A Structured Approach to Capacity Building

These modules are not standalone training products.

They are building blocks that can be combined into structured capacity-building programmes aligned with organizational objectives.

Soft skills are the essential bridge between strategy and performance. In international development projects, strengthening leadership, communication, and organizational effectiveness is key to achieving sustainable results.

This catalogue presents 180 training modules designed to support capacity-building components in institutional and organizational development programmes.

Select the training modules that match your needs — or build a tailored capacity-building programme

Filter by learning field and duration

Learning Field
Duration (Days)
A team is having a break

Disability Awareness – Working with People with Disabilities

Training Duration: 2 Days

Training Fields: Human resources, Management

People with disabilities represent a significant and largely underutilized resource for businesses. Many disabled persons are underemployed or unemployed.

Overview

People with disabilities represent a significant and largely underutilized resource for businesses. Many disabled persons are underemployed or unemployed. As a result of advocates for diversity, as well as a shrinking labor pool, employers are taking a serious look at hiring and retaining people with disabilities. This two-day workshop will give supervisors, managers, and human resource consultants tools and tips for creating a diverse workplace.

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • Prepare to welcome people with disabilities into your workplace
  • Interact with people with disabilities
  • Identify and overcome barriers in the workplace
  • Use respectful, appropriate, acceptable language in any circumstance
  • Understand what your company can do during hiring and interviewing
  • Understand what job accommodation is and how it applies in your workplace

Core Content Areas

  • Defining terms
  • Misconceptions and realities
  • Dissecting labels
  • Accessibility
  • The cornerstones of diversity
  • Encouraging diversity by hiring
  • Using the STOP technique
  • Communication essentials
  • Communication styles and critical conversations
  • How do we make it happen?

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

Colleagues happily looking at their team performance chart

Conducting Effective Performance Reviews

Training Duration: 3 Days

Training Fields: Human resources, Management

Performance reviews are an essential component of employee development. The performance review meeting is an important aspect of career planning, and the outcomes of the meeting should be known to the employee and superv

Overview

Performance reviews are an essential component of employee development. The performance review meeting is an important aspect of career planning, and the outcomes of the meeting should be known to the employee and supervisor before the meeting actually takes place. Remember what the German philosopher Goethe said: “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being.” Setting goals and objectives to aim for will give both supervisors and employees a focus, and is one of the key aspects to meeting overall company objectives. Supervisors must also learn how to give feedback, both positive and negative, on a regular and timely basis so that employees can grow and develop. Performance appraisals involve all these activities.

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • The importance of having a performance review process for employees.
  • How to work with employees to set performance standards and goals.
  • Skills in observing, giving feedback, listening, and asking questions.
  • An effective interview process and have the opportunity to practice the process in a supportive atmosphere.
  • How to make the performance review legally defensible.

Core Content Areas

  • Common errors and solutions
  • Types of performance reviews
  • The performance management process
  • Setting standards and goals
  • Creating a performance development plan
  • Feedback and communication skills
  • Accepting criticism
  • Appraisal preparation
  • Planning and conducting the interview
  • Coaching and maintaining performance
  • Terminating an employee
  • Performance management checklists

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

New employees reading company guide book

Orientation Handbook – Getting Employees Off to a Good Start

Training Duration: 2 Days

Training Fields: Human resources, Management

An effective human resource professional knows that managing employee performance is more than responding to problems, conducting performance reviews, or hiring staff.

Overview

An effective human resource professional knows that managing employee performance is more than responding to problems, conducting performance reviews, or hiring staff. Performance management begins with an orientation to the organization and the job, and continues on a daily basis as employees are trained and coached. A thoughtful new employee orientation program, coupled with an employee handbook (or website) that communicates workplace policies, can reduce turnover and those reductions save your organization money. Whether your company has two employees or a thousand employees, don’t leave employee retention to chance. Engage them from the moment they are hired; give them what they need to feel welcome, and let them impress you with what they bring to your company. This two-day workshop is just the start that you need!

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • How important an orientation program is to an organization
  • The role of the human resource department in the orientation program
  • How the commitment curve affects both new employees and their managers
  • What companies can do to deliver their promise to new employees
  • The critical elements of effective employee training
  • The importance of having an employee handbook for new and long-term employees

Core Content Areas

  • Finding, hiring, and keeping good people
  • Building employee commitment and engagement
  • Fast-track orientation
  • Designing a successful orientation program
  • The commitment curve and obtaining buy-in
  • Employee training and adult learning
  • Working with external providers
  • Helping people make connections
  • Creating employee manuals

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

A new employee introducing herself to the team

Onboarding – The Essential Rules for a Successful Onboarding Program

Training Duration: 2 Days

Training Fields: Human resources, Management

Did you know that most employees decide to leave a job within their first 18 months with an organization?

