Publications

Written by Mekong Institute

This report evaluates the learning programme "Poverty Reduction". Mekong Institute conducted this course from 4 June to 29 June 2005 with generous support and cooperation by Thailand International Development and Cooperation Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Colombo Plan for Cooperatve Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific.

Twenty-three government officials attended the course from seventeen countries (Appendix F). Participants hold a mixture of middle to senior level positions from a wide varety of development related ministeries, agencies and state-owned enterprises. Of the participants, 35% are women.

Three presenters, four guest speakers, two field research facilitators and MI coaches assisted participants with knowledge and skill development and professional network formation. Participants confirmed that the resource persons are qualified, experienced people who were able to explain difficult content in clear and simple therms. Overall, participants felt resource persons were excellent or good and attained their teaching objectives.

Curriculum was divided into four topic modules. According to the MIquestionnaires and focus-group discussions, participants felt that the course content was useful for their professional development.

Course activities included a wide range of learning and social activities. Participants felt that the main learning activities, including professional skill development, were either excellent or good. They further felt that the additional learning activities were good and social activities were excellent. Participants also found MI to be a clean, well-run facility with dedicated, friendly staff and excellent ITand library sevices.

The majority of participants found the four week duration of the programme just right, although thirty five percent indicate the duration was too short.

Outcomes of the programme include knowledge and skills gained for poverty reduction projects. Participants further developed professional skills, such as data and case analysis, presentation, Internet research, and professional networking. Participants felt they fully attainedor attained the new knowledge and professional skills presented in the curriculum. Further, they made many new friendships and professional contacts. Overall, participants reported high satisfaction with the learning programme.

This report concludes, based on the above feedback, that the learning programme was very successful. Finally, Section 5 of this report provides recommendations for future porgramme improvement.

Written by Mekong Institute

Rural Development and Project Management for Infrastructure Development Series 2005: "Rural Development" and "Project Management for Infrastructure Development". MI designed, developed and delivered these courses from 25 April to 1 July 2005 based on priority learning needs of GMS government agencies.

Forty government officials from the six GMS countries attended the two courses. Participants hold a mixture of middle to senior level position from a wide variety of ministries, agencies and state-owned enterprises. Of participants,20% are women. All forty successfully completed their learning programs.

Nineteen resource persons facilitated learning sessions, guest presentations and field research visits over the fourteen weeks of the two learning programs. Participants confirmed that the resource persons are qualified, experienced people who were able to explain difficult content in clear and simple terms. Overall, participants felt resource persons were good or excellent and attained their teaching objectives.

Curriculum was divided into either module or topic segments. According to the MI questionnaires and country-group discussions, participants felt that all course content was either excellent or good. Participants also found integration of crosscutting issues (gender, environment, poverty, governance and regional cooperation) was excellent.

Program activities included a wide range of learning and social activities. Participants felt that the main learning activities, including professional skill development, were either excellent or good. They further felt that te additonal learning activities were very good and social activities were excellent. Partcipants also found MI to be a clean, well-run facility with dedicated, friendly staffs and very good IT and library services.

Many participants in the Rural Development course found the duration of the program too short due to the amount of materials and speed of lessons. They felt that six-weeks might be more appropriate.

Outcomes of the programs include knowledge and skills gained for professional development. Participants further developed professional skills, such as data and case analysis, presentation, Internet research, and professional networking. Participants felt they fully attained or attained the new knowledge and professional skills presented in the curriculum. Further, they made many new friendships and professional contacts.

This report concludes, based on the above feedback,that the learning programs were quite successful. Finally, recommendations for future program improvement are provided in Section 5 of this report.

Written by Mekong Institute

This report evaluates the learning programme "Tourism: A Regional Approach for Economic Cooperation Strategy Bloc and East-West Corridor Countries." Mekong Institute (MI) conducted this course from 6 September to 1 October 2004 with generous support and cooperation by the governments of Japan and Kingdom of Thailand through their representative agencies Japan International Development Agency (JICA) and Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation (DTEC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Twenty-three government officials attended the course from the five Economic Cooperation Strategy Bloc and East-West Corridor countries (Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Viet Nam). Participants hold a mixture of middle to senior level positions from a wide variety of tourism related ministries, agencies and state-owned tourism enterprises. Of participants, 39% are women. MIemphasised the importance of gender mainstreaming to CBTD in activities and curriculum. According to questionnaires and country-group discussions, participants felt that gender mainstreaming efforts at MI were excellent.

Four programme presenters, one PECD Instructor, four guest presenters and two field visit facilitators assisted participants with knowledge and skill development and professional network formation. Participants confirmed that the resource persons are qualified, experienced people who were able to explain difficult content in clear and simple terms. Overal, participants felt resource persons were excelent or good and attained their teaching objectives.

Curriculum was divided into four module segments. According to the MI questionnaires and country-group discussions, participants felt that the course content was very successful.

Supplemental activities included a wide range of learning and social activities. Participants felt that the main learning activites, including the PECD, were either excellent or good. They further felt that the additional learning activities were good and social activities were excellent. Participants also found MIto be a clean, well-run facility with dedicated, freindly staff and excellent IT and library services.

Many participants found the duration of the programme too short due to the amount of material and speed of lessons. They felt that six-weeks might be more appropriate.

Outcomes of the programme include knowledge and skills gained for CBTD. Participants further developed professional skills, such as data and case analysis, presentation, Internet research, and professional networking. Participants felt they fully attained or attained the new knowledge and professional skills presented in the curriculum. Further, they made many new friendships and professional contacts.

