Feedback from JPOs regarding training
New: Online Database summarizing your DTTA experiences
Thanks to your inputs and feedback, we developed a comprehensive and concise database summarising the different courses and travels JPOs have made using their DTTA. Click here to read the comments of your fellow JPOs with regard to the overall quality, relevance, price and other aspects of the training courses they attended.
Information-sharing
JPOs themselves represent one of the best resources when it comes to locating relevant training and learning opportunities. It is expected that they will play an increasingly important role in sharing knowledge gained as a result of their participation in various training courses around the world. In this connection, we would much appreciate if those JPOs who attended useful training courses could recommend them to other JPOs by providing their comments here with regard to the overall quality, relevance, price and other aspects of the training course. We believe that the JPO Service Centre website could provide an ideal setting for such information-sharing: either in this section or in through JPO-Net.
Taking advantage of the SURF Mutual Support Initiative (Alessandra Casazza, UNDP Timor-Leste)
"Other JPOs should be aware that SURF offers the mutual support initiative, which gives opportunity to young professionals to gain experience in any particular area by joining a mission or going on a secondment in another Country Office."
Using American Express Office in New York (Christian Gladel, HQ UNOPS JPO)
"I am realizing that my training money has taken me pretty far so far -
South Africa and Barcelona. I am very happy and grateful to have this fund, it can be used very
fruitfully because it gives you freedom to set your own priorities!
The money can go a long(er) way
when you work with the American Express Office who always tries to force their mostly inflated
prices on you...what I do is that I check the prices available on the market via Internet and then
tell the AMEX Office to give me these prices instead of their inflated ones. It worked in the case
of Barcelona (for my trip to SA they quoted the lowest prices I had found...). Maybe that's
something we could share with other JPOs so they can make the most out of their training
allocation. I don't know how it works in other duty stations but that's how it is here in NY."
Creating a list of training courses (Klaus Greifenstein, UNDP Vietnam)
"I was by the way wondering if it would be possible to compile a database containing information on all training courses, including contact details of the respective institutions, that JPOs have entered. It takes quite a lot of time and requires substantial efforts to find applicable courses and it would be a tremendous advantage if we could get inspiration from what other JPOs have chosen. [...] At our office it is officially required that JPOs submit a back-to-office report after having attended a training course. I do not know however, how strict this requirement is enforced and whether it is used at other country offices, but it might be worthwhile exploring [whether these reports can be disseminated]."
Based on the above suggestion, we would like to develop a concise database summarising the different courses and travels JPOs have made using their DTTA. To achieve this, we need your inputs and feedback.
