Upon the selection of partner NGOs, the NDI Study Circle team organized orientation and training programs for the policy level, senior and field level officials of NGOs to build their organizational capacity to successfully and effectively implement the project at the field level. Policy and senior level officials were instructed in topics that included conceptual aspects and key elements of the study circles, as well as project fund management, accounting requirements, financial controls, capacity building for program officials, reporting systems, organizational matters, guidelines and developing discussion guidebooks.

Successful implementation of the program requires skilled and competent staff that can work independently to manage, organize, supervise and oversee the Study Circle program. As such, NDI organized workshops and training programs on “Financial Management”, “Organization and Management of the Study Circle Program” and “Facilitators’ Training Program.” The objectives of the trainings were to acquaint the staff with the conceptual aspects of the program, as well as the organizational and management systems and procedures of the Study Circles. The training program covered wide range of topics that included its history, advantages of Study Circle method over other existing methods, organization techniques communication skills, duties, roles, responsibilities, evaluation and reporting systems and provided operational guidelines. In this process, 303 officials from the partner and associate partner NGOs were given orientations on the Study Circle program. Of these 303 officials, 18 officials were trained on financial management, 131 field level officials were trained in the organization and management of the program and 101 personnel were trained in facilitation skills. The topics covered in the training that included the conceptual aspects, characteristics, roles, responsibilities and qualities required for facilitation, as well as time management, self-development, communication skills, practical demonstration, evaluation. By continuously monitoring the effectiveness of the training program conducted earlier, NDI determined that a short re-orientation on the Study Circle program was essential to improve the organizational and managerial skill of the personnel working with the project. Refresher courses were organized that covered various practical aspects of the organization, management, implementation, evaluation of Study Circles and reporting systems. Refresher courses are considered an ongoing program.