MEWA trainers ready to support decentralized cooperation activities after the first fully onsite Training of Trainers on Learning Module 4: Localizing the SDGs through Decentralized Cooperation
On the occasion of the seventh UCLG-MEWA Congress held on May 25-27 in Konya (Türkiye), the UCLG-MEWA and UCLG Learning teams jointly organized a two-days Training of Trainers (ToT) based on our Learning Module 4, Localizing SDGs through Decentralized Cooperation (DC), with a focus on the Middle East and West Asia region. Around 25 participants from more than 6 countries, including municipal officers, global partners and academics, attended this first fully onsite training after a year of virtual ToTs with the rest of the regional sections.
During these two days, attendants followed the different lectures of the Module, and participated in group games and exercises in order to consolidate the theoretical knowledge acquired around DC concepts, its links with Global Agendas, and SDG-linked policies, project management and funding. An important part of the training consisted in sharing best practices by the participants. It showed that, although not enough documented and showcased, DC is indeed a priority in the region. The training ended with a design session in which participants discussed how to roll out this training in their own regions, and with the closing remarks of UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, Mehmet Duman, UCLG Learning Director, Sara Hoeflich, and the Mayor of Konya, Uğur İbrahim Altay.
Overall, the training was a big success: in the final evaluation, more than ⅔ of the participants rated it as “Excellent”. The evaluation also showed that whilst more on-site country training and identification of specific needs and priorities is required, these new regional trainers are clearly interested in replicating the training. Their expertise can thus be used by UCLG-MEWA to move the SDG-linked DC Agenda forward in the region. Finally, the ToT was a good opportunity to strengthen relations between the UCLG-MEWA and Learning teams, and within the regional network as well.