Overview

Did you know that most employees decide to leave a job within their first 18 months with an organization? When an employee does leave, it usually costs about three times their salary to replace them. You can greatly increase the likelihood that a new employee will stay with you by implementing a well-designed onboarding program that will guide the employee through their first months with the company. This two-day workshop will explore the benefits of onboarding, show you how to design an onboarding framework, give you ways to customize the program for different audiences (including managers and executives), and demonstrate how to measure results from the program. (Statistics from a 2007 study by the Wynhurst Group)

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • Define onboarding and describe how it is different from orientation
  • Identify the business benefits of onboarding
  • List the factors that contribute to a successful onboarding program
  • Build a team to create an onboarding program
  • Prepare a vision statement and goals for an onboarding program
  • Design a framework for an onboarding program that includes program setup, various types of training, games, progress tracking, follow-up
  • Customize your onboarding framework
  • Identify which metrics you should track to evaluate program results
  • Create a branded, unique program

Core Content Areas

  • Defining Onboarding
  • Creating the Onboarding Steering Team
  • Gathering Supporting Information
  • Setting Goals
  • Developing the Program
  • A Personal Onboarding Plan
  • Customizing the Framework
  • Measuring Results
  • Branding the Program
  • Onboarding Executives
  • Understanding Employee Engagement
  • Ten Ways to Make Your Program Unique
  • Fun and Games
  • Case Study Analysis

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

Human resources team interviewing new candidate

Hiring for Success

Training Duration: 2 Days

Training Fields: Human resources, Management

Interviewing sounds easy enough: you arrange for a conversation between you and potential candidates, and then select the best person for a particular position.

Overview

Interviewing sounds easy enough: you arrange for a conversation between you and potential candidates, and then select the best person for a particular position. But what if you could refine the process in such a way that you were confident that you are selecting the right person? How do you separate the good from the great, when they have similar work experience and strengths to offer? This two-day workshop will give you the skills and tools to hire successful candidates.

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • How to recognize the costs incurred by an organization when a wrong hiring decision is made
  • Ways to develop a fair and consistent interviewing process for selecting employees
  • How to prepare better job advertisements and use a variety of markets
  • How to develop a job analysis and position profile
  • How to use traditional, behavioral, achievement oriented, holistic, and situational (critical incident) interview questions
  • Communication skills that are essential for a skilled recruiter
  • How to effectively interview difficult applicants
  • Ways to check references more effectively
  • Basic employment and human rights laws that can affect the hiring process

Core Content Areas

  • History of the interviewing process
  • The recruitment and selection process
  • Cost analysis
  • Job analysis and position profiles
  • Finding candidates and advertising guidelines
  • Screening resumes and performance assessments
  • Problems recruiters face and interviewing barriers
  • Non-verbal communication and types of questions
  • Traditional vs. behavioural interviews
  • The critical incident technique
  • Difficult applicants
  • Interview preparation and format
  • Scoring responses and checking references
  • Human rights

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

A group of employees at the company meeting room

HR for Non-HR Managers

Training Duration: 3 Days

Training Fields: Human resources, Management

In today’s fast-moving world, many managers and supervisors are expected to deal with some human resource issues.

Overview

In today’s fast-moving world, many managers and supervisors are expected to deal with some human resource issues. They may be asked to take part in developing job descriptions, take part in interviews, or take responsibility for discipline. This three-day workshop will introduce those managers to human resource concepts. We will walk you through the hiring process, from performing a skills inventory to conducting the interview; discuss orientation; and cover some issues that arise after the hiring (such as diversity issues, compensation, and discipline).

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • Discuss current issues in the human resource field and the changing role of supervisors and managers in terms of HR functions.
  • Write job specifications and identify core competencies.
  • Apply methods of finding, selecting, and keeping the best people using behavioral description interviewing techniques.
  • Get new employees off to a good start.
  • Understand compensation and benefits.
  • Maintain healthy employee relations.
  • Make performance appraisals a cooperative process.

Core Content Areas

  • Defining human resources
  • Skills inventory and job analysis
  • Position profiles and job descriptions
  • Finding candidates and advertising guidelines
  • Preparing for and conducting the interview
  • Employee orientation and onboarding
  • Planning training and external providers
  • Performance reviews
  • Attendance management and diversity
  • Privacy issues and compensation and benefits
  • Managing disciplinary issues and termination
  • Exit interviews

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

Employees stretching during working hours

Creating a Workplace Wellness Program

Training Duration: 2 Days

Training Fields: Work environment

Whether you are creating a workplace wellness program from scratch, or enhancing what you already have, you’re already on the right track!

