About

The Development Training & Learning @ Kimmage (Dtalk) Programme was formally launched in March 2005. It aims to promote a culture of learning and knowledge sharing within the Irish international development sector.  The Programme will ensure that development workers and volunteers about to undertake work in the developing world are adequately trained and prepared for the challenges and complexities of their future roles. The Programme will also provide professional development opportunities for head office and country based staff of NGOs and missionary organisations and will be involved in preparing election observers for overseas election missions.

Courses and other learning events will be provided in a wide variety of subjects such as security management, stress awareness, mediation and conflict, civil society strengthening and gender planning.

Joint training events and in-house training can also be arranged by Dtalk. Please see 'Tailor Made Courses' under Courses or contact Áine Costigan (Programme Coordinator) for further information.

The learning partnership managing the programme is led by Kimmage Development Studies Centre with INTRAC, MS-TCDC and MDF.

Partners

Kimmage Development Studies
Centre (KDSC)

Kimmage Development Studies Centre (KDSC) (http://www.kimmagedsc.ie) is an educational and training institute working with NGO personnel, government officials and missionaries for over 30 years. It provides nationally accredited programmes in development studies at different levels. All of the programmes offered by DSC are characterised by a participatory methodology and pedagogical approach that validates and affords exchange of the experiential knowledge and skills of the participants.  DSC has a proven capacity in providing courses and programmes of high quality in terms of their content, relevance and academic standards.

MDF

MDF (http://www.mdf.nl) has particular experience in the organisation and management of projects and programmes.  It designs and delivers courses to strengthen the managerial and organisational capacity of development agencies including NGOs, governmental and international donor agencies.  It has particular experience with sectoral learning and capacity building in the Dutch NGO sector.

INTRAC

INTRAC (http://www.intrac.org) is an internationally recognised support organisation catering for the development needs of civil society organisations and their staff across the world.  Its relationships with a broad range of international NGOs together with its research and capacity building consultancy work ensures that it is able to keep its training focused on live issues. It has a track record in identifying new and emerging trends relevant to the sector.