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Strengthening the social development capacity of organisations working in the area of poverty reduction in the UK and internationally, equipping them to design and deliver effective policy and services to reduce poverty and inequality, is a cornerstone of successful, sustainable development. 

SDDirect has a proven track record for delivery of high quality capacity building services in the field of social development and poverty reduction. A specialism in social development and practical experience of working internationally with the full spectrum of development partners ensures that our professional development advice and approaches are grounded in development policy and practice. As with the other services we offer, our approach to professional development, training and capacity building is tailored to the needs of our clients. Investing time in working with our clients to understand their needs enables us to offer high quality and appropriate training and advice.

SDDirect has experience of training in social development, gender and participatory approaches. Through collaboration with partner organisations we are also able to put together bespoke training across the full range of our expertise, for example in human rights, social protection or migration.  We  offer training needs assessments, training reviews and evaluations and are skilled in the design of high quality training materials. We also provide broader professional development support, helping organisations to assess needs and to develop strategies for strengthening technical knowledge and skills, including recruitment of staff and consultants.

The other main focus of our capacity building work is through the short and long term technical assistance that we provide to organisations seeking to strengthen their in-house expertise in social development and poverty reduction. Our consultants have extensive experience of working with government and non governmental partners and recognise that their main role is one of mentoring and support. They bring international experience, new skills and ideas which they share and debate with local partners, together working out approaches that are appropriate to context. A specialism in social development also brings an approach to capacity building which is grounded in an understanding of local institutional contexts and the incentives and disincentives for change.

We are also able to offer assistance with the planning and design, organisation and facilitation of conferences, workshops and retreats. Although our initial experience in this area was in the social development field, a growing reputation has led to the organisation of major workshops and retreats across a broader range of development issues, including retreats for governance advisers and policy teams and conferences in trade, development partnerships, conflict and peace keeping.

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