Training & Institutional Change

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Institutions are constantly evolving as economic and political circumstances change, as technology advances and as management systems develop. During periods of rapid development, enormous demands are placed on government, communities and private sector organisations to effect change, often coupled with increasingly stringent financial controls. Devolution of centrally based management to regional and community levels brings organisations into areas of responsibility which may be entirely new to them. The establishment of appropriate institutional structures and management systems are fundamental to adapting to changing circumstances.

The success of any development process is ultimately dependent on the people who will implement and sustain this process. Investment in these people is essential in the public and private sectors and in civil society. This entails developing an in-depth understanding of the nature of local governance and the existing skills within the system, as well as identifying the gaps and areas of weakness which need to be rectified in order to enable the institutions to perform effectively. Once the requirements are properly identified, programmes must be tailored to meet the very specific needs of the organisation and the individuals within it.

As consultants with over 30 years experience of working in countries undergoing major development and change, ULG can offer a broad-based view of institutional strengthening needs and how these can best be achieved in theory and in practice. We recognise that there is no single mechanism that meets all the needs. The management of change, and the restructuring and strengthening of institutions, requires a mix of support which may include in-service coaching and training, formal education both long and short term, and periods of secondment to similar organisations. We are able to offer all these elements through our own resources and additionally through well-established connections with leading academic and industrial training bodies.

ULG has been responsible for the reorganisation of ministries, departments, municipal entities and NGOs. We have set up a management training school, run twinning arrangements, prepared tailored training courses to meet specific client needs, run numerous study tours, arranged secondments to our own and other European organisations, and supported the restructuring of a system of vocational and technical training.