The Public Sector Capacity Building Program (PSCB) of AIT Extension continues its collaboration with the Jatiyo Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation (JPUF), Ministry of Social Welfare (MOSW), Government of Bangladesh. The collaboration focuses on strengthening skills and knowledge of the officers and staff working at the ministry and the service centers in district level. This capacity enhancement program is one of the components of the World Bank project which aims at improving service delivery for PWD.
The collaboration between JPUF and AIT Extension has started in 2014 when JPUF and AIT Extension signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to implement foreign training series to support the World Bank’s project outcomes, especially in term of increased knowledge and skills of service providers.
The participants of training programs comprise of three (3) categories:
- Disability Affairs Officers who manage and run the service centers at the district level,
- Clinical Consultants and Therapists who work at the service centers to deliver clinical services, therapeutically care and counselling, and
- the Assistant Therapists who work under the consultants and the therapists.
During 2014-2015, PSCB has already implemented five (5) training programs for JPUF during 2014-2015. For 2016, it is planned that more than 150 officers and staff will attend training programs at AIT.In 2016, the first activity under this collaboration started with 10-days training program for Assistant Therapists (Batch 1). This new program is titled Enhancing Capacity for Assistants Therapists for Service Delivery for Persons with Disabilities (PWD).
There are 28 officers and staff of the MoSW and JPUF participate in the program. The program aims to enhance knowledge and skills of the assistants on methods and techniques for physiotherapy, occupational therapy and learning development of disable persons and children with intellectual disabilities. The program introduces innovative approaches for service delivery such as family networks and home care, community-based organization for persons with disabilities, etc. To implement this program, AIT Extension has worked closely with foundations and institutions in Thailand which are responsible for treatment and rehabilitation of the disabled persons.
The participants have opportunities to learn lessons from input sessions delivered by resource persons from the Ministry of Social Security and Human Development of the Thai Government, Office of the Health Insurance,PSCB2Ministry of Public Health. For the practical sessions, the participants joined study tours and practicum sessions at Rajanukul Institute, Srisangwan Foundation and District Hospitals in Pathumtani Province.
