Participant Training Program

DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES As Bulgarian institutions, communities and individuals continue on the path of development and reform, it is critical that they learn from others who have faced similar challenges. The capacity of individuals as the ultimate drivers of change, to effectively implement reform models requires sustained levels of education and training. USAID wants Bulgarian economic and democratic practitioners to continue to learn best practices from other countries about everything from reducing corruption, to legislative reform, to local economic development

USAID INVOLVEMENT USAID began its program of assistance to Bulgaria in 1991. As the new country programs in Bulgaria and the region evolved, USAID/Washington engaged a training contractor, World Learning (WL), to support the increasing training needs. WL opened its Participant Training Program (PTP) in Sofia in 1993 to support country program training needs across all strategic objectives of the Mission. PTP has been closely inter-related with USAID/Bulgaria’s activities in the numerous strategic areas of support throughout the years: private sector, capital markets and banking, independent media, NGOs and democratic reforms, pension system reform, judicial system development, and local government. PTP was designed to support Bulgarian institutions, professionals and leaders by providing access to new ideas, knowledge and skills that help meet development objectives in the USAID portfolio. In the thirteen years of PTP presence in Bulgaria, approximately 4,430 persons have been trained in the United States, in third countries and in Bulgaria. Approximately one-quarter received training in the U.S. and one-half in third countries. The participants are nearly equally divided by gender, with slightly more women than men trained under the program. In recent years a higher proportion has been trained in European countries, reflecting Bulgaria’s needs to prepare for accession into the European Union, which is planned for 2007.

GOAL The goal of the Participant Training Program is to build and sustain the human capacity and staff experience of indigeneous institutions and organizations which are the Mission’s partners in implementing specific activities.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Participant Training Program is designed to support the projects, professionals and leaders associated with the portfolio of USAID technical assistance. The program provides an excellent opportunity for building the human capacity by equipping a broad base of Bulgarian leaders and professionals with skills and practical knowledge to develop and support democratic processes, free enterprise, market economics, and an improved quality of life. This support is most often accomplished through tailored visits to other countries and in-country trainings and training-related small grants program.
 
• Trainings: The individual short-term tailored training programs expose the training participants to relevant US and other third-country models, which best address the specific needs of the trainees, their institution and the country environment. The customized training provides the Bulgarian professionals with concrete tools to foster change and reforms, and contributes to the institutional strengthening of the USAID indigenous partners. Participants study foreign models of institutions, policies and practices in order to create or refine plans for improvement in their work back in Bulgaria. The regional and in-country training programs aim to reach a wider audience by bringing in foreign experts, or draw upon local experience and expertise, and are gaining major importance as a means of building continuity and legacy.

• Small Grants: The innovative Small Grants competitive component was introduced in 2001. It provides grants competitively to returned participants to apply the skills and knowledge acquired during their training, where their ideas do not fit the scope of existing projects. So far, 68 rounds of the program have been completed, with a total of 57 grants awarded and implemented.

SUCCESS STORY Training programs have had important impact at both the local and national level and in all sectors.

• After studying judicial ethics mechanisms in Spain and Austria, the Supreme Judicial Council approved a new Judicial Code of Ethics.
• Based on observations in Spain, a multi-party training group from the National Assembly successfully introduced substantial changes to the Law on Local Self-Government and Local Administration that helped numerous municipalities establish local ombudsman institutions.
• A study tour about judgment enforcement in the Netherlands and Poland helped a parliamentary delegation with differing perspectives and party affiliations reach consensus on the best approach to reforms in Bulgaria. The agreed-upon legislation is under review in Parliament and participants have played a key role in national discussions on this issue.
• A seminar on Infobrokering helped Telecenters expand their service portfolios and partners’ networks, by enabling them to better respond to clients' requests for Internet information that is professionally filtered, analyzed and presented. PTP Small Grants have helped them participate more actively in community development, and to reach out to specialized groups of clients (e.g. the orphanage in Pravets, or the National Computer and Web design Spring school for deaf children held in Tryavna), and are now adopted by the Bulgarian Government nationwide I-centers project.
• 11 MPs from all parties are working with united efforts towards the establishment of a Local Government Caucus in Parliament after studying congressional caucus mechanisms in the US.
• Key prosecutors with international responsibilities enhanced Bulgaria's relations with major European and international prosecution bodies in a recent study tour to the Hague and Brussels organized by PTP and the US Department of Justice; a series of pilot regional seminars are now jointly developed by the Prosecutor’s office and the National Institute of Justice in which ex-trainees will share the information with colleagues countrywide.
• Several study tours and in-country seminars on EU funding mechanisms contributed to both national planning and increased readiness at firm and organization level for absorption of EU funds.
• PTP has played an important role, with 2 study tours and 3 local seminars for legislators, civil servants and practitioners, in establishing the new Private Enforcement Agent profession. A significant increase of enforcement of court judgments is in sight.