SRF organizes 'Working Toward Quality' courses

Saba Reach Foundation (SRF) recently organized two management courses through the Netherlands based organization MDF. The courses were held from November 2 to 9 in the Sunny Valley Youth Center in The Bottom.

Each of the courses were attended by 12 professionals representing the Sacred Heart School, Saba Comprehensive School, Saba Reach Foundation, Expertise Center Education Care, the After School Care programme, Child Focus Foundation, Saba Health Care Foundation and Body, Mind and Spirit Foundation.

The courses were provided through a blended learning approach consisting of face-to-face sessions preceded by online learning assignments which served to orient participants with the course content and determine their specific learning goals.

“Continued professional development, with the aim to provide better services to our target groups, is rooted within SRF’s organizational culture. We organized these courses to give professionals from diverse sectors on the island the opportunity to learn how to further develop quality within their organizations together” stated SRF Director La-Toya Charles.

The first course, Organizational Development and Capacity Building, lasted three full days. The learning objectives of this course were for participants to understand the dynamics of their organization from the perspective of organizational change.
Participants learned how to identify organizational capacity issues and gained insight into how to develop scenarios to strengthen the capacity of their organization to achieve positive outcomes and leads to improved performance through change.

The second course, Leadership and People Management, also lasted three full days. The learning objectives of this course were for participants to explore their personal and interpersonal relations toward improving their management skills. Participants learned how to reflect on their own role, behaviour, strengths and weaknesses which builds intra- and interpersonal insight. Participants also learned to work more effectively within their team through positive leadership, motivating others and supporting people to become the best professionals they can be in line with their organization’s objectives.

SRF and MDF trainer Jolanda Buter said, “This is the first time MDF has given management courses in the Caribbean Netherlands so it was very interesting to see what organizational development and leadership issues professionals on these islands deal with and how MDF management approaches were still very much welcomed and applicable here” stated Buter.

The group of participants will continue to receive online assistance from Buter as they implement what they have learned.

The Daily Herald.