Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. From 5 – 7 October, the EU funded project “Support to the Education Sector in Turkmenistan” implemented an internal workshop on the implementation approach for the remaining two years of the project.
The objective was to strengthen the consensus on how to act best under the given circumstances. The main idea was that the one-time investment would pay off through lower transaction efforts, better focus and more in-depth knowledge of how ongoing activities might be tackled.
Participants analysed the results of the initial phase of project implementation that aimed at gaining work permission and overcoming the widespread fear of foreign influence through trial and error.
Staff, experts and partners of the project evaluated the current portfolio of activities that consist of:
• addressing hands-on request from the authorities, particularly in implementing the national concepts on foreign languages and digitalisation of education
• contributing to bottom-up generated and ToR compliant mini-projects that update the teaching process in TVET schools
• implementing a 720 hours further training courses on Kazakh experience in education modernization and a second 280 hours blended learning course on the learning management system “Moodle.”
• supervising the work of Senior and Junior Non-Key experts on various assignments, such as addressing a national concept on quality assurance, career guidance, capacity creation for attracting donor funds, development of job profiles, professional standards, and more.
The task, as discussed during the seminar, is to cope with the increased workload and complexity, requiring close coordination, agility and reliance.
The team visited the transport college, a pilot institute, presented its possibilities and started a dialogue on its active involvement.
Without doubt, the seminar created momentum and team spirit and deepened understanding what to do how. Whether the seminar was successful will be seen by results during the upcoming months.