|
|
Donor agencies and development organisations have invested substantially in building cadres of accredited trainers and coaches across member states and partner countries. Programmes such as Start and Improve Your Business and GET Ahead have produced thousands of certified trainers who are authorised to deliver structured business training and coaching to micro and small enterprise owners. Trainer accreditation typically involves rigorous assessment of content knowledge and facilitation competency, and successful candidates are licensed to deliver within a defined programme framework.
Despite the quality of this investment, a persistent gap exists between accreditation and sustained professional practice. Many trainers who hold a current licence have not been able to build an independent or diversified client base. They tend to remain dependent on single institutional clients, often the office or partner NGO that originally supported their certification, or on time-bound project assignments that do not recur. When those clients or projects reach their conclusion, the trainer has neither the contacts nor the commercial skills to replace them.
This gap is not primarily a technical knowledge deficit. Accredited trainers generally have a sound understanding of their subject matter and are competent facilitators. What they typically lack is the ability to market their services, manage client relationships over time, sustain themselves through periods of uncertainty, and negotiate terms that make their work financially viable. These are professional capacities that are seldom addressed within trainer certification programmes, yet they are the capacities upon which a functioning market of independent trainers depends.
EARN is designed to close that gap. It is a cost-effective and practical programme that builds directly on the investments already made in trainer certification systems. It requires no additional accreditation infrastructure and no parallel delivery structure. Instead it takes existing cadres of trained practitioners and equips them with the commercial, relational and personal capacities they need to turn their credentials into a sustainable livelihood. Because EARN works within existing country and regional programmes rather than establishing new ones, it is inexpensive to introduce and straightforward to scale.
Despite the quality of this investment, a persistent gap exists between accreditation and sustained professional practice. Many trainers who hold a current licence have not been able to build an independent or diversified client base. They tend to remain dependent on single institutional clients, often the office or partner NGO that originally supported their certification, or on time-bound project assignments that do not recur. When those clients or projects reach their conclusion, the trainer has neither the contacts nor the commercial skills to replace them.
This gap is not primarily a technical knowledge deficit. Accredited trainers generally have a sound understanding of their subject matter and are competent facilitators. What they typically lack is the ability to market their services, manage client relationships over time, sustain themselves through periods of uncertainty, and negotiate terms that make their work financially viable. These are professional capacities that are seldom addressed within trainer certification programmes, yet they are the capacities upon which a functioning market of independent trainers depends.
EARN is designed to close that gap. It is a cost-effective and practical programme that builds directly on the investments already made in trainer certification systems. It requires no additional accreditation infrastructure and no parallel delivery structure. Instead it takes existing cadres of trained practitioners and equips them with the commercial, relational and personal capacities they need to turn their credentials into a sustainable livelihood. Because EARN works within existing country and regional programmes rather than establishing new ones, it is inexpensive to introduce and straightforward to scale.
The EARN programme addresses three distinct but related problems that are commonly experienced by accredited trainers:
– Dependence on a single institutional client. Trainers who have been certified through supported projects often continue to work primarily for the office or project that trained them. This is a rational short-term strategy but creates significant vulnerability when the project ends or the client's priorities shift. The trainer has not developed the networks, the reputation, or the proposal-writing skills needed to attract alternative clients.
– Passivity in business development. Many trainers wait for requests rather than actively seeking new opportunities. This reflects both a lack of commercial skills and, in some cases, a professional culture in which selling one's own services is perceived as inappropriate. The result is a pattern of reactive and intermittent work rather than a planned and growing practice.
– Market saturation in the absence of differentiation. In some contexts, the number of accredited trainers has grown to a point where the available institutional work cannot sustain all of them. Trainers who cannot differentiate their offer, whether through specialisation, reputation, quality signals, or distinctive approaches, find themselves in increasingly competitive markets where rates are driven down and assignments go to those with the strongest institutional relationships rather than the strongest capability.
EARN does not address these problems by providing additional technical content on enterprise development. It addresses them by strengthening the professional and commercial capacities that enable a trainer to operate as a sustainable independent practitioner.
– Dependence on a single institutional client. Trainers who have been certified through supported projects often continue to work primarily for the office or project that trained them. This is a rational short-term strategy but creates significant vulnerability when the project ends or the client's priorities shift. The trainer has not developed the networks, the reputation, or the proposal-writing skills needed to attract alternative clients.
– Passivity in business development. Many trainers wait for requests rather than actively seeking new opportunities. This reflects both a lack of commercial skills and, in some cases, a professional culture in which selling one's own services is perceived as inappropriate. The result is a pattern of reactive and intermittent work rather than a planned and growing practice.
– Market saturation in the absence of differentiation. In some contexts, the number of accredited trainers has grown to a point where the available institutional work cannot sustain all of them. Trainers who cannot differentiate their offer, whether through specialisation, reputation, quality signals, or distinctive approaches, find themselves in increasingly competitive markets where rates are driven down and assignments go to those with the strongest institutional relationships rather than the strongest capability.
