A few years ago, we were working with just a dozen CSE Educators. This past school year, our Technical Manager, Mamisoa, oversaw 110 “Mpanabe Jeunes Leaders” CSE Educators. In the next two to three years, we anticipate we’ll work with over 400 Mpanabe Jeunes Leaders across multiple regions of Madagascar. Quite a different challenge, wouldn’t you agree?
Driven by the success of our pilot year in partnership with Madagascar’s national Ministry of Education, we are preparing to scale up the Mpanabe Jeune Leader model.
We often say that the key to the success of our CSE Educators is that they are "specialized, rigorously trained, well-equipped, and supported." In the two pilot years of implementing the Mpanabe model, Mamisoa managed this “support” piece largely on her own. But as we now look at delivering the model on a much larger scale, how can we provide the same level of support?
With a new decentralized yet structured support system!
Technical Coordinators: Essential for Expanding the Mpanabe Jeune Leader Program
Various evaluations from our pilot year showed that training and ongoing support were key to the success of the Mpanabe Jeune Leader CSE Educators. If anything, the Mpanabe Jeune Leaders requested more support. With these insights in mind, we decided to create a new position: technical coordinator.
Over the course of the recent school holidays, we hired ten technical coordinators to prepare for the expanded rollout of the Mpanabe Jeune Leader model. Their mission? Training, guiding, and supporting new cohorts of trainee Mpanabe Jeune Leader Educators who will deliver our transformative CSE program across rural Madagascar. They will also play a role in liaising with school principals and local representatives of the Ministry of Education — partners that are key to the successful implementation of our program.
For these positions, we chose to recruit former PJL Educators. They are a tremendous asset: already familiar with the PJL curricula and already champions of the program, having seen its impact firsthand. Their experience and their alignment with PJL’s values will make it easier to pass on skills and support to the Mpanabe Jeunes Leaders and ensure the quality of our program in new partner public schools.
“I’m really happy to have been chosen for this role because I know that my contribution will now help PJL reach far more young adolescents than when I was a PJL Educator.” - New Mpanabe Jeune Leader Technical Coordinator
Our Approach to Training the Technical Coordinators
Strong interpersonal skills, pedagogical expertise, and deep familiarity with our approach — the role of a technical coordinator requires a wide range of competencies. The new technical coordinators underwent comprehensive 16-day training to strengthen these skills, under the guidance of our amazing Technical Manager Mamisoa (who was once a PJL Educator herself, nearly a decade ago!).
They began by analyzing the data and feedback from the first two years of the Mpanabe Jeune Leader model. They discussed the challenges of scaling up and mainstreaming the program in the public education system with Lilie, our Advocacy Manager.
The rest of the training covered the various roles they will need to take on as technical coordinators, relationship-building strategies, and approaches to creating a supportive work environment for the Mpanabe Jeunes Leaders. This included sessions such as: "Understanding the Roles and Responsibilities of Partner School Principals," "How to Train, Motivate, and Support the Mpanabe Jeunes Leaders," "How to Give Constructive Feedback," and "How to Conduct Supportive Supervision."
“It’s great to see former PJL Educators progress. They take their new roles seriously and are eager to help scale up the impact of Mpanabe Jeune Leader model.” - Mamisoa, PJL Technical Manager
Saraha, our Safeguarding and Protection Focal Point and a clinical psychologist, also led several participatory sessions to help the new coordinators: 1) understand the concept of safeguarding, PJL’s code of conduct, 2) strengthen their listening and support skills, 3) learn the importance of self-care, boundaries, and other emotional management techniques, and 4) understand trauma and recognize its signs.
By the end of the training, the new coordinators were ready to put their learnings into practice — and that’s exactly what they did in the last part of the agenda. They embarked on field visits and phone calls to school principals. During these interactions, the new technical coordinators were able to strengthen the trust established with our partners. These conversations boosted the excitement and motivation of the coordinators and our local partners for the work ahead!
“I’m really proud to see that they were genuinely interested and engaged in the training from start to finish. They are now more confident and convinced of the positive impact of the Mpanabe Jeune Leader model.” - Mamisoa, PJL Technical Manager
The good news: these former PJL Educators will soon formally start their new roles as technical coordinators, where they will train, support, and motivate the newest cohorts of Mpanabe Jeunes Leaders! Stay tuned to follow their journey (and adventures)!
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