Overview

The project “Strengthening training capacities in international trade in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali” ran from 2000 to 2003. The overall aim of the project was to develop long-lasting training capacities for the beneficiaries in the area of international trade and to promote the necessary institutional changes.

The project sought to strengthen trade and services structures in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali through developing human resources by:

Implementation of training on a national and regional level
Involvement of local stakeholders in international trade in the process of the definition and the implementation of training actions
Strengthening the capacities of the institutions selected and capable of implementing training of trainers courses and using e-learning methodology, while also contributing to regional cooperation and favoring market economy
Development of a cooperation network between the training centers
Design, production and update of quality pedagogical packages in order to respond to the needs of the beneficiary parties in the area of international trade, both in the private and in the public sector

Subjects
Activities

Over 340 participants have been trained during the course of the project on the following subjects:

Trade Liberalization (Competition Law and Policy, Analysis of International Trade Policies)
Trade, Environment and Development
Multimodal transport, Logistics and Trade and Transport Facilitation
Financing Procedure for International Trade
Training of Instructors to traditional pedagogical techniques and to Distance Learning

Participants from the TrainForTrade courses were later educated to be co-trainers and trainers, in order to develop local training capacity. 29 trainers in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali now have the capacity to disseminate, distribute and co-lead seminars and thematic teaching using face-to-face and distance learning methods.

The activities were based on six methodological components:

The production of pedagogical material in conformity with the needs of the beneficiary countries, and the priorities set forth by the international agenda
The adaptation/update of existing pedagogical materials to local specificities
Face-to-face training and training of trainers (on site and e-learning)
The implementation of an evaluation system assessing the impact of the training activities
The implementation of national and regional coordination and follow-up structures
The production of studies, guides and synthesis

UNCTAD TrainForTrade collaborated closely with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS-UEMOA). The project was positively evaluated by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who also funded the project.

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