THE FOSTERING PROJECT: LESSONS LEARNED

Thorough preparation was essential. Planning started in June 1999. The first course was in October 2000. The parts of the project proposal which were particularly important were

• Thorough researching of socio-economic data;
• Specification, clarification and demonstration of understanding of          welfare infrastructures;
• A description and understanding of the complexities of cultural values;
• Knowledge of the laws and regulations that govern welfare provision and respect for traditions

It is only from knowing the starting point that changes can be recognised and measured.

Negotiating objectives or specific targets may require considerable flexibility in approach. Initial ideas may have to be modified as discussions around ideas and vision take shape.

In the final analysis, objectives, processes and procedures must be clear and agreed by all partners.

A signed contract specifying the objectives and what each partner agrees to contribute to achieve them is essential. While probably not legally binding or enforceable the contract nevertheless is a concrete demonstration of good will promising best endeavours to deliver on clear and separate responsibilities.

It is useful discipline to re-visit the contract regularly during the course of the project.

It is important that time is built into the project plan to allow for an appropriate period of induction and to familiarise the trainers with the country and culture before starting training.

Selection of trainers needs to take into account not only training skills but also capacity to think on their feet, to take in their stride a different attitude to learning and to be able to adjust to living conditions that are less than perfect.

For the project to be sustainable there needs to be a close working relationship with bodies or systems that need not necessarily be partners but who will have responsibility for integrating and promoting the work after the life of the project. For this project there was a close network involvement with the Ministry of Education. They delivered on the changes in legislation and have actively sought successor partners (the Swedish Government and the University of Stockholm) to promote the work to its next phase.

Contributing to the success of this project were the sound in – country administrative arrangements. The in-country Co-ordinator was responsible for liaising with partners between courses, ensuring the timely selection of course participants, arranging for letters of invitation to be issued for the visas, confirming accommodation for the trainers and the venue for courses, and for interpreters to be available. She was also responsible for translation of course materials. It required a high standard of knowledge. Some of the material was quite technical. Being able to trust the accuracy of the translations, which were always collated into training packs for participants to take away, was essential to the integrity of the process.

The standard of interpreting was consistently excellent. It was absolutely essential for the trainers to feel comfortable with their interpreters. The interpreters had to have special skills. They were interpreting concepts that were foreign to them and to the participants. They had to be precise and accurate in what they interpreted and to feel comfortable in checking out things about which they were uncertain. They needed a mature approach, and needed understanding and acceptance of the principles and values of the project.

Evaluation of project as a whole should have been specified and finance allocated at the outset. A review of progress should have been built into the project plan. In May 2001 a professional (a psychologist – the Head of the Department of ‘Defectology’ at the Pedagogical Institute in Minsk) was contracted to evaluate this project and produced a simple, effective schedule to monitor the physical and emotional progress of children placed with foster carers benchmarked against children of the same age and sex remaining in the orphanage. Sadly that was as far as it went. Nothing further was done. There is only anecdotal evidence of the real benefits for orphanage children of being placed in substitute families. The positive outcomes therefore depend entirely on the numerical data provided by the Ministry of Education.

We did, however, invite an independent consultant to undertake an overview of the project in 2001. A helpful report was produced which was submitted in October 2001.

Regular reviews at the end of each course, involving all the partners, trainers, interpreters and helpers, provides an opportunity for exchange of relevant information and an opportunity to deal with any immediate issues.

Funding for publicity and dissemination should be included as part of the project proposal and plan. Regrettably no allowance was made in the budget projections of this project. Nevertheless, there has been considerable local and national publicity and many articles have been written at no cost. The project is also the subject of a chapter in a book published by the Federal Education Trust about the EU and Belarus.

There have been three major dissemination events – two in Minsk and one in West Sussex. Of the two events in Minsk, one in 2003, was funded by voluntary contributions and ‘Leaves of Hope’, and the other, in 2001, by UNICEF. All three were very successful occasions.

It is of paramount importance that practical, professional and personal support is available to the training teams at every stage of the process – from preparing each course, to being available during the in-country activity. Observation of some part of each course was found to be invaluable for the project director in giving her a direct awareness of the high training standards and giving a sound basis for direct positive acknowledgement in de-briefing sessions.

Reporting requirements to the funding authority need to be clear at the outset. A minimum format or data set for financial and narrative reports would be helpful. The funding authority should acknowledge such reports. Comments on the content (as opposed to solely querying financial detail) would be helpful and good practice reinforcement for the trainers and partners.

All reports should be copied to all partners to sustain momentum and commitment to the project. It is not always necessary to have the reports translated verbatim. Oral reports, provided they are given regularly, should be adequate.

It is probably self evident that, at the outset, it is critically important to construct a careful and detailed spread sheet illustrating itemised year on year costs and building in realistic amounts for inflation. Risks associated with variable exchange rates, possible political change, sudden hikes in travel costs, changes in financial in country regulatory mechanisms, or other contingencies beyond the control of the project’s management, should be identified. Once a financial ceiling has been set on a project it is unlikely that supplementary funding will be available. This part of the project planning is, therefore, utterly crucial.

At the end of each part of each training course a debriefing for the trainers is good practice. This contributes to an enhanced understanding of the implications of strategic change and reinforces for the trainers their sense of achievement. It also provides a ‘safe’ environment to share any concerns or unresolved problems. Course evaluations can be shared and topics noted for future agendas.

Endings are important for everyone who has been involved. It is sensible to plan some time in advance exactly how it is proposed to mark the end of the project. The end of this project was marked by a two-day ‘Training the Trainers’ course followed by a dissemination event involving past participants of courses describing what they had done in their areas to promote fostering as an alternative to orphanage care.

Make sure everyone has a sense of humour before embarking on anything to do with project work in an unfamiliar setting!

The Fostering Project 2000 - 2003: Acknowledgements

• DFID, who funded the preparation and planning of the project
• H&SCP who provided overall funding for the project – air fares, subsistence, equipment, miscellaneous expenses and partial funding of one of the dissemination events.
• The Ministry of Education in Belarus, and particularly Galina Ivanovna Rudenkova, Head Specialist, and Georgy Butrym, Head of the Division.
• UNICEF, who provided and funded accommodation and subsistence for the course participants
• BelAPDIiMI, who provided technical support and advice throughout, and;
• West Sussex County Council Social Services Department who released the staff without cost, provided full financial services, the services of a graphic artist, arranged publicity, made available transport for Belarusian visitors and provided general moral and technical support on a whole range of other minor matters.

• Valerie Cousins, Chief Executive of Leaves of Hope, who provided unstinting moral support and maintained and audited the accounts of charitable funds used to provide material support for some foster carers, and to the Trustees of the Charity.
• Friends, colleagues, residents, parishes, Families for Children, Haywards Heath Families and Children Assessment Team, West Sussex Foster Care Association, WSSSD Day Centres who have raised money or provided material support and who have all been utterly devoted to our project.