EARN does not address these problems by providing additional technical content on enterprise development. It addresses them by strengthening the professional and commercial capacities that enable a trainer to operate as a sustainable independent practitioner.
ENGAGE
|
Marketing and selling
· Understanding the market for training and coaching services · Identifying and approaching prospective clients · Using AI tools to support marketing, proposal development and client communication · Building a professional profile and online presence Proposal and communication skills · Writing compelling concept notes, proposals and reports · Improving pitches and presentations · Tailoring written communication to different client types and procurement processes Artificial Intelligence · Research skills - Proposal Writing - Developing Materials |
APPRECIATE
|
Appreciative inquiry
· Understanding the principles and practice of appreciative inquiry · Applying an appreciative lens to client engagement and diagnosis · Using appreciative approaches in facilitation and coaching Consulting skills · Defining and scoping assignments · Managing client expectations and relationships · Positioning oneself as a credible and trusted adviser |
RESILIENT
|
Personal resilience
· Understanding the personal pressures of independent practice · Developing strategies to manage setbacks and maintain motivation · Building routines and habits that support sustained performance Business resilience · Diversifying the client base and income streams · Planning for gaps between assignments · Managing the financial and administrative dimensions of an independent practice |
NEGOTIATE
|
Assertive communication
· Understanding the difference between passive, aggressive and assertive communication · Developing the confidence to advocate for one's own interests · Managing difficult conversations with clients and partners Negotiation skills · Preparing for and conducting negotiations on fees, scope and timelines · Understanding interests and positions in a negotiation · Reaching agreements that are durable and satisfactory to all parties |
|
Delivery
Face to face with 100-day follow-up In the face to face format, participants come together for a four-day workshop. The workshop covers all four EARN modules and combines conceptual input with practical exercises and peer learning. At the close of the four days, each participant develops a 100-day action plan setting out concrete steps they will take to generate new contacts, prospects and clients. Following the workshop, participants are organised into groups of five and assigned a group coach. The groups meet every 25 days, in person or virtually, and at each meeting participants report on their progress against their action plan. The reporting structure focuses on three areas: new networks opened, prospects generated, and clients or assignments secured. Each participant is provided with a digital whiteboard on which they record and chart their progress between meetings, providing both a personal tracking tool and a basis for discussion within the group. Online with action learning sets In the online format, each of the four modules is delivered through a digital whiteboard that is pre-populated with all the learning content, exercises and prompts required for that module. The content is equivalent to approximately six hours of self-directed study. Participants have three weeks to work through the board and to implement the key actions it requires. At the end of the three-week self-study period, participants join an action learning set, a structured group coaching session in which they report on what they have done, compare strategies with their peers, and receive facilitated feedback. Immediately following this session, participants receive access to the next module's whiteboard. The cycle repeats until all four modules are complete. By the end of the programme, participants in the online format will have worked through all four modules and will have taken concrete, documented action at each stage to open new relationships and generate new business. Hybrid delivery A bespoke hybrid version of the programme can be developed where programme managers consider it appropriate. This may involve, for example, a shorter face to face workshop followed by online module delivery, or a combination of in-person action learning sets and self-directed digital content. The design of hybrid programmes is developed in consultation with the commissioning agency. |
EARN Results
Participants who complete EARN are expected to achieve the following by the end of the programme: – A documented set of new professional contacts and prospective clients developed during the programme. – At least one new client relationship initiated or one new assignment secured that was not available to them at the start of the programme. – A personal marketing plan that is realistic, time-bound, and based on the participant's own market context. – Improved confidence and capability in writing proposals, pitching services, and negotiating terms. – A personal resilience strategy and a basic business continuity plan for their independent practice. At the system level, EARN is intended to strengthen the market for accredited training services by producing trainers who are better able to sustain their practice independently, reducing the burden on institutional clients to act as sole providers of demand and enabling the programme to reach a broader range of enterprises and beneficiaries. 
|
Supporting you with
EARN Coaching Sessions
The Group Action Learning Set or Self Learning sessions held at the end of each module and facilitated by a native English-speaking Coach provide:
Technical Platform
The programme uses Articulate Rise and digital Mural boards to offer an engaging learning experience::
Flexibility and Support
The programme offers maximum flexibility:
EARN Coaching Sessions
The Group Action Learning Set or Self Learning sessions held at the end of each module and facilitated by a native English-speaking Coach provide:
- A structured reflection moment on learning
- Practical application strategies based on the role held
- Professional coaching for the implementation of new skills
- A collaborative space to share experiences and insights
Technical Platform
The programme uses Articulate Rise and digital Mural boards to offer an engaging learning experience::
- Personal and customisable online learning boards for individual work
- Access to shared plenary boards for group sessions
- A comprehensive library of resources including case studies, PDFs, and videos
- Interactive tools for planning and reviewing personal progress
- For corporate programmes: dedicated spaces for organisational collaboration
Flexibility and Support
The programme offers maximum flexibility:
- Completion of self-managed modules according to your commitments and needs
- 24/7 access to educational materials
- Scheduling of Group Action Learning Sets or Self Learning sessions based on your commitments and needs
- On-going support from your Coach