LearnLink Projects: ROMANIA

Participant Training Programs

Applying Distance Learning Approaches to the Child Welfare Participant Training Program in Romania

Through this Task Order, LearnLink designed a pilot project to demonstrate how information and communication technologies can be used to increase the impact, efficiency and quality of USAID Participant Training Programs.

Romania has one of the largest rates of institutionalized children in the world. The Romanian government, with USAID assistance, is addressing the problem by strengthening professional development opportunities for child welfare professionals. While some training is already underway, more is needed. Together with World Learning/Romania, LearnLink assisted in meeting this need by developing two computer-mediated training modules focused on foster care that was delivered to Romanian child welfare workers via the Internet and on CD-ROM.

Additionally, in order to increase the effectiveness and impact of traditional, face-to-face training that has already been delivered, LearnLink and World Learning helped to establish a "virtual community" of child welfare professionals by setting up an interactive web page. There, users are be able to access and share information relevant to their professional needs and network with their peers by means of listservs and discussion fora.

With support from USAID’s Global Bureau Human Capacity Development Center (GBHCD), LearnLink has conducted a pre-project assessment, designed an implementation plan and a monitoring and evaluation strategy; and prepared a project report detailing lessons and recommendations for future technology-enhanced participant training activities.

National Agency for the Protection of Children's Rights of the Romanian Government Website:
Romanian version: http://www.copii.ro/
English version: http://www.copii.ro/eindex.htm
For more information on this activity, contact Eric Rusten