How do you design a realistic curriculum that is not only interesting, but really meets the training needs of your organisation? How do you keep participants' attention in the classroom? How can different exercises be used to speak to different learning styles? How do you manage resistance in the classroom? And how can you evaluate how good your training – really – is?

Multi-stepped approach

A group of diplomatic trainers from Kosovo, selected by the Diplomatic Academy of Kosovo, came to the Hague to finish the last module of their Clingendael training of trainers (ToT). Their training, which consisted of six modules in total, already started in early 2014. Course elements included:

• Understanding the curriculum development cycle;
• Workshops in effective classroom communication & interaction;
• Giving & receiving feedback in training situations;
• Brainstorm sessions on trainer qualities & evaluation methodology;
• Introduction to and discussion of interactive exercises;
• Observing such exercises at Clingendael;
• Designing and developing their own lesson plans and course materials.

In addition, members of the group participated in a training needs assessment for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo (in 2013) and co-wrote a draft curriculum for junior-level diplomatic training (in 2015). These exercises form a basis for future development for diplomatic training in Kosovo.

The multi-stepped approach is a hallmark of the Clingendael method on capacity building in diplomatic training.