Contemporary representative democracy requires intermediary actors between the state and
society as well as institutional mechanisms for the articulation of diverse views and policy
preferences. Although there are a number of actors that can connect the people to the state,
the centrality of political parties cannot be overemphasised. Indeed, political parties are so
fundamental to the operation of modern politics that their role and significance are often
taken for granted. Political parties are the main vehicle for political representation, the primary
mechanism for the organisation of government and an important channel for maintaining
democratic accountability.
Paradoxically, while political parties occupy a central place in contemporary democracies
as they shape the political and public life in society, we also are pretty aware that there is no
formal training for one to be in politics. This sounds like a contradiction. We expect so much
from political parties and politicians and yet very little is done to better prepare these actors
for them to ably and effectively deliver on societal expectations.
The SAPP&D Program is committed to ensuring that its capacity-building initiatives are not
only need-based, but they are also systematic, comprehensive, sustainable, and professionally
delivered. It is for this reason that the program developed this curriculum for training of
political parties. The themes covered in each module reflect the priority areas that need to
be addressed if political parties are to be equipped with the relevant knowledge, skills and
attitudes that allow them to become effective players in the advancement of democracy and
development. Each training module has two important reference documents:
a) The Facilitator’s Handbook (FH) which serves as a guide for the facilitator to deliver the
given module. The FH also provides the facilitator with some key reference and training
materials that he/she can use (in their current form or in their own customised format).
b) The Participant’s Handbook (PH). This, as the name suggests, is a reference document for
participants. It has the key documents that a participant will need to use during and after
the training.
One of the biggest mistakes that is often made in the field of political party strengthening
is the assumption that anyone can be a facilitator/trainer. This assumption, unfortunately,
results in a number of capacity-building initiatives that are often poorly delivered and –
unsurprisingly – have little impact. With this in mind, the program has in addition to
developing the aforementioned FH and the PH – also developed a “Training of Trainers
Manual” (ToT Manual). This manual provides guidance on how to apply the methodology
underpinning the various training interventions. Facilitators are therefore expected to
apply the required methodology to build the capacity of political parties to become more
knowledgeable and better skilled in managing their parties and in strengthening democracy
in their context. The ToT Manual also offers practical facilitation tips on how to best engage
with participants on the series of manuals comprising this capacity-building initiative as well
as how to deal with a number of scenarios that emerge during the learning process.
