ABCD-Training-of-Trainers-Tools-July-2013

Ask the group to list the skills on separate flipcharts for head, heart, and hand as shown in the example
above. If you would like to distribute this example to the participants, it can be found in the Training
Materials Guide. Gifts of the head, heart and hand are only one way of categorizing skills and
participants should feel free to come up with their own system and presentation. For example, some
people may want to categorize their skills in a different way as demonstrated below:
• Civic skills: Community-building skills, such as organizing, communications, ability to work with
youth or the elderly, leadership skills, etc.
• Entrepreneurial skills and experience: Business skills, such as the operation of a small business,
book-keeping, marketing, dealing with suppliers, etc.
• Cultural and artistic skills: Skills, such as craft making, dancing, theatre, story-telling and music that
are very important to maintain from generation to generation.
• Indigenous forms of knowledge and local innovations
• Diaspora
• “Hidden” informal skills that are vital to everyday life but often go unnoticed (e.g. the underground
economy)
Ask the participants how they might use this activity with community members. Note that if this activity
is to be carried out at the community level with many people, it could take anywhere from an hour to a
full day. Community members could share their lists and continue to build on them. Community
members who know one another could add to each other’s lists.
Explain why mapping individual skills is important:
• People can see ways that their skills can be combined to achieve a common goal.
• It can be very empowering, particularly for marginalized people like women and children, to say out
loud what they are good at. It builds confidence. People are not often asked to do this.
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