This report concludes, based on the above feedback, that the learning programme was ver successful. Finally, recommendations for further programme improvement are provided in Section 5 of this report.

Written by Mekong Institute

1. Responsible Agency: Group 3, Khon Kaen University, Faculties of Education and Agriculture, Khon Kaen Province

2. Project Name: Improvement of People's Attitute towards Environmental Conservation in Khon Kaen Province

3. Background and Rationale (why do you need to do the project):

Over-harvesting and high investment result in environmental problems in Khon Kaen nowadays. A variety of pollutions emerged is not far different from any other urbanized places.

The misuse of natural resources is still widespread. No matter what type of environmental problem is, people activities are becoming a crucial cause. This has ligtened the issue of building public awareness of Khon Kaen people as the target area for this project. Project findings introduced from the case would be also taken into consideration for future deveopment programme of Khon Kaen Province. Furthermore, Khon Kaen University can accept the Curriculums--as the main outputs of this project-and apply in the university schedule. Once the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Agriculture of Khon Kaen University already approved the application of the curriculum, we need certain financial aid form the Provincial Government of Khon Kaen Province to support the project. In this case, financial assistance is required for organization the 2 basis schemes. Firstly, we need an office that could maintain the project organization and materials. The function of this office would guarantee the neccessary need of the project. Secondly, at the same time we need financial support to pay the salary for team memebers.

4.Objectives:

To improve people's attitute towards environmental conservation in Khon Kaen Province:

Outputs:

(1) 6 curriculums in response to the 6-major problems of environmental concerns

(2) 4 types of media advertisement concerning environmenntal campaign through Video/TV/radio/newspaper/poster

5.Scope:

This project duration covers 1 year (2004-2005). In order to achieve the objective of this project, 3 strategies will be established. Strategy 1: Give knowledge to students through--(1) creating environmental curriculums which are made up of 6 curriculums--land,water,forest,air,city and culture/attitute and (2) giving lecture by hiring lectures and visiting sites. Strategy 2: Promote environmental awareness campaign to general people by carrying out two majors tasks. Those are--(1) making Video and (2) making advertisement through all kinds of media. Strategy 3: Establish project office as the office as the office center and running for project organization as well as project facilitator through the whole processes.

6. Linkage to other Activities and Projects:

The two-Faculties will apply the 6 curriculums and incorporate the subject into all department of Khon Kaen University. They wil also assist and give suggestion to all universities of Thailand to have a tentative action to the curriculums.

7. Participatory Development Issues:

(1) Let the students of KKUtake part in the process of creating and try to adopt the suggestions coming from the students

(2) Let the officers of related governemental departments take part in the lectures and field visiting organized by the project

(3) Let the media agency and other agencies take part in the whole processes of the project.

8. Sustainable and Structural Poverty Reduction Impact:

(1) Successful project will make the people establish strong awareness on environmental conservation. This is the most important aspect

(2) Although we can't get the direct befits from the project which take long-term meaning. People will pay more attention to protect the environment, change the style of development and keep sustainable development from the bottom of their hearts

(3) Successful curriculums will be published and get the benifits to maintain the project Development of te questionnaires could ensure the improvement scale of people's awareness

9. Implementation Arrangements:

The Faculty of Education in Khon Kaen Province, as the represent of government, will monitor and evaluate the project Media agency (one contractor) provides the services to the project KKU, as the co-operator of the project, will take an active action to carry out the curriculums

10. Cost Estimates and Financing:

The donor of the project is the Provincial Government of Khon Kaen Provincial, the total budget is US$ 191,374.

Written by Mekong Institute

This report evaluates GMS Phnom Penh Plan for Development Management (PPP) Asian Development Bank's (ADB) learning course "Participation in Government and Civil Society-Module 2" Mekong Institute (MI) hosted this course from 1 to 12 November 2004. Seventeen (17) government officials from the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries attended the course. Participants hold a mixture of middle level to senior level positions from a wide variety of government ministries, agencies and state-owned enterprises. Of participants, 41% are women.

This course was the second of a two-part modular programme. Module 1 comprised four segments covering introductory aspects of participation, including legal and institutional frameworks involving multi-stakeholder cooperation and participation for effective development. Module 2 comprises 10 topics to develop participants' skills to implement the knowledge gained in Module 1 and apply it to participatory development projects and actions. According to the PPP questionnaires and country-group discussions, participants attained the Module 2 objectives.

Participants developed the skills for participation through a wide range of course activities and learning materials. Participants further developed professional skills to develop and present a project proposal. The course activities include presentations by facilitators, class discussions, group work/ assignments, case methods, field research visits and course related social and recreational activities. These activities received excellent ratings from participants. According to the PPP questionnaires and country-group discussions, participants felt they fully attained the new knowledge and skills offered, learning materials and content were excellent, and they made many new friendships and professional contacts.

Five programme presenters assisted participants with knowledge and skill development and professional network formation. Participants confirmed that the resource persons are qualified, experienced presenters who were able to explain difficult content in clear and simple terms. According to the questionnaires and country-group discussions, participants felt resource persons were excellent in helping them acquire module content.

This evaluation reports on MI support services. In general, participants and resource persons found MI to be a clean, well-run facility with dedicated, friendly staff.

The report concludes, based on the above findings, that the learning programme was successful. Finally, the course participants, facilitators and MI support staff provided many valuable recommendations on curriculum, learning activities and methods, and future course offerings. These recommendations are summarized in Section 5 of this report.