Relevant – The trainee’s unspoken question throughout the course will be: “What does this have to do with my daily work?” The extent to which the trainer continuously answers this question will be an important measure of his or her success. Every effort must therefore be made to ensure that all material presented is relevant to the work of the audience and that such relevance is made clear where not self-evident. This task may be easier when addressing operational themes such as arrest. It may require more careful planning, however, for more topical themes such as the protection of vulnerable groups. with the use of pre-prepared visual aids or study materials distributed in advance to all participants. B. Panel discussions The establishment of a panel of presenters or experts, possibly following a presentation by one or more of them, has frequently been shown to be a useful training device. Such an approach is particularly effective when presenters have expertise in different aspects of a topic because of their professional backgrounds or countries of origin. Ideally, human rights experts should be included together with experts in the relevant professional field. Varied – To secure and retain the active engagement of participants, it is best to vary the teaching techniques used throughout the course. Most adults are not accustomed to long classroom sessions, and a tedious and monotonous routine will ultimately leave them more conscious of the classroom than they are of the subject matter. Use a varied selection of techniques, alternating discussions with role plays, and case studies with brainstorming, as appropriate to the subject matter. One presenter should act as facilitator to enable the widest possible participation, to ensure that participants’ needs are met and to provide an overview or summary at the conclusion of the discussion. This method should include direct exchanges among panel members and between the panel and the audience. C. These are created by dividing a course into a number of small groups of around 5 or 6 participants. Each group is given a topic to discuss, a problem to solve or something concrete to produce within a short time period – up to 50 minutes. A facilitator may, where necessary, be assigned to each group. The course is then reconvened and the results of the deliberations of each group presented to the full course by a spokesperson for the group. The participants in the course can then discuss the topic and the response of each presenting group. Broadly, this means that the following methods and approaches should be adopted: Presentation of standards – a short presentation on human rights standards relating to a given aspect of police work and on how such standards may be effectively applied by the audience. Application of participatory techniques – to enable participants to use their knowledge and experience to translate ideas and concepts expressed in the presentation into practice, and to enable participants to consider the practical implications of human rights standards for their day-to-day work. D. Case studies In addition to dealing with discussion topics, working groups can consider case studies. These should be based on credible and realistic scenarios which are not too complex and which focus on two or three main issues. Case studies should require participants to exercise their professional skills when responding to them and to apply human rights standards. The scenario for a study can be presented to participants for consideration by them in its entirety, or “fed” to them sequentially as a developing situation (the “evolving hypothetical” case study) to which they have to respond. Focus and flexibility - to enable participants to focus on matters of real and current concern; and to enable educators and trainers to adapt their approach to participants’ needs as the course progresses. 5. Working groups Participatory techniques A. Presentation and discussion Following a presentation (as described above), an informal discussion is useful to clarify points and to facilitate the process of translating ideas into practice. Such discussions are conducted or chaired by the presenter who should try to involve all participants. It is useful for presenters to have a prepared series of questions available to initiate the discussion. E. Problem-solving/brainstorming These sessions can be conducted as intensive exercises to seek solutions to problems that are both theoretical and practical. They require a problem to be analysed and then solutions to be developed. Brainstorming encourages and requires a high degree of participation and it stimulates those involved to maximum creativity. At the conclusion of the presentation and discussion, the presenter should provide an overview or summary. Presenters should supplement the lecture portion 6