How can we determine the format for our learning activity?

Through the Global Network, three kinds of events can be offered, each with a different design and mode.

Global Dialogues
These are brief video conferencing sessions, centering on specific development issues, creating an opening for interested parties to take part. For two hours of interaction, panelists, practitioners, thematic experts and policy decision-makers, from a group of five or six countries, exchange experiences, lessons learned and analyses, in order to jointly address challenges, both local and regional. These events require little time to design and operate, which makes them ideal for quickly responding to pressing issues. They are also a good beginning to acquire experience as a Programming Provider with the Network.

Courses
These are activities held for several weeks, depending on the scope, breadth and depth of the issue. They incorporate the GDLN’s “blended approach” to learning, including two-way video-conferencing sessions for brief instructional presentations and regional dialogue on the module’s topics. Additionally, courses are complemented by local group sessions (with participants present) for case studies, working tasks and discussion of the local context. They are also complemented by reference materials and on-line discussion.

Seminars
These are interactive learning events, focusing on a specific issue and lasting for one or two sessions.

Centers, in turn, base their decision to take part on their knowledge of the sector, through consultation with potential beneficiaries and program administrators. Their decision is also based on the budget for offering the course, comparing offering costs with estimated ability / willingness of participants in the target audience to pay.

Some Program Providers set a price on their contents for Centers, but others do not. The ability and willingness for local participants to pay is limited in many countries, but many organizations provide contents at no cost, as part of their objective of developing capacities. The reward is to develop a region that receives training and learns from each others’ experiences through dialogues.

Remember that if your organization has to recover content preparation costs by charging the Centers, these costs may be recovered by offering the contents more than once.

Select (or ‘Rental’)

For organizations that want to integrate the use of distance learning into their existing work program, involving a given group of particular countries, they can guarantee that a Center will participate by renting its facilities. Under “Select” access, the program provider pays by the hour to use the video conferencing room and/or multi-media room to carry out the activity. The provider is generally in charge of local organization for the activity (invitations, recruitment of a facilitator, etc.), always coordinating with the Center staff. The provider also pays for connecting sessions by video conferencing. In turn, they an recover some of these costs by directly charging participants or by involving, on their own initiative, a private-enterprise sponsor, donor or other organization. For more information on Centers, their Services and Costs, please visit the pages for each country.

Between the two modes for offering an event by the Global Network, there is great flexibility in regard to the roles and responsibilities to be shared between the Offerer and the participating Centers. A dialogue is encouraged between the two parties in order to reach an agreement benefiting both. This agreement is documented in the Activity Agreement.

Support for Design

In addition to the guidance that the Regional Team can provide regarding an event’s programming, we also offer support for Global Dialogue design. As for seminars and courses, the World Bank Institute (through its training unit) has a methodological design department. This division supports teams offering courses within the World Bank, as well as content providers for the Global Network. If you wish to collaborate with an instructional methodology designer to develop your event, please contact the Regional Team to arrange this cooperation.

When preparing the Dialogue format or the course / seminar contents, you have them ready to prepare your proposal, please see the next section, which explains how to announce your event to GDLN through an Activity Proposal.

Materials Guide

Materials used during video conference presentations must be prepared on the basis of certain guidelines regarding letter size and colors to use, so they will be clearly visible.

Thanks to engineer Ms. Karina Ramírez C., CEDLCI (IICA) Coordinator, for providing the materials conversion guide.