Training on Community-Based Project Management

MERCI is the name of a mangrove reforestation project in Indonesia. Beside plant mangrove, there are other activities in this project, such us: conducting environmental campaign in schools, empowering local people, and networking with potential partners and government. Besides, MERCI staff consists in young local people, with no diploma in this matter. By joining this training on project management, the team will improve their understanding about how to manage projects. Moreover, it will help them to improve the quality of their projects.

The objectives of the training :

– Increase beneficiaries’ knowledge about project management, especially projects that are involving the community ;

– Improve beneficiairies’ skills in monitoring projets in the field with the team and the community involvement ;

– Strengthen the beneficiaries’ motivation in delivering service works in the community.

This training is relevant to the needs of the organization (MERCI project) and also for project implementing staff because they lack coaching and understanding on this topic; Therefore, the support of Planète Urgence volunteers is crucial because MERCI staff lacks the required skills and does not have enough financial to pay a trainer. It is not easy to find ressource in around MERCI site, and will be spend fantastic cost if we invited the trainer to come.

The beneficiaries expect volunteers to help them to know about:

• project cycle management and implementation;

• project management tools, for example Gantt Chart etc;

• skills related to project facilitation in the field (group dynamics, conflict management, decision making, problem solving, and other relevant skills) ;

• management project systems (logistic and administration).

Methods: The training is expected to apply multi-methods (lecture, group discussion, games, case study, etc).

Training will be carried out at the MERCI Project office with the possibility of going to a one day field trip to understand the context .
Daily learning hours are between 4 and 5 hours per day preferably in the morning. Training is carried out from Monday to Friday while Saturday and Sunday are free.
Volunteer needs to anticipate the time that will be used for each session because the training will use a translator (English – Indonesian) because most participants cannot speak English.

Since Indonesia is a tropical country with hot weather and humid, it is suggested the volunteers to bring suitable clothes.

The beneficiaries are 4 members of MERCI Project.

Background of participants:
– Reforestation officer, 29 years, bachelor degree on informatic systems
– Environmental Education and Campaign officer), 27 years, master degree on natural sciences education
– Stakeholder relation and media officer, 38 years, bachelor degree mathematic education
– Reforestation and Livelihood Assistant, 24 years, vocational high school graduated.

None of the participants speaks fluent English so we will hire a translator (English – Indonesian, vice versa). The volunteer needs to take into account this element.

We suggest that the volunteer arrives on Saturday evening at the Soekarno Hatta Jakarta Airport (CGK). The Merci team will pick up the volunteer at the airport and then he will sleep in a hotel nearby the airport.

The following day (on Sunday morning) the volunteer will be driven to the Merci Office, in Labuan, Pandeglang City, Banten. It will take about 4 hours by car to get to Labuan office where Merci project office is located (140 km).

During the mission, volunteer will stay in a hotel located in 1 km from the mission venue. They will go to the office by motorcycle local transport/ motorcycle rent or walking because the distance just 500 meters. But if the volunteer wants to have a walk, it is 15-minute walk. For session in the field, the volunteer will go with the project staff by car.

Soekarno Hatta Airport- Jakarta City-(CGK)

During the mission, volunteer will stay in a hotel namely Rizki Hotel, located in 1 km from the mission. The volunteer will have a private room with airconditioning with hot/cold water for shower in a private bathroom. The area of Labuan is usually safe. Labuan is not a malaria area so people in general don’t use mosquito net when sleeping, however, we will provide one just in case the volunteer needs.

The Host of the mission is MERCI Project management (the project directly implemented by Planete Urgence Indonesia). The training will be conducted in MERCI Project Office in Labuan – a small sub-district/town in Pandeglang District, Banten Province. Even though it is a small town but we can easily find shop selling daily goods needs.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be taken in hotel or restaurants nearby.

For example : Kedai Pempek Kembar (menu: all varian pempek, it is a fish ball frying, made from fish and flour), Nasi Padang Ari (rice, soup with coconut milk, any fish and chicken food), Juna kitchen (menu : fried rice, and noodle) etc.
For volunteers who have food restrictions, for example vegetarians, we need to be informed in advance and this can be provided.

For the training, the equipment available include:
– LCD Projector
– Learning media (whiteboard, board marker, flipchart, etc)
– Wifi

The volunteer will be also provided a local SIM Card to be used in his/her cellphone when is not connected to wifi.

Volunteer is expected to bring his own laptop.Any other specific learning media requiered, it need to be informed in advance