The capacity-building plan is part of the TEC-MED care model's implementation. The goal of developing and implementing a capacity-building plan is to improve the skills of key agents such as training agents, final beneficiaries, caregivers (family and formal), and other stakeholders.

The identification process of beneficiary groups' needs and gaps

The planning process started with an assessment of needs and goals. This was accomplished by conducting several workshops and interviews with different potential stakeholders and community sectors to identify target beneficiaries of the planned activities, assess their current capacities and define their needs to be addressed by the planned activities.

The initial step resulted in identifying the possible receivers of the capacity building program to be within the following categories: Group A: Managers and policymakers, Group B: Health professionals Group C: Social care professionals, Group D: Non-Professional (family) Caregivers, Group E: Final Beneficiaries. Certainly, each group will have different needs and gaps to be filled within their knowledge and practice.

The specific needs for each group were identified through a series of meetings and interviews with representatives of such stakeholders’ groups to assess their points of strength and weakness (from their own views).

 Implementation of workshops and training face to face and online

The modalities planned for delivering the training contents are variable to suit different needs as well as different audiences. Additionally, the restrictions offered by the COVID-19 pandemic added more layers of difficulty when planning for activities. This diversity in needs and situations dictated a similar diversity in the activities e.g. we will have several online training modules, workshops and courses, and multiple events that will be arranged for face-to-face engagement. For the face-to-face interactive training, the degree of engagement and interaction varies according to the desired learning outcomes from small group intensive training courses to workshops with broad concepts introduced and discussed. 

An important aspect for the successful implementation and sustainability of the capacity-building program is assessing how successful the events were and what lessons to be learned from each session. For that, two sets of performance indicators were designed. The first set is to identify general indicators for the whole process of training activities; Attendance rate of the activities, diversity of attendees (geographic and disciplinary), positive results of the post-activity surveys, performance rate in the post-activity assessments, successful implementation of acquired skills in new projects and a final design roadmap based on different stakeholders’ professional input.

The other set of indicators is designed to assess the successful implementation of each training activity to be tailored to the specific goals set for each event.

Finally, plans were developed to educate and train learners for impact and prevention through three levels of training (circles). We will provide general information to a wide range of stakeholders at the first level (the outer circle). Caregivers and the internal cycle for the elderly population are at the second level. At the third level, it will improve care for the elderly by assisting them in developing the skills and strategies necessary to improve their own lives.