Overview

Whether you are creating a workplace wellness program from scratch, or enhancing what you already have, you’re already on the right track! With increasing costs of health care, a shrinking workforce, and aging workers, a savvy workplace understands the value in supporting workers to improve their conditioning and to live a fitter lifestyle. This two-day module includes all aspects of designing or upgrading a program, from concept through implementation, to review.

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the necessity of workplace wellness programs
  • Create program elements that reflect the needs of employees and the objectives of the organization
  • Select program elements that fit the context of current operations
  • Establish implementation and evaluation strategies

Core Content Areas

  • The case for wellness
  • Building the foundation
  • Gathering support
  • Gathering data
  • Performing a needs analysis
  • Key program elements
  • In-depth case studies
  • Implementing your workplace wellness program
  • Reviewing the plan
  • Evaluating and reporting results

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

Colleagues celebrating happily during their meeting

Workplace Success – Seven Key Skills you’ll Need

Training Duration: 1 Days

Training Fields: Work environment

There have been a number of studies that identify the key skills that workers need to be successful.

Overview

There have been a number of studies that identify the key skills that workers need to be successful. Various studies call them different things - critical employability skills, soft skills, or transferrable skills. Regardless of the name these skills are critical for workplace success. Seven of the most commonly identified skills are: Being a Productive Team Member, Flexibility, Problem Solving, Resourcefulness, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Self-Confidence, Creative Thinking and Emotional Intelligence. Many of us possess one or more of these attributes already and perhaps all of them. Luckily these skills can be improved upon through training. This one-day module looks to take you from where you are now to a new level of understanding for the key skills that will help to make you successful at work.

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • Know your own team member roles and responsibilities.
  • Understand ways to be an effective team member.
  • Know how it feels to experience change and know your level of change tolerance.
  • Understand ways to be flexible in times of change.
  • Know what a problem is and ways to approach problem solving.
  • Recognize the self-fulfilling prophecy and its relevance to their work.
  • Appreciate the variety of behaviours that characterize resourcefulness in the workplace.
  • Identify tips to giving and receiving feedback.
  • Realize the uses of feedback to increase their strengths as leaders in the workplace.

Core Content Areas

  • Being a Team Player
  • Flexibility
  • Problem Solving
  • Resourcefulness
  • Feedback
  • Self-Confidence
  • Creative Thinking
  • Emotional Intelligence

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

An employee is smiling while her colleagues are working

Creating a Positive Work Environment

Training Duration: 1 Days

Training Fields: Work environment

Not all of us have had the opportunity to work in a truly positive work environment. A positive work environment is important for the productivity of a company but it is also important to us personally.

Overview

Not all of us have had the opportunity to work in a truly positive work environment. A positive work environment is important for the productivity of a company but it is also important to us personally. Our emotional and physical health can be improved by working in a positive work environment. We should wake up each morning wanting to go to work - not trying to think of excuses to not go. We want to be proud of where we work and enjoy telling others about where we work. As an employee or a leader within a company you have a responsibility to create and maintain a positive work environment. Everyone has a responsibility to create and maintain a positive work environment. This module will give you tools to be able to create the type of company environment that you crave through building and nurturing effective workplace relationships.

Module Value

This module supports capacity-building programmes by strengthening individual and team performance in institutional and organizational contexts. It can be adapted to public sector institutions, international development projects, and corporate environments, and integrated into broader reform or performance improvement initiatives.

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize what a positive workplace looks like
  • Know and understand the key elements necessary to create and maintain a positive work environment
  • Understand as an employee what you can to do personally to create and maintain a positive work environment
  • Understand as a leader the responsibility you have to create and maintain a positive work environment
  • Discover what type of team player you are and how that relates to your functioning in the team
  • Know the importance of effective workplace relationships in creating and maintaining a positive work environment
  • Know and understand the importance of working as a team and guidelines to good teamwork
  • Discover your personal strengths and weaknesses in working cooperatively
  • Discover your preference for dealing with workplace conflict

Core Content Areas

  • What Does a Positive Environment Look Like?
  • What Can I Do?
  • Team Player
  • Effective Workplace Relationships

Practical Applications

  • Case-based discussion
  • Guided exercises
  • Group reflection
  • Action planning for workplace application

Looking to strengthen your capacity-building initiatives?

I support organizations in designing structured, results-oriented programmes tailored to their context.

A detailed catalogue of training modules and customised capacity-building programmes is available upon request.