Chapter Four
Chapter VIRTUAL
Chapter ONE
tHREE LEAD
VIRTUAL LEARNING AND
INTER-SESSIONAL WORK
The LEAD Africa Programme
includes an important virtual
learning component that
occurs before and between
the interconnected Face-to-
Face events. This component
includes:
• Individual and team
work on the Personal
Development Plans (PDPs);
• Online learning modules;
• Individual and Leadership
Team work on the LEAD
Associate Projects (LAPs);
• Individual and group
preparation on the theme
prior to each face-to-face
event.
ASSOCIATE
LEARNING
ASSOCIATE
LEARNING
AND
PROJECT
INTER-SESSIONAL
PROCESS
(LAP) GUIDELINES
OVERVIEW
WORK 4.1
PDP work
The Personal Development Plan work will continue
in between sessions, not just in terms of the online
learning modules (below), which will contribute to
Associate-identified learning priorities, but also in
terms of the gradual evolution of the PDP process
itself. This work is guided by the PDP Workbook in
Chapter 2, as well as instructions in this Chapter. In
addition, a Virtual Learning Resource will be built
during the programme to support individual additional
knowledge needs in an on-demand format.
Online learning modules
Online learning modules are offered as a part of the
LEAD Africa programme, and are designed to be
taken to address and progress Associates’ Personal
Development Plan Learning Priorities. These
modules will be available for referral by the time
the First National Session is launched. They will be
selected and undertaken by individual Associates,
self-paced in the format most fitting to them.
LAPs work
The First National Session will be devoted to
constituting Leadership Teams, brainstorming LAP
ideas, decision making around the idea, presenting
the idea to peers. The Second National Session
features an update team progress towards their
LAPs. At the Pan-African Session, Associates
will be working with their Leadership Teams to
report on their project outcomes, and prepare for
the Networking Fair that will share these results.
The main body of work done on the actual topic
of the LAP will take place virtually, between
team members and with tasks for individual team
members, in between the sessions.
Preparation
For each event there is some type of preparation
work, this is described in the next pages of this
Chapter.
4.2 Chapter Four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK
PREPARATION: BEFORE THE
FIRST NATIONAL SESSION
Introduction to LEAD and the
LEAD Africa Associate Learning
Process
Prior to the first event, an online introductory
video/PPT slideshow will be made available for
your viewing. To prepare for this you should read:
Associate Manual Chapter 1: Associate Learning
Process Overview (including LEAD and LEAD Africa
Vision and Mission, Learning Process, Session
Overview) and Chapter 5: First National Session
(including agenda, contents and preparation). The
LEAD Africa Forum on the online platform will help
with questions and discussion prior to first event.
Personal Development Plan Introduction and
First Steps: There will be a virtual introduction to
the Personal Development Plan (PDP), after which
you will do some individual diagnostic work using
the competency framework questionnaire (strengths
and areas to strengthen further). Some of the
Questions? (Note here)
areas include: definition of individual commitment
to development and learning (areas including:
responsibility, reaction to adversity, social ability,
circumspection, capacity to innovate, interpersonal
communication abilities). Before the National
Session, you will also gather peer feedback on
the competency self-assessment and plan. There
will be a Q&A session online prior to course.
Reading Assignment: Chapter 2: Your Personal
Development Plan.
Preparation for First National Session: One
activity you will do it to create PDP biography to
share with your Leadership Team. In the online and
preparatory communication you will receive logistics
information for the upcoming session.
LEAD Associate Project Ideas Generation:
Before you come to the First National Session,
brainstorm some initial ideas for a LEAD Associate
Project. Reading Assignment: Chapter 3: LEAD
Associate Projects (LAPs).
 Chapter four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK 4.3

LAP IDEAS?
4.4 Chapter Four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK
PREPARATION: BEFORE THE
SECOND NATIONAL SESSION
PDP Work: You will continue your PDP work with
online support from Leadership Team members for
continued work through email and online exchange.
Consider revisiting your Learning Priorities by
gathering more feedback. How might you add to
or revise your Action Steps, for instance, through
feedback from others? Go back to Chapter 2 and
revisit your PDP Learning Priorities and Action Steps.
Look ahead at the programme for the Second
National Session, are there areas where you might
be able to practice some of the competencies
you are working to build (e.g. those that you have
identified as a Learning Priority?) If you do that
(practice the competency you identify to build), you
help strengthen your own practice by applying your
knowledge, and make a contribution to the other
participants’ learning. Consider how you can use the
Second National Session to practice what you are
learning in your PDP process. Put some ideas on the
next page.
LEAD Associate Project: Associates in their
Leadership Teams will have identified a relevant
project to work together to implement. Input from
Coaches and Leadership Team members through
email and online exchange continues project work in
the interim.
Questions? (Note here)
Virtual Learning: An online learning module will
be selected by each Associate based on individual
PDP needs, and be complete before attending the
Second National Session.
Preparation for Second Regional Session:
Associates will need to do some homework for
Sessions 4 and 5 of this National Session, this
includes:
1) Identifying a number of their national resource
management strategies and the bodies
coordinating them (see description of Session 5
for more information). Read through some of the
Bibliography documents.
2) Inform yourself of the basic climate change
discourse and be familiar with the Kyoto Protocol,
the Copenhagen Accord, and related topics such
as adaptation and mitigation.
3) Identify the multi-lateral agreements on
environment and development that your country
has entered into, especially with regard to climate
change. Read and come to the session prepared
to discuss these.
4) Start thinking about how climate change impacts
on your LAP, your Leadership Team should begin
their preparation of a short, 3-minute presentation
on this prior to the session. The presentation can
then be completed during the session.
 Chapter four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK 4.5

