A strengths-based approach: effective pathways to transforming sustainable futures

Why take this course?

This training offers a revolutionary reframing of international development, marking a shift away from the traditional ‘problem-solving’ approach. This training offers the thinking, practical action, and evidence-base to inform a sector-wide transformation.

Participants will gain:

• an appreciation of the philosophy of a strengths-based approach
• an appreciation of how a strengths-based based approach aligns with sectoral issues such as localisation, decolonising aid, complexity thinking and participatory approaches
• an understanding of how a strengths-based approach works within international development to inform change
• insights into practical applications of the approach to key features of practice within international development including the project cycle, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL).

What will you learn?

This course will cover the theory behind a strengths-based approach and its practical application within the project cycle. You will also learn how a strengths-based approach intersects with international development policy.

Course topics:

• why a strengths-based approach
• how the sector is moving to this approach
• philosophical underpinnings (the values of a strength-based approach)
• common processes in a strengths-based approach
• practical examples to thematic and sector issues in development
• reframing your practice

Who is this course for?

• people engaged in the international development and humanitarian sector
• people who are interested in supporting change processes as well as those questioning dominant problem-based or needs-based approaches in international development.

Course format/features

• experiential learning processes
• participatory processes

Speakers and facilitators

Dr Keren Winterford, Research Principal, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

Kerryn has more than 20 years’ experience of working in the international development sector, in multiple capacities with Managing Contractors, NGOs, as a private consultant, and more recently in development research. Keren's areas of expertise include research design in partnership, particularly with NGOs; participatory research; facilitation and training; design, monitoring and evaluation; and strengths-based approaches to development. Kerryn is co-author of the book, A Strengths-based Approach for International Development: Reframing aid (2023, Rugby, UK: Practical Action Publishing).

Anna Gero, Research Principal, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

Anna is a resilience, climate change and disaster risk leader and specialist with over 15 years’ experience in the Asia-Pacific region. She is an experienced project manager, having led climate change and disaster-resilience consultancies, evaluations, and research projects since 2008 across 10 Pacific Island Countries. With experience working with DFAT, MFAT, the Pacific Community (SPC), UNDP, IIED, Plan International, SNV, Pacific governments and local NGOs in the Pacific, Anna has an applied understanding of the range of ways climate change and disasters influence development.

Tamara Megaw, Senior Research Consultant, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

Tamara has 12 years’ experience working in international development practice, education, research and evaluation. She possesses strong practitioner experience in social development and bilateral aid projects of the Southeast Asia and Pacific region. Tamara has worked on applied research projects at the Institute for Sustainable Futures since October 2017 on the themes of effectiveness of international development programming, gender and social inclusion and climate change adaptation.

Jessie Meaney-Davis, Senior Research Consultant, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

Jessie Meaney-Davis provides research and consultancy services for government, private and non-government agencies in the international development sector. Her areas of expertise include qualitative research, project management, monitoring, evaluation and organisational learning.

Prof. Juliet Willetts, Senior Research Consultant, UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures

Juliet leads applied research to improve development policy and practice, addressing social justice and supporting sustainable development. She is a recognised expert in water and sanitation in Asia and the Pacific, also making significant contributions to gender equality, climate resilience, governance and accountability, urban development, monitoring, evaluation and development effectiveness.