Regional Training Comprehensive Human Resource Development for the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation
Background
The Lancang-Mekong (LM) Region has immense economic potential and rich nature resources. As many as 75 million people live within the Mekong River Basin area and approximately 1.6 billion throughout the region. This region is experiencing some of the fastest economic growth rates in the world. It is also sustainable and equitable development, but poverty, environment degradation, a lack of human resources, and differential social development and governance structures hinder it.
The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) members are P. R. China, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The six countries along the Mekong River (the Chinese stretch, the Lancang River) launched the LMC mechanism in 2015 and convened the first Leaders’ Meeting in March 2016. The LMC is a sub-regional cooperation mechanism serving the common needs of the six countries, and it is an important part of P. R. China’s overall cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Since the LMC’s launch, the six countries have joined hands and worked in solidarity to promote the high-level development of the new sub-regional mechanism, successfully setting a golden example of regional cooperation and bringing tangible benefits to the people of the six countries. The LMC became a good regional cooperation model of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Human Resource Development (HRD) is a critical component of an increasingly interconnected world and is a fundamental element of a country’s economic future. To be ready to support economic growth in the LM Region, skilled and knowledgeable human resources are essential. The governments in the region need to play a significant role in aligning HRD needs with the country’s economic opportunities by enhancing workforce development while balancing regional development with social and economic needs. It is crucial to integrate a skill enhancement program to support employees in acquiring new skills or workers in improving their capabilities. Talented human resources are the change drivers for the LMC. During the seventh LMC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on July 4, 2022, P. R. China launched six plans in the next stage to share with the LM countries the benefits of cooperation and add development momentum. One of the six plans is to implement the LM Talent Plan.
To support LM countries with these efforts, the Mekong Institute (MI) implemented a project of “Comprehensive Human Resource Development for the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation” in 2023. Based on the success, MI proposes to conduct the same project in 2024 to develop the human resource capacity of public institutions and equip government officials with advanced HRD skills, regional perspectives, and professional and personal networks.
Objectives
The training is designed to develop the human resource capacity of public institutions and will equip government officials with advanced HRD skills, regional perspectives, and professional and personal networks.
- Enhance cross-cultural communication skills for deeper understanding and
interaction among LM region nationals - Introduce innovative strategies and practices on HRD in the LM Region
- Equip advanced HRD skills in the regional cooperation context
- Identify measures to foster continued HRD in the LM Region
During this training, we will:
- Enhance Communication Skills: To enhance cross-cultural communication skills for deeper understanding and interaction among LM region nationals.
- Explore Innovation Strategies: To introduce and explore innovation strategies and practices on HRD in the LM Region.
- HRD in Regional Concerns: To equip advanced HRD skills in the regional cooperation context.
- Regional Cooperation: To explore how can regional cooperation within LM countries capture the opportunities to foster continued HRD in the LM region.
Target Participants
The training program will consist of Chinese participants (13) from Yunnan Province and Cambodia (2), Lao PDR (3), Myanmar (3), Thailand (2), and Vietnam (2). The total no. of participants in the training is 25. The participants are required to meet the criteria below:
- Government officials involved in HRD in their workplace
- Hold a university degree or an equivalent educational background with a
minimum of 3 to 5 years of working experience - Command of English (speaking, reading, and writing) at the working level
- Familiarity with cross-cultural studying and working environment
- Full attendance at the training program
Program Content
About Modules:
- Module 1: introduces participants to the essential skills and techniques required for successful communication in a professional setting using the English language in public speaking, fostering effective and successful interactions with international colleagues.
- Module 2: provides participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate cultural differences, build strong relationships, and promote cooperation for regional development and success.
- Module 3: overviews the concept of HRD and introduces innovative strategies and practices in the LM region context.
- Module 4: exposes participants to site visits, which showcase good practices in a particular field or context and empower participants to gather knowledge from these visits, which they can then share and apply in their respective home countries.
Training Assignments:
As the participants will work in cross-national groups, these activities will promote communication skills and regional collaboration and foster a professional network of contacts among participants. Specific assignments will also be provided throughout the course. The learning methodology is designed to foster a greater understanding of the training content and stimulate sharing and networking among the participants. Interactive, experiential learning will be employed. A team of experts will deliver the modules and will adopt the following methods:
- Lectures and presentations;
- Group Discussions; and
- Group exercises, presentation, role play, and action plan.
Curriculum Design And Methodology:
All training modules and simulation exercises will be drawn from and tailored to the LM Region context, focusing on practical knowledge and adult learning principles. The training will employ a participatory method linked to the realities of the LM countries. Each training topic and module will be designed using the “integrated curriculum” approach. The salient features of the integrated curriculum are that competencies are carefully selected, support theory is integrated with skill-based practice, essential knowledge is learned to support the performance of skills, and various functional competencies (e.g., facilitation, presentation, communication skills, etc.).
Monitoring And Evaluation
An effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanism will be utilized to assess the progress and measure the results of the intervention. The M&E will be introduced in the pre, during, and post-stages training.
Pre-event
Selection of Participants: Before the launch of the training program, relevant information on the prospective participants’ knowledge level will be collected. The information will be used to assess and select the participants, monitor the progress, and assess the results of the intervention.
During Event
During the event, a pre-and post-training assessment will be conducted to assess the knowledge and competencies of the participants. Pre-assessment aims to gather information on the participant’s level of knowledge. The result will be compared to the post-assessment in order to measure the improvement in knowledge and experience. Furthermore, the training M&E tools, such as the ‘mood meter,’ and the ‘Board of Directors, will be employed to evaluate day-to-day learning progress. The online after-event evaluation of the training will be conducted at the end of the training. Also, the participants will prepare an action plan to transfer knowledge back to their workplaces, provinces, and countries.
- The Mood Meter is an instrument for the daily subjective measurement of the learning atmosphere and mood of the participants. At the end of each day, the participants rated their mood as very happy, normal, or disappointed.
- The Board of Directors consists of two or three participants selected by the group on a rotational basis. The BOD provides feedback to MI facilitators and resource persons (RPs) at the end of each day on the learning contents, methodologies, and other activities related to the learning. This feedback session helps RPs and MI facilitators improve training delivery methods and strategies the next day. Every morning starts with a recapitulation of sessions where the BOD reports what they learned the previous day to the class.
Post-event
This is the knowledge transfer stage during which the participants will be required to implement individual action plans at their workplace and/or in the provinces and countries to transfer the knowledge and skill learned during the training. This could be in the form of knowledge-sharing sessions with their colleagues. The online follow-up evaluation of the training will be conducted within three-six months after the completion of the training.
Contact
Ms. Tina Wang
Program Manager
Sustainable Energy and Environment Department
Tel: + 66 (0) 4320 2411 Ext. 4101
Email: jwang@mekonginstitute.org
Ms. Yupaporn Siribut
Program Officer
Sustainable Energy and Environment Department
Mekong Institute
Tel: + 66 (0) 4320 2411 Ext. 4104
Email: yupaporn@mekonginstitute.org
Ms. Kademanee Suthum
Project Operations Support Assistant
Sustainable Energy and Environment Department
Tel: + 66 (0) 4320 2411 Ext. 4105
Email: kademanee@mekonginstitute.org
Documents Download
- To download the concept note, click here.