Evaluation of Usaid Training Programs in Jordan free essay sample

Abstract: Training is vitally important for developing the youth skills and abilities. Most countries and organizations, the world over, are keenly involved in providing training programs for the youth. However, the increasing demand on training programs and the rising cost of these programs made it obligatory for many countries to seek partnership agreements between governments and training agencies. USAID is one of the leading funding, non-profit organizations that provide financial support for training programs in many countries of the world. Jordan is one of the countries that has been receiving financial aid through USAID for several years. The current study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of the training programs in Jordan that have been funded through USAID. For more accurate results and to limit the scope of this study, focus will be on one vital project that is funded by USAID and that is targeted towards developing and upgrading the skills of Jordanian youth. This program is MAHARAT. MAHARAT is a partnership project between USAID and The Business Development Center(BDC). This study will attempt to find out the effectiveness of this program by analyzing the program outcomes in comparison with the program stated objectives. The researcher will study all the variables that might be related to the program effectiveness: analyzing the program design through finding out the balance between the training needs and the program content, studying the appropriateness of the program organization in relation to its internal design and the effective execution of the program, and analyzing the effect of the external, social factors on the overall effectiveness of the training program; these factors include the trainees age, education and the type of training program they have undergone. In order to obtain data, the researcher will develop a special questionnaire that will be refereed by two specialists in the field. Data collected will then be analyzed using SPSS. Introduction: Training is receiving utmost attention by these days by most countries. It is commonly believed that the skills and expertise acquired through training are very essential for development and productivity. This has led several countries to consider training as a major component of their Human Resource buildup. Recent changes and developments in science, technology and communication have made it even more demanding for all countries to place more attention on employee training and on increasing work effectiveness and productivity. Hence, investment in humans development is now considered an investment for the development of the country in general. It is now believed that skillful workers and employees mean more productivity, better outcome quality and less expenditure. For these reasons and more, Jordan is actively involved in creating successful, purposeful and effective training programs. One of such programs that came as a direct partnership between USAID and The Business Development Center(BDC) is called MAHARAT (Skills). This program aims at equipping fresh university graduates with the appropriate skills that enable them to fuse peacefully within the workforce or the market place. Focus through the training sessions is concentrated at communication skills, leadership abilities and other managerial techniques. It also provides trainees with actual in-field training that aims at acquainting the participants with real life experience. This research shall attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of this training program in Jordan. The Study Problem: MAHARAT is one training program that is currently receiving a great deal of attention in Jordan. It is specially designed to help university graduates acquire the proper skills needed so that the can effectively join the market place. Money, time and effort are invested in this program in abundance. However, the researcher feels that it is time some special effort is exerted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Therefore, this study is undertaken as an evaluative procedure to particularly answer the following question: What degree of effectiveness does MAHARAT enjoy in the eyes of the Trainees ? The Study Objectives: The study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of MAHARAT. This major objective might be achieved through the following minor objectives: 1- Evaluating the degree of harmony between the trainees needs and the program design (content). Evaluating the degree of appropriateness between the program design and the executing procedures such as, the program consecutive cycles, the program duration, the program time allocation, the program pace and the number of trainees. 3- Evaluating the efficiency of the program deployment: the trainers skills, the instructional aids, handouts and the learning environment. 4- Finding out whether there are any statisti cal differences at the level of 0. 5 that can be related to social and demographic factors such as the trainees gender, university, and major. The Importance of the study: Training plays an essential role in developing human resources; Simultaneously, training is costly and time consuming. USAID is currently involved in funding and supporting several training and development programs in Jordan. Therefore, it seems important at this stage to undertake a research effort to evaluate the effectiveness of these training investments. The researcher shall make use of the most updated theoretical research available and shall try to use this theoretical background in building and designing a special questionnaire for this study and in analyzing the collected data. The researcher hopes that this study will shed more light on the effectiveness of the training programs in Jordan through a thorough analysis of MAHARAT as a case study. The rarity of studies in this domain gives more value and importance to the current study. It is anticipated that the study results will be of a special value to decision makers and training organizations in planning future training endeavors.