1 3. THE TRAINING AGENDA A training course will always comprise an opening and closing session. However, the selection of the chapters of this Training Guide and consequent training sessions, which will be included in the agenda, should be based on their relevance to the identified needs of the participants and the course objectives, all with the view that participants acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve the results envisaged from the training. The training agenda should allow for flexibility in shaping a more informative or more interactive training, depending on the average profile of participants (see samples in Annexes 3, 4 and 5). The notes for the facilitators contained in Part II of this Training Guide can help in developing the agenda. They provide indicative times for the sequencing of a training session (e.g., how much time it takes to conduct a group activity) which the facilitator should adapt in the light of the learning needs of participants. Wherever possible, key local resource persons or relevant colleagues in the field should be briefed and involved in the development of the agenda and the whole planning process to ensure its countryspecific or region-specific adaptation. If facilitators are working with interpreters, around 30 per cent extra time will be necessary and that should be reflected in the agenda. If working with interpretation, facilitators should hold consultations on how to translate key terminology from English into local languages and brief interpreters beforehand to avoid misinterpretations. It is suggested that any treaty reporting training course is undertaken by a lead facilitator, who would ideally have an assistant. However the training team may include other facilitators and resource persons, depending on the length of the training course and the topics covered. The criteria for selecting the training team should be based on: a) expertise in the subject matter; b) familiarity with the country or regional context and with the participants; c) ability to promote a participatory approach, that is to encourage the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience with and between the participants; d) ability to apply the interactive training methodology proposed by this Training Guide; and e) professional credibility and appropriate reputation among other practitioners. Consider inviting somebody working on the same issues as the participants, for example to share his or her experience on a particular subject during a session. Current or former Treaty Body experts can also be excellent resource persons especially imparting knowledge on what Treaty Bodies expect during State party reviews. Such an expert should not have a specific role in a forthcoming review of that State to prevent any potential conflicts of interest.3 4. EVALUATION OF TRAINING3 The integration of an evaluation component throughout the training process, that is before, during and after a training course takes place, is an important tool which provides facilitators with information which allows them to constantly monitor the training course in relation to the results they have set out to achieve, and adjust accordingly if needed. Evaluation assists in addressing issues such as the relevance of the training (training needs assessment) and whether the content of the training meets the needs of the participants and their country or regional context (assessing training ‘under formation’). Evaluating while the training is being delivered can help facilitators assess whether or not the key messages of a session or of the day were clearly retained by the participants and whether the training needs to be adjusted or fine-tuned. This could be done through regular quizzes, daily evaluations, and debriefings or recaps 3 See Guidelines on the independence and impartiality of the members of human rights Treaty Bodies (“the Addis Ababa guidelines”). ix