Project Management Training for Veterinary College in West Africa

From May 23-29, 2021, Dr. Douglass Teschner conducted a remote five-day training in French for the administrators and faculty at the Institute of Veterinary Science in Dalaba, Guinea. The training, sponsored by USAID and Winrock International included the key steps in Project Management:

·        Initiation (including defining clear goals and expected outcomes)

·        Planning and design

·        Implementation 

·        Monitoring and control

·        Adjustment/modification

·        Completion/reporting.

Working with a Guinean partner, Teschner emphasized Steven Covey’s premise to “Begin with the End in Mind,” and incorporated key characteristics of successful project management, including a defined timeline, budget, and clear deliverables. Topics included leadership skills for a successful project manager, building a strong team, effective delegation, managing conflicts, and timely decision-making.

The training included presentations, small and large group discussions, and participants were divided into three groups with time allotted for each group to plan an actual project.