Palestine presents a unique challenge for institution building, and the establishment of both an effective Palestinian civil society and a functioning public administration is a critical component of the current and ongoing state-building process. However, there is still an immense need for institutional and human resource development. In the absence of proper skills and capacities, Palestinian organizations are not as effective as they might be and, in many instances, they work at cross-purposes. As a result there is an urgent need for training and education on related subjects.

The Palestinian NGOs and other civil society organizations (CSOs) play a significant role in the developing, dynamic environment prevailing in Palestine and have also taken on increasing responsibility in policy development and advocacy at the levels of local and national government. A key factor in achieving their mission is the human resource, but as yet the availability of appropriate training and operational skills remains rather limited.

Against this background, PASSIA’s Civil Society Empowerment through Training and Skills Development program has been designed to provide hands-on training in fields where an urgent need for knowledge and skills enhancement has been identified. With the goal of assisting in the development and reconstruction of nascent Palestinian administrative infrastructures, these training seminars are geared towards Palestinian NGO practitioners, government personnel with specific responsibility for policy formulation and project implementation, and other professionals keen to enhance their skills. In addressing the needs in the Palestinian civil society community, PASSIA’s project consists of a series of three training programs focussing on Policy Analysis, Strategic Planning, and Communication and Media Skills.

Each training program incorporates theoretical approaches and practical training in fields relevant to civil society in terms of procedures, skills and development. Each seminar includes four major, interrelated activities:

Research and Preparation. One month before the training program begins, participants are provided with preparatory reading material gathered by the PASSIA Project Team in coordination with the trainers and lecturers. The participants are also required to write a short paper on an issue related to Palestinian civil society.

Intensive Training Seminar. Trainees attend a six-day lecture program conducted by local and international experts. The lectures range from theoretical concepts to functional skills, exercises and case studies, whereby the participants are continuously encouraged to apply what they have learned to the institutions with which they are involved.

Follow-up Program. The intensive seminar is followed by four workshops, spread over a two-month period and concentrating on skill enhancement. The major goal is to link and apply the skills learned to actual issues of concern in the participants’ working environment. Participants prