Capacity Development

As the landscape of durable solutions becomes more complex with the involvement of various stakeholders, the urgency to bolster the capacities of practitioners and policymakers must be addressed. Leveraging the expertise of our membership, we empower individuals and organizations, equipping them with the necessary legal and technical skills vital to effectively adapt and respond to displacement challenges.

ReDSS adheres to participatory and consensus-building approaches, fostering ownership among our members and partners who actively engage in training and program development. This page outlines ReDSS’ approaches and tools to providing robust support to our members and partners in program development, design, collective monitoring, and continuous learning.

In response to the evolving landscape, ReDSS in collaboration with it’s members, have developed a strategic framework for capacity development. This blueprint guides our secretariat’s collaborative efforts, reinforcing capacities, collective monitoring, and a culture of learning focused on durable solutions. 

The blueprint outlines five approaches to capacity development which include:

Why We Offer Capacity Building Trainings

Learning and Reflection Platform

ReDSS facilitates exchanges among stakeholders, providing a space for learning and reflection. This plays an essential role in creating a common understanding and vision on durable solutions processes.

Local Capacity Investment

Focus on engaging local actors through sustained learning processes. This involves investing in long-term coaching and mentorship, showcasing impact on programming and policies.

Adaptive Learning Approach

ReDSS designs capacity development activities anticipating change. This includes embedding adaptive working approaches and regularly reviewing and updating our content collectively.

Strategic Engagement with Partners

Engage with national and local authorities to enhance their capacity, knowledge, and leadership. This is crucial for durable solutions processes in displacement-affected communities.

Cross-Country Learning

Utilize ReDSS' regional platform for cross-country program learning. Capitalize on regional and national membership to support collaborative learning.

Leveraging Member and Partner Expertise

Develop various levels of training on durable solutions for members' engagement. Utilise members' capacities in priority thematic areas.

Translating Research to Evidence

Convert research findings into program guidance, tools, and checklists. This ensures the practical relevance of evidence and learning through solutions mainstreaming.

Promoting mutual accountability

Foster mutual accountability for collective learning in capacity development activities. Increase the use of ReDSS’ monitoring and evaluation.

ReDSS Learning Approaches

To evaluate its learning and knowledge management strategy, ReDSS applies the Kirk Patrick’s model which is a worldwide standard for evaluating the effectiveness of training and learning approaches.

Introduction to durable solutions

In 2021, ReDSS developed a durable solutions induction workshop focusing on the ‘What.’ The induction session is a quick ‘what you need to know about durable solutions’ 2-hour online session for interested policymakers and practitioners or for new ReDSS staff members. 

The objective of the induction session is to strengthen understanding of durable solutions processes, focusing on the ‘WHAT.’ This includes:

  • Key definitions, concepts, and principles
  • What durable solutions mean in the Horn of Africa region, including linkages with protection, self-reliance, and resilience
  • Solutions tutorials

Following the induction sessions, ReDSS has also developed a durable solution mainstreaming session focusing on the ‘How’ in order to support practitioners with specific tools, and case studies on how to have a solutions lens in non-solutions-oriented programs. Although this workshop can be offered independently, it is intended to follow the ReDSS durable solutions induction workshop.

The mainstreaming workshop focuses on:

  • Defining mainstreaming and applying the ReDSS programming principles
  • Using a solutions lens throughout the programme cycle
  • Examples of mainstreaming solutions in different kinds of programming (with case studies and tools)

Solutions tutorials

ReDSS has developed two online tutorials using 5-7 minutes of whiteboard animation:

Displacement and durable solutions in East Africa

The tutorial focuses on:

  • Information on displacement situations and trends in East Africa and Somalia in particular
  • A brief overview of key durable solutions concepts and definitions
  • A quiz to assess learning
  • Additional resources on displacement and durable solutions

This video gives a better understanding of displacement situations and trends at the global and regional levels. It also aims to give a brief overview of the key durable solutions concepts and definitions.

Housing Land and Property in Somalia

Issues related to housing, land and property more commonly referred to as ‘HLP’ arise in most crises, in conflict, as well as natural disasters. This is especially the case when a crisis is accompanied by significant displacement or when it occurs in a context with long-standing HLP grievances or challenges. 

Displacement in Somalia for example, is primarily an urban challenge, with the majority of the 2.6 million internally displaced persons living in informal settlements in urban and peri-urban areas. With resources overstretched, Somalia’s cities struggle to cope with the demands of their fast-growing populations and the added arrivals of people fleeing crises in rural areas. Finding affordable housing solutions in emergencies and protracted displacement situations is therefore extremely complex.

 

The tutorial using a 7- minute white board animation, focuses on:

  • basic HLP concepts and rights
  • the relevance of HLP with regard to durable solutions programming
  • practical recommendations for HLP programming with a focus on Somalia

Durable solutions toolkit library

As part of ReDSS focus on the ‘how’ of durable solutions in 2021, ReDSS have begun gathering relevant member and partner programming tools to show how durable solutions principles and approaches have been applied to a range of different sectors.

This library is not intended as an exhaustive list, and it will be added to regularly. It is meant to help operational agencies find tools to help strengthen their programming through stronger mainstreaming of durable solutions. The toolbox accompanies the ReDSS mainstreaming durable solutions training package and is separated into basic themes with direct links to the originating source of the tool.

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