future trainers of the program. The officials were appointed from thirteen Ministries and Government departments - including the Prime Ministry, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Local Administration.

The first phase of the TOT involved the pilot delivery of the six substantive modules of the program itself by a group of senior Jordanian trainers. The second phase of the TOT consisted of a specific session on adult learning, during which the future trainers had the opportunity to acquire the skills that a capable trainer needs to possess in order to effectively share and multiply knowledge. The program was delivered in consecutive sessions from 18 February to April 4, 2024, for a total of 13 days of training.

As a result, the newly trained trainers will be able to organize and deliver autonomously the training program to colleagues in their respective ministries and departments. The Institute of Public Administration is therefore empowered to roll out the training program to relevant ministries and departments across the central and local government in Jordan, eventually benefitting many Civil Servants involved in the management of programs funded by international donors.

The project “Support to the Institute of Public Administration of Jordan” aims to support the IPA in strengthening its institutional and organizational capacities to effectively carry out its mandate. In this view, the 18-month project is providing technical assistance to enhance the Institute’s capacities, support to improve its training programs, and organize training of trainers’ courses.

tags: Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), training program, Jordan , Institute of Public Administration of Jordan