Online Diploma: Integrated DRR/Community-Based Adaptation/Rural Development—Courses Begin January 10, 2012

Dear AidWorkers Colleagues,

Center for Sustainable Development—CSDi—Winter Quarter 2012. Join students from all over the world for an intensive series of courses that begin January 10, 2012. Get an Online Diploma: Integrated Community Based Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction & Rural Development

CSDi is announcing the Winter Quarter launch of a diploma module of eight online Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Community Based Adaptation (CBA) & Rural Development field courses. These courses begin by introducing basic climate change concepts, and develop as participants identify local community vulnerabilities, identify climate change risks and hazards, investigate appropriate solutions, develop full projects, launch and manage them. A strong course component is the integration of DRR and CBA within course participant’s traditional development projects.

DRR-focused projects developed by course participants have included:
-participatory vulnerability and capacity assessments
-community-based risk identification and reduction programs
-hazard mapping
-disaster risk management
-emergency preparedness
-resilience to extreme weather conditions
-community flood resilience program; flood preparation, response and recovery
-forming community based flood management (response) committees
-community awareness-raising of disaster risk and response
-use of bio-engineering for slope stabilization and run-off reduction for landslide and flash flood reduction

Complete information and course syllabi:
http://www.csd-i.org/ol-440-diploma-drr-cba-dev/

Online course participants are using our courses to develop real, on-the-ground projects with real communities—both individually and through North/South student partnerships. People from 113 different countries and 320 organizations used CSDi online courses to develop projects impacting 170,000 people. http://www.csd-i.org/student-countries-ngos/

We supply two levels of mentoring. Each week’s assignment will be accompanied by a clear, professional example of what we want you to achieve that week. We will also provide comments, suggestions and encouragement for each one of your assignments individually. We want you to develop high quality outputs, and we also want you to understand the hows and whys.

The classes are designed to be fun and interactive: you will not only be working with your community, you will be collaborating with colleagues from around the globe. All course materials can be downloaded from the course site at no additional cost.

The Course also Provides the Following Resources
- Documents on course topics by contemporary experts.
- Books, posters and manuals available online for download.
- Internet development links organized by sector.
- Class blog for sharing your stories and photos from the field.
- Class forum for posting questions to your classmates.
- There are no books to buy—all course materials can be linked to, or downloaded from the course site.

STEP 1: Four Foundation Courses. Begin with the first course: OL 341
OL 341. Adapting to Climate Change: Designing & Funding Community-Based Adaptation Projects.
Gain an insight into contemporary methods of developing community based, sustainable, impact-oriented projects. Gain practical field tools and develop a range of skills: facilitating participatory needs assessments, designing projects, and evidence-based activities. Develop a real project in real time.

OL 342. Adapting to Climate Change: Planning for Impact.
Imbed impact into your adaptation project design with a powerful set of management tools. Log frames, detailed budgets, timelines, compelling fact sheets, M&E plans, outcomes and impact. These tools will communicate to donors and stakeholders exactly what you are trying to accomplish and can be used for effective management of the project once funded.

OL 343. Adapting to Climate Change: The Community Focus.
What does climate change adaptation mean at the community level? What practical tools are available today for communities to use in adaptation? Conduct a baseline survey of climate vulnerability, an adaptation capacity analysis, and gain an understanding of local knowledge of a changing climate and of coping strategies. For practitioners who wish to begin working now at the community level to successfully adapt to the challenges that face us.

OL 344. Adapting to Climate Change: Sustainable Implementation.
How do you launch and implement a community based adaptation project? The importance of community engagement and project co-management. Developing skill sets for your community to use in the adaptation process. Learning tools: monitoring & evaluation. Community empowerment during project hand-over. Sustainability, follow-up & mentoring.

Step 2: Elective Courses. Enroll in four of these elective courses.
After successful completion of the four prerequisite courses above, you will be invited to enroll in elective courses.

OL 303. Food Security, Nutrition, and Home Gardens 1
OL 304. Food Security, Nutrition and Home Gardens 2
OL 224. Participatory M&E
OL 345. Community Based Disaster Risk Assessment, Preparedness and Management
OL 346. Small Island Developing States and Climate Change
OL 326. Developing Livelihood Resilience in your CBA project.
OL 332. Water Conservation and Management in your CBA project.
OL 333. Improved, Integrated Agricultural Practices for your CBA project.
OL 334. Incorporating REDD+ and Forest Stewardship into your CBA project.
OL 202. Impact Analysis

Visit our compilation of 300 Hands-On Field Activities for DRR/Community Based Adaptation projects.
http://www.csd-i.org/101-hands-on-cba-field-activit

Questions? Please contact us:
Online.Learning@csd-i.org

Sincerely,

Tim Magee, Executive Director
Center for Sustainable Development

The Center for Sustainable Development specializes in providing sound, evidence-based information, tools and training for humanitarian development professionals worldwide. CSDi is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.