CCDRN Facilitates Training aimed at strengthening community’s capacity to maintain public facilities in Northeast Nigeria

In a bid to support local communities with capacity building to ensure sustenance and maintenance of public facilities rehabilitated and reconstructed to supports access to basic services in target communities, the United Nations Development Programme has organized a 4 days Training of trainers as part of its Basic Services Committee (BSCOM) in Northeast Nigeria.
UNDP partnered with Centre for Community Development and Research Network (CCDRN), an indigenous Non-Governmental Organization to facilitate the training with support from the European Union and the Government of Germany

The 4 days training which held from 27-30th January 2020, was aimed at improving participants understanding on the UNDP-Basic Services Committee project and to strengthen their capacity on service delivery as it relates to community based facility management.

The training opened with brief overview of the UNDP-BSCOM project vis-à-vis a presentation of the BSCOM assessment report, gaps identified and key recommendations. This followed with operationalization of key concepts such as service delivery, roles of policy makers and service providers, community driven development, community based facility management and the concept of BSCOM as a community based organization for effective service delivery.

The training which was carefully designed with scenario based exercises, case studies and virtual simulations helped the participants to draw action plan on what they need to do with the respective BSCOMs in their communities and to deliver step down training to other BSCOM members in their localities.

Speaking on the imperatives of the training, the facilitators assured that the participants have been fully equipped to deliver accordingly

“I have a lot of confidence that they can deliver based on the knowledge we have imparted in them” says Abba Isiyaku, the lead facilitator.

The participants were drawn across 12 LGAs from Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states with a mandate to deliver step down of the training to Basic Services Committees ( BSCOM) in their respective communities

Expressing satisfaction with the way and manner the training was conducted, some of the participants who spoke during an interview with CCDRN’s communication team stated that the training has helped in building their capacity on effective service delivery as it relates to community based facility management and has provided a leeway for them to provide continues support to their various communities

At the end of the training, the participants were guided to carry out their various community facility mapping. This exercise which was carried out during group activities is a participatory mechanism for identifying the key resources, service delivery points and assets within communities

The participants also worked in group to carry out stakeholders mapping in a bid to identify people, groups and institutions that will influence facility management either positively or negatively and to anticipate the kind of influence these groups will have on facility management.

They were also guided by the facilitators to develop strategies to get the most effective support possible for facility management and reduce any obstacles to successful implementation
The training also covered other topics such as Advocacy for maintenance of basic service infrastructure, networking, financial management, and resource mobilization and facilitation skills

The project is being implemented by UNDP with support from the European Union and the government of Germany to enhance access to public services through the establishment of Basic Services Committees across 24 communities in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states