How to Use These Resources
This guide is designed to support facilitators who will lead training and reflection about gender-sensitive quality care. It includes general orientation for the proposed approach but by no means intends to limit the creativity of facilitators. Instead, this section offers ideas for applying and adapting the proposal to different learning groups, taking into consideration their specific needs, expectations and sociocultural contexts.
Educational Philosophy
We suggest a participatory and equitable approach to training activities that reflects the content of the guide. Among the multiplicity of terms used for educational leader (trainer, monitor, educator, etc.) we have chosen to use facilitator, which indicates a person who promotes and supports the process of participatory construction of knowledge through the following means:
- Listen: ask about, listen to and respect the experiences, ideas and opinions that each participant brings to the training.
- Dialogue: promote sharing and conversation between participants. Discussion will facilitate the shared interpretation of concepts, and promote the development of critical analysis.
- Motivate: prepare and encourage participants to develop new approaches to act and impact the situations, in which they live and work.
Each training session is designed to encourage listening, dialogue and motivation throughout three key processes:
- Reflection: activities that motivate reflection about participants' own experiences and ideas are designed to lead each individual to evaluate and question his or her everyday practices and beliefs.
- Comprehension: new concepts and information provided in the conceptual framework and other materials are presented in ways that relate to prior knowledge and experience of participants. In each session, the facilitator presents new material through short lectures, videos and charts in ways that encourage participants to relate it to and contrast it with their own ideas and practices.
- Motivation: it is crucial to strategize ways in which participants can apply the new materials, ideas and practices in their daily work and to address the obstacles and challenges that may impede such innovation.
The Facilitator's Role
Here we make a few suggestions to help facilitators guide the sessions. The first session begins with a forum in which all participants introduce themselves; the facilitator may start by introducing him or herself in a warm and friendly way, and thus, encourage the rest to join in. We suggest that facilitators participate enthusiastically and from their own subjective standpoint in the introductory activity, and in all following activities in which it is feasible to participate. Once everyone has introduced him or herself, it is important to give a clear introduction to the process. At the beginning of each session and each activity, the facilitator must communicate to the participants:
- the theme of the session or activity on which they will be working;
- the specific objectives of their efforts;
- the methodology for the activities to be carried out; and
- the key concepts and their definitions.
Most activities involve group work. Ideally small groups are self-guided, but facilitators must visit each group to ensure that they are working on the indicated theme and moving toward the stated objectives. In addition to guiding the content of the work, facilitators must ensure that the groups work in a democratic fashion in which the approaches and perspectives of all participants are heard and respected.
In sessions in which groups present their work, the facilitator must:
- allow groups to express the results of their efforts in their own way, respecting the diversity of opinions and ways of knowing and expressing knowledge;
- observe carefully, and later discuss, the relation between the indicated themes, directions and objectives, and the actual results of group efforts;
- intervene to reorient discussions that get off track and do not enrich the topic at hand;
- make a clear synthesis of the ideas and messages presented (often it is useful to discuss the main points and write them on poster paper).
The four-session training ends with a general synthesis and an evaluation of the learning experience in which facilitators should participate actively and honestly.
The Role of Participants
Each participant is encouraged to take an active part in the learning process. Because many individuals are hesitant to speak or perform in public and are accustomed to a lecture format, facilitators must encourage participation in the following ways:
- never forget that participants are adults: regardless of their education and professional training, they all have rich life experiences that should be recognized and built on;
- make it clear that participation in this learning process is a step toward creating more *participatory and equitable relationships in the work and life of each participant; and
- from the beginning, make it clear that the training is designed to produce new ideas, approaches and practices, and that participants must prepare to leave behind their old prejudices, attitudes and fears.
Educational Resources and Support Materials
This training package includes the following materials to support and enrich the process:
- a conceptual framework which provides the theoretical basis of the training;
- a central matrix which indicates the key content and activities for each session;
- a guide to the activities and discussions that make up each session;
- concept cards that summarize the main ideas and key terms;
- videos to support reflection and learning activities.
Necessary Materials
The materials needed to conduct the training are:
- photocopies of parts of this guide, including concept cards and activity guidelines;
- a television and VCR;
- poster paper and markers and/or whiteboard;
- colored cards;
- tape or tacks; and
- planning matrix.