PDP Practice Ideas (Where in the upcoming agenda will I practice some of the PDP competecies
that I am building in my Learning Priority areas)?
4.6 Chapter Four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK
PREPARATION: BEFORE THE
PAN-AFRICAN SESSION
PDP Work continues with support from the
Leadership Teams through email and online
exchange. Look ahead at the programme for the
Pan African Session, are there areas where you
might be able to practice some of the competencies
you are working to build (e.g. those that you have
identified as a Learning Priority?) If you practice
the competency you identify to build, you help
strengthen your own practice by applying your
knowledge, and make a contribution to the other
participants. Consider how you can use the Pan-
African Session to practice what you are learning.
Put some ideas on the next page.
For each of the competency areas you are
strengthening, no doubt you are finding some
interesting resources, note some of these on the
next page. We will pool these into a Learning
Resources Catalogue (LRC) database, to share.
Focus first on the resources for your Learning
Priorities. These resources can include papers,
Questions? (Note here)
books, videos, recording, films etc. How can you
gain access to these resources if you do not already
have access? Once you have identified resources for
your Learning Priorities, you can find resources for
the remaining competencies if you wish. Feel free to
talk to others for ideas.
Review your Learning Priorities, how are you doing?
Do you need to add or change anything in terms of
your Action Steps or do you need to Add or reframe
a Learning Priority based on the feedback you have
been getting from your peers and Coach?
LEAD Associate Project: Leadership Teams refine
their final products and prepare for exchange at the
Pan-African Session Networking Fair. Exhibition
guidelines will be provided.
Virtual Learning: Online learning modules will
be selected by Associates based on PDP learning
priorities.
 Chapter four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK 4.7

PDP Practice Ideas? (Note here)

4.8 Chapter Four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK

LEARNING RESOURCES FOR

YOUR LEARNING PRIORITIES?
 Chapter four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK
PREPARATION: BEFORE THE
INTERNATIONAL SESSION
PDP Interim Work
At this stage of the programme, the PDP work
includes an assessment of progress – reflection
using the original competency assessment as a
baseline. Look back at your original Competency
Assessment and see how far you’ve come! Note
your progress.
LAP Work
Prior to the International Session, your Leadership
Team will finalise written or other products for
exchange and posting on LEAD websites and
sharing at the International Session (see below).
Attendance
Attendance at the International Session is limited
due to the global nature of the event and selected
on a merit-basis. More information on the selection
process for attendance will be provided in the First
and Second National Sessions.
Thematic Preparation: Online
Activity and Individual Work
For those attending, Associates should come to the
International Session with a good understanding of
some of the key Population, Climate Change and
Development issues in their own countries and be
prepared to share this with Associates from around
the world.
Associates will be able to contribute this information
through an online activity which will precede the
International Session.
The Online component will be facilitated by LEAD
International. Using a web-based environment,
Associates will be requested to:
1) Sign up and create a profile (if they do not already
have a profile on the site)
4.9
2) Conduct a short, focused research activity based
on the International Session themes to share and
discuss virtually prior to the event.
In addition to online exchange, Associates will
be able to use this background information in
their working groups, on the site visits with other
Associates and local stakeholders, and to their
Member Programme peers in debriefing and
learning application opportunities.
Networking Fair Preparation
The Networking Fair is designed to foster cross
cultural relations and has become something of a
LEAD tradition. Participants set-up stands decorated
with posters displaying info about their LEAD
Associate Projects (LAPs) alongside items and
materials that represent their country or region. The
Networking Fair provides an informal opportunity for
participants to learn about each other’s work, share
experiences, cultures and knowledge, and have fun
making new friends.
The Networking Fair is an excellent way to
feature Associates work, both to share with other
Associates, and also with a number of high profile
strategic partners, donors and Friends of LEAD who
will be invited to attend and meet Associates around
their work.
At the International Session, the best LAPs will
be selected for display, and will be included in
a publication project. As a result, guidelines will
be sent out prior to the International Session
with more information on the preparation – such
as the dimensions of the display space, poster
specifications, and outlines for the written
contributions.
Leadership Groups should prepare their LAP learning
as specified, and bring that documentation, materials
etc with them to the session. There will be time built
into the session for set-up, and some materials will be
provided for set-up and fixing posters etc.
4.10 Chapter Four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK

Practical Preparations
Each Member Programme will be allocated a stall
with a table and set of notice boards to decorate and
represent their region. In advance you should:
• Prepare a poster on your LEAD Associate Project.
• Bring something typical of your country or region
e.g. fabrics, flags, small items/party favours to
give to visitors to your stall.

There is no need to be extravagant! We do not

expect you to spend a lot of money on these
displays – think creatively about what you can do.

You may also want to wear special/traditional

clothes at the networking fair or for your Cohort
photo.
 Chapter four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK 4.11

Notes
4.12 Chapter Four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK

Notes
 Chapter four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK 4.13

Notes
4.14 Chapter Four VIRTUAL LEARNING AND INTER-SESSIONAL WORK

Notes