2004 Press Releases

USAID to Hold 10-Year Stakeholder Review of the Regional Mission for Central Participant Training Program

Feb. 4, 2004

Ambassador Jacobson will meet with USAID-sponsored training alumni to discuss USAID/CAR's Participant Training Program (PTP)

On Thursday, February 5th, at 4:00 pm the USAID Participant Training Program (PTP) implemented by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) will conduct a 10-year participant review roundtable to solicit PTP alumni feedback on how to strengthen USAID/CAR's PTP and to provide USAID/TK with Turkmen perspectives on human capacity development (HCD) issues. The focus of discussions will be on how to design training/HCD programs that yield the greatest impact in Turkmenistan and on exploring how USAID/CAR's PTP can better meet the needs of the Turkmen community. The roundtables will provide notable PTP alumni with the opportunity to critique the PTP and acquaint roundtable participants with their achievements and the positive impact they have had on local institutions. The U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Tracey Ann Jacobson, PTP alumni, USAID and its implementing partners will take part in the roundtable discussions.

An evening reception for all roundtable participants will follow at the Nissa Hotel at 6:00 pm. Ambassador Jacobson will open the reception. The Ambassador's comments will focus on the U.S. Government's dedication to developing human capacity and promoting adult learning so professionals have the skills to compete in a modern market economy and participatory democracy. The event will highlight the achievements and contributions PTP participants have made to the Turkmen private and public sectors during the past decade. The evening reception will include a training exhibit and screening of the PTP documentary film. About 30 alumni from the USAID Regional Training Program will attend, as well as an additional 15 representatives from the international donor community, the Government of Turkmenistan, USAID and its implementing partners.

Over the past decade, USAID/CAR has invested considerable resources in its Participant Training Program. Over 5,500 participants from Turkmenistan have benefited from about 280 USAID-sponsored participant training programs. These training programs have included courses in the USA, South-East Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America across the whole spectrum of USAID/CAR's sector focus areas. However, the recent trend in training is to conduct more in-country programs to capitalize on local capacity. The training program is dedicated to developing human capacity, promoting adult learning, and constantly upgrading the skills of public and private sector professionals to be more competitive in a modern market economy and more participatory government. The 10-year participant review will focus on the future of USAID's training program, and how it can better meet the needs of the Turkmen community in the strategic areas of Enterprise and Finance, Democracy and Media, Health and Education, and Energy and Water.

PTP participants have formed the backbone of USAID/CARs efforts in achieving sector impact through strengthening institutional capacity. Participants in USAID-funded training have gone on to utilize their newly acquired skills and knowledge to start new businesses, establish NGOs, implement community mobilization projects, introduce new irrigation practices, and conduct advocacy and public awareness campaigns.

The roundtable is conducted by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) under the sponsorship of the US Agency for International Development. AED is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to solving critical social problems. One of the world's foremost human and social development organizations, AED operates more than 200 programs to help individuals and communities improve their education, health, environment, and economic opportunities in more than 160 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

The U.S. Agency for International Development administers the U.S. foreign assistance program providing economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 80 countries worldwide.