Module 7: Workshops for Working Through Fair Trade Management Issues
Fair Trade Organizations are a fairly new phenomenon and new types of organization are likely to throw up common management issues for managers who might be new to them, as well as particular challenges specific to F TOs. For managers who may be new to this context, this Module offers facilitated peer-to-peer support in learning how to address issues which may be common to the group or which may be specific to the person learning about their role. Trainees will be expected to keep a monitor activities within the FTO, their own role in these activities and the outcomes from it. Reflection on preferred approaches and development of new strategies are expected to improve through this well-established educational approach.
Organisation and schedule of the training module
The workshop sessions will be scheduled for 2 hours at two-monthly intervals to provide time for trainees to prepare for sessions and undertake follow up activities, including applying new approaches learned, identifying evidence of the outcomes and outline of any revised activities or approaches undertaken or
Six trainees are the maximum, with a minimum of four, to optimise trainees learning from one another.
Session 1: Monday 12th October 11am-1pm BST
Title: Learning to use peer support in action learning to address emergent management issues for FTOs
Length:
Preparation: half a day preparation, including reading and preparation to a template provided: Real-time session: half a day (afternoon 11am GMT – 15.30 GMT on set day); Keeping log on activities in FTO: 3 half days. Total = 3 days
Content:
- Introducing the process,
- Agreeing rules to be followed,
- Allocating time to participants through the sessions,
- Hearing about the challenges of at least two participants with feedback from all other participants and support for action planning,
- Review of the session.
Session 2: Date to be confirmed
Title: Organisation mapping
Session: 1,5 hours
Content: Participants will prepare a drawing of their organisation and discuss this in the session. Details in emails and materials section of the module.
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Session 3: Date to be confirmed
Title: Continuing to Learn to use peer support in action learning to address emergent management issues in FTOs
Length: Session: 1.5 hours
Work to be done between the sessions
Between sessions trainees will be expected to undertake usual activities in FTO management, make a note in their diary log of activities, their role in them, how they were received and any subsequent outcomes, together with their own reflection, and present their findings to the next Session
As part of this, trainees will be expected to keep and provide sight of a diary of at least three episodes in their practice in relation to the issues addressed in the Module, for which a broad template will be provided for participants to customise. In this diary, trainees will be expected to show capacity for reflection on their role in management settings , their strategies for developing other options and willingness to provide personal accountability.
Learning Objectives of the Module:
- To learn how to identify issues involved in organizational challenges in FTOs at different stages in their life cycle
- To improve understanding of how to present challenges to others so they can understand and provide inputs
- To learn how to receive feedback from others on trainees’ own approaches and assumptions
- To practise revising approaches to trainees’ preferred problem solving styles and approaches
Evaluation of trainees’ progress in this Module will be led by assessment of their individual performance in understanding their own practice and developing new approaches and strategies, as shown by their completion of individual tasks, including their diary, reporting on activities within their FTO, quality of their inputs into other trainees’ dilemmas; performance in group discussions.