Elaboration of training procedures for end users – a crucial step towards implementation and dissemination of the IcARUS toolkit

Camino has developed models and recommendations for the design and delivery of trainings for the end users of the IcARUS toolkit based on the evaluation of the training sessions which were held in Lisbon, Nice, Riga, Rotterdam, Turin and Stuttgart.

Background: The training sessions for the IcARUS toolkit

The “IcARUS – Innovative Approaches to Urban Security” project has developed a toolkit containing six tools to address key challenges in urban crime and violence across Europe. Although the manuals developed for the IcARUS toolkit contain precise information on how to implement the tools, the mere reception of this information will not be sufficient for the successful transfer and implementation of a tool. Methods should be tried out by those who are to use them later. For this purpose a training session for each tool was tailor-made and co-developed by the partners Efus, University of Salford, Idiap Research Institute, Camino and  University of York in coordination with the IcARUS cities. The IcARUS training sessions marked the beginning of the demonstration phase. These sessions were designed for the end-users of each IcARUS tool, mostly consisting of the city’s civil servants, technicians and local police officers. The goal was to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure a smooth start of the implementation phase, once the IcARUS project ends.

Learnings from the trainings and recommendations: the training procedures

The experiences from the trainings and the initial testing of the tools in the six IcARUS cities have been incorporated into the development of the training procedures, further enhancing the project’s impact and sustainability. The training procedures consist of general aspects for the trainings for the IcARUS Tool Box, the training models for each city and conclusions (to be included in the upcoming D4.5).

The training sessions took place as part of the participatory tool implementation in the six project cities. It is important to emphasise that the training does not replace the joint preparation of all stakeholders involved in the implementation. At the same time, the training should also be understood as part of the collaborative process of learning and unlearning from each other and thus always leave room for further ideas or criticism regarding the implementation of the tool.

For the training to be successful, it should be clarified beforehand that the invited participants know the tool development process and that the training participants are already familiar with their role in the implementation of the tool. The more extensive and complex the tool is, the more time is needed for training. However, time is often a barrier to participation. For the design of the training, this means that the trainers have to be mindful of the participants’ time.

To be successful, training courses must be designed to be as inclusive as possible. If the training, or parts of it, have to be translated, language barriers may arise, important details, especially regarding technical elements of the tools, may be lost. Ideally, the training should take place in the participants’ native language. However, it also plays a role whether the trainers are perceived as experts beyond their language skills. When tools are developed collaboratively, the focus is on local-specific problems; experts who are not familiar with this context often have less credibility. At the same time, very different skills are required for the training sessions: Facilitation, methodological knowledge, technical knowledge, gender and diversity skills. Ideally, a team of trainers is put together so that all these requirements are met in the best possible way. IcARUS pursues the approach of developing and implementing all tools from a gender-inclusive and discrimination-sensitive perspective in alignment with the European Commission’s priorities. This must also be implemented in the training, on the one hand by making the training itself as inclusive as possible by considering potential barriers, preventing stigmatising effects and by including a training unit to reflect on gender inclusivity from an intersectional perspective .