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Workshop Preparation - the Professional Aspects

In preparing for the professional aspects of a Workshop you have to think about three things:

  • what you intend to do
 Aims & Objectives
  • how your are going to do it
 Content, Methods and Materials
  • how you will know if you have succeeded
 Monitoring and Evaluation
AIMS A statement of the overall broad goal(s)
OBJECTIVES

A list of SMART objectives pointing to the expected outputs from the workshop - these might involve altered knowledge, skills or attitudes amongst the participants and/or specific products
CONTENT METHODS

MATERIALS

A sequenced list of topics to be covered with an indication of the amount of time to be spent on each

A parallel list of methods to be used in covering the content topics

A parallel list of materials and services that will be required for each topic given the number of participants

As an aid to systematic planning it is useful to set out the contents, methods and materials in parallel rows as shown above.

Note that the pattern of content and of methods should be designed so as to add variety and interest over the period of the Workshop
MONITORING & EVALUATION Determine the extent to which the Workshop is/was successful in achieving its objectives and goals.

The pattern of monitoring and evaluation may take several forms eg formal v informal; open response v directed questionnaire; during, at the end or some time after the Workshop. There are theoretical and practical pros and cons related to each of the options.

SMART = specific, measurable, agreed, relevant, timed

As in most other human affairs, motivation makes a difference. It is generally believed that participation helps to promote ownership and thus motivation. Wherever possible and appropriate the participants should be consulted about the aims and objectives and also possibly on the contents and methods and the monitoring and evaluation strategies.

When participants are well motivated it is easier to get them to engage in pre-Workshop activities by way of preparing themselves to make optimum contributions to the Workshop and in post-Workshop activities for consolidation and elaboration.

 

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