A TrainerÕs Manual for Community Managed Water Supplies in Kenya

Facilitator’s GuideK. Mentoring as part of the training programThe objective of mentoring or coaching is to ensure effective knowledge retention; imparting of skill andchange in the way the trainees do things (change in attitude). Mentoring is therefore a combination ofactivities over time that aims to bring about change in the way those who have been trained perform theirtasks or responsibilities.After the first training, agree with participants on a performance scorecard based on theobjectives of the concluded training;Develop SMART indicators with the trainees to monitor performance of tasks e.g.improvements in record keeping; less breakdowns in borehole equipment; increased revenuecollection, etc.Agree with the trainees how regularly you need to visit, say once every three months, and howoften you need to keep in touch by phone and how the trainees can access you when they needsupport;Go back and visit the trainees as agreed with them so that you can assess their skills andknowledge based on the indicators developed with them;Conduct the assessment in a methodical way, with each trainee being asked the same questions;Remain in constant communication with all the trainees in order to provide instruction or adviceand to find out how they are doing. Develop a trust relationship with the trainees so that you areable to influence their learning and way of doing things.Agree on indicators that will show that the training has accomplished its objectives. Once theseindicators have been met, the disengagement phase is imminent.L. Defining an exit strategyA training program or capacity building through training, refresher trainings and mentoring supportcannot go on forever. Once you have agreed with the trainees that the training needs identified at thebeginning of the training program have largely been met, a disengagement phase has to be implemented.The goal of an exit strategy is to ensure sustainability of program impacts after it has ended. This mayrequire you to do the following:1. Develop criteria for exiting;2. Formulate measurable benchmarks of progress in meeting the criteria;3. Formulate exit approaches to be used e.g. handover capacity building responsibilities to therelevant local government department e.g. Ministry of Water & Irrigation or private sectoroperator;4. Develop a timeline for the exit process;5. Agree with participants (trainees) and the community on action steps, timeframe, resources andresponsible parties (i.e. draw up a Community Action Plan (CAP); and6. Mechanisms to assess progress in implementing the exit strategyEstablishing and maintaining clear communication with trainees and communities about the exit processhelps lead to successful exit and sustainable training program impacts. A post-training program evaluationmay be a valuable tool for understanding the sustainability of program outcomes and for improving thedesign and implementation of exit strategies.20