Identifying community training needs

Under the Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) – Palmerston North Community Services Council (CSC) contract for 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2010 CSC will identify training needs of community groups within the criteria set for the PNCC Community Groups Training Fund. In response to this CSC identified training needs at the Regular Meeting of July 17^th, Community Workers Lunch of August 5^th, by emailing CSC members and their wider networks and by participant evaluation of the previous years (2008/2009) training programmes.

Tikanga Maori training: Three Tikanga Maori trainings were held last year; Demystifying Te Tiriti in the Workplace with Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Tikanga Maori for Community with Te Whare Akonga ~ Open Learning Centre and the history, tikanga and kawa of Rangitaane at Te Rangimarie Marae. The trainings were very well received with the marae visit a highlight. The following comments were included in the marae based training evaluations re the actions the 28 participants would take because of what they had learned:

·     Encourage more people to take up the opportunity to visit a marae – to extend their knowledge of Maori history.

·     I will share my experience with the  Women’s Health Collective and bring back some Tikanga learnt.

·     I would like to invite Henare to a Supergrans meeting to pass on the Manawatu story.

·     Encourage my fellow Board members to come along and encourage process to get Maori on the Board.

Participants also listed the Tikanga Maori subjects they would like more training or information on which included:

·     Regularly repeating this marae visit, I would like to see others at the WHC and other community workers in general have this opportunity.

·     I would like to know more about Maori language, a simple course.

·     More history of the local tribes.

·     How to use language – everyday protocol, normal greetings.

·     All! Really interesting especially Te Reo.

Meeting responses to Tikanga Maori training:

·     Members have Treaty policies but want more support to implement in the workplace

·     Each part of last year’s programme was valued and it would be positive for all to reinforce this and build

·     Tikanga Maori with an emphasis on Te Reo training and the marae visit could be repeated

·     Pacifica training would also be useful.

Governance training: Two trainings were provided by Gail Munro’s Governance Strategies Ltd. Due to the very positive response of the first training, Governance Fundamentals, and requests for addressing specific issues, The Governance Group followed. Evaluations from Governance Fundamentals included:

·     Showed the need for opportunities for forums to improve governance in NGOs; room for a course where the members deal with issues that they have.

·     I feel a lot more confident about being part of the board now. Outlining and exploring the basic structure is very valuable as it is in this structure that we function. Knowing the basics is essential. Increases confidence and effectiveness

·     This is an excellent course for those wishing to understand their roles, responsibilities and requirements of governance.  It has allowed us to implement our governance processes and procedures far more effectively and efficiently than we would have had we not attended.  We feel comfortable, secure and confident in performing our roles and duties now.

Evaluations from The Governance Group included:

·     An excellent course. Thank you Gail. I would like further courses in governance, extending what we learnt on this course.

·     So glad I came –will encourage rest of board to come. May try to get training as part of board member induction.

·     I have thoroughly enjoyed the 4 sessions. I have learnt new skills and am more aware of my roles and responsibilities. I would attend more if other courses are provided.

Meeting responses to governance training:

·     Had been very well received

·     Gail Munro had the expertise to lead this and could build on this years training in the future

·     Additional trainers/training could be sourced as opportunities/need arises

Coordinator/Manager training: In the past year this was held in six sessions. The first was a morning session to enhance personal performance and increase job satisfaction for participants by developing their ability to build positive and productive work relationships. The afternoon session on the same day discussed the Myers Briggs Type Indicators and how they could help participants become more productive by better understanding their workmates’ preferences. There followed four sessions of 1.5 - 2 hours per month entitled Work Communication – the Fundamentals, Tips for Dealing with Difficult People (and groups) and Managing Performance. The final lunchtime meeting of the course looked back on the Myers Briggs. Additional monthly lunchtime courses for Coordinators and Managers that have been identified for the upcoming year include:

·     Using supervision effectively

·     Peer supervision

·     Establishing boundaries

·     Working safely

·     Maintaining mental and emotional health

Communication training: A full day training available from Nick Sceats of Wellington’s Catapult could provide a professional development opportunity for governance, operations, paid and unpaid workers and address some of the identified needs. Entitled Having Difficult Conversations the training is either a half or full day session which combines theory and then practice. The theory looks at what makes a conversation difficult. Once participants are aware of the “DNA” of a difficult conversation they are then provided with a framework to prepare and then conduct a difficult conversation in a way that is most likely to get the best result for them and the other person. The rest of the session is then putting theory into practice with “mock” conversations with other participants. Where the training is extended into a full day “DISC” profiling is included.  DISC is a tool that enables people to become more aware of their behavioral style at work and how this affects their working relationships.  Understanding your own style is extremely useful when preparing for and conducting a difficult conversation. The DISC Behavioral Model is one of the most widely used measures of behavior in the workplace and is easy for people to understand and use. DISC is an acronym for dominance, influence, steadiness, conscientiousness.

Identified as useful for social workers, fieldworkers, volunteers, governance:

·     Strength based practice

·     Listening skills

·     Partnerships

·     Transparency

·     Shared power

·     Performance management

·     How to understand your organisations finances

·     Fundraising

Sustainable Funding Workshop: This workshop looks the seven key income streams available to community organisations, what sponsors and community funders really want (and how to give it to them) and how an organisation can increase its income, doing what it already does. Also how to use existing resources to generate new funds and how to develop a sustainable funding plan so organisations are not always scrambling for cash. Facilitator Kerri Tilby has been involved in the not-for-profit sector for 15 years, and has spent much of that time in the area of sponsorship, marketing and fundraising. Kerri  wrote and published the ‘The Seriously Good Guide to Fundraising’ for the Tauranga region in March 2008. Since then, her guide has been revised and 15,000 copies  distributed. A full New Zealand edition was published in July 2009 and is available free to community groups nationwide. This training has been booked for Thursday 25^th February 2010.

Volunteer training: A basic generic training for volunteers could meet a shortfall of funding by organisations as the ACE funding is withdrawn. Training need to be monitored during the year with an awareness that many volunteers will not be available for training during the day.

Raising awareness of disability issues: Working with the disability sector would demonstrate how the sector values diversity and promote partnerships within the sector.

Additional training:

·     Intercultural awareness training, which had been provided in the past year by D.I.A had a very high uptake with over 30 in attendance. This training is no longer available free of charge.

·     Training for treasurers of Not- for-Profit organisations. Has been explored with Vision Manawatu. Will need to find another trainer for this.

·     Stigma and discrimination related to gay rights, mental health, aids etc. Local trainer available.

·     Employment law. The Workplace Wellbeing project provides an excellent workshop and the Mana Mahi resource which is available free of charge through the CSC office. The workshop was held on !st July. Future availability /need to be monitored.

·     Local body elections (and how to stand for council).