25 July 2025: In partnership with UN Women, TGNP conducted a successful four-day Training of Trainers on Participatory Action Research at the community level. Held at TGNP’s Training Centre in Mabibo, Dar es Salaam, from 21 to 24 July 2025, the training brought together 55 participants (32 women and 23 men) from various local government authorities and Knowledge Centres.
Strengthening Local Development and Citizen Engagement
The primary goal of this workshop was to empower local government officials, duty bearers, and other community actors to use participatory action research (PAR) as a tool for inclusive, local development and citizen engagement.
The training focused on three main areas:
- Methodology: Equip participants with essential knowledge and skills related to PAR.
- Facilitation Training: Provide facilitation skills to enhance the ability of participants to facilitate and mentor a community-based participatory processes.
- Integration: Promote the integration of PAR approaches into local planning, service delivery, and accountability mechanisms.
Participants also had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of how Knowledge Centres (KCs) function and learn more about gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) in relation to the PAR process. One participant shared the direct impact of GRB on women’s lives:
“By bringing essential services closer to communities, GRB directly addresses time poverty––particularly for women––freeing them to pursue income-generating activities.”
TGNP Training Centre, Dar es Salaam, July 2025.
The Vital Role of Knowledge Centres
A significant part of the discussion centered on the crucial role of Knowledge Centres (KCs) in fostering community development. A participant from Mtwara DC highlighted how their council had witnessed this first-hand through the work of the Mkunwa and Dihimba KCs:
“The presence of a KC has a direct and positive correlation with heightened community development and social awareness.”
Another participant emphasised the need for formal recognition of KCs in local governance and received unanimous support from all attendees.
“It is an undeniable fact that many leaders are not fully aware of the community issues that KCs uncover… Therefore, a process should be initiated to grant KCs a permanent invitation to both O&OD [Opportunity and Obstacle to Development] and full council meetings.”
The workshop also addressed common misconceptions about KCs, clarifying that they are functional units rather than physical buildings. Their effectiveness relies on community engagement and collective action, not on infrastructure. The training also stressed that KCs must remain non-partisan and inclusive to maintain their legitimacy and trust within the community.
Key Recommendations and Future Focus
To build on the momentum of the training, the following recommendations were made for future action:
- Institutionalise KCs: Grant KCs formal and permanent invitations to important local governance meetings to secure their influence and sustain momentum.
- Ensure Sustainability of KCs: Develop a comprehensive plan that includes ongoing capacity building, resource mobilisation, mentorship, and systematic documentation of successful KC initiatives.
- Provide Practical Gender Equality Training: Redesign gender training modules to emphasise hands-on application, particularly for gender-responsive budgeting.
- Community-led Development: Future projects should be co-designed with local communities, with LGAs actively collaborating with KCs as catalysts for development.
Overall, the workshop provided participants with the knowledge and skills they need to champion inclusive, community-driven development and underscored the vital importance of KCs and GRB in successful community development.
