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The training module Writing Effectively for UNHCR has won an ODLAA Award for Excellence in the Development and Delivery of Distance Education and Open Learning Programs issued by the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA). Canberra-based course writer, Maree Bentley received the Award in the "Programs in response to an international or cross-cultural need" category. Other development team members also received mention in the certificate: Course designer, David Murphy (Monash University, Melbourne*); editor, Bill Potter; graphics designer, Karen Tan; and Gajaraj Dhanarajan and Angela Kwan of The Commonwealth of Learning .
" The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) , with its staff dispersed so widely in so many locations needs to develop more distance learning opportunities for its staff and this module establishes an excellent example of the democratisation of learning in our organisation." says Michael Alford, Chief of Staff Development in UNHCR.
Like many organisations, UNHCR ran traditional courses in effective writing. While effective, they were not accessible to all staff, particularly those in remote field offices. In late 1999 UNHCR's Staff Development Section took the initiative to see whether it could run an effective writing course through distance learning. UNHCR teamed up with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) , an Inter-governmental organisation based in Vancouver, Canada to develop the programme. "We could have bought an effective writing course off the shelf," says Julianne DiNenna who coordinated course development in UNHCR "but we felt that it was important to produce a course relevant to UNHCR staff which would also reflect our own cultural diversity as well as, writing style, standards and formatting."
This was achieved in the course that was launched at the beginning of this year. To date 300 UNHCR staff in over 70 countries have enrolled in the course which can accommodate 100 new students every three months. Participants undertake a module on general writing skills and one of the optional modules on general office correspondence or report writing. Students submit assignments to tutors, managed by COL, by e-mail and receive feedback on their work. The course is currently available in English and the French language adaptation will be rolled out in a matter of months. The secret to the success of this programme seems to be its accessibility to all staff, even in remote field locations, its UNHCR-specific content and the individualised guidance provided by the tutors. The UNHCR Staff Development Section intends to develop other courses for its staff based on this successful model.
"Well-designed distance learning programmes have the strength to address the training challenges of international humanitarian agencies by helping them to achieve more at less cost and widening training access for staff based in remote parts of the world," says Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President and C.E.O. of The Commonwealth of Learning. "COL is delighted to partner with UNHCR to help showcase what can be done with imagination and commitment to achieving the learning objectives."
The award citation from ODLAA reads in part: "Writing Effectively for UNHCR demonstrates a commitment to excellence that is amply reflected in the final product. The overall high quality represents the convergence of a range of attributes, the most notable of these being: an in-depth understanding of the target group and its needs; sound background research; and attention to the appropriateness of learning strategies and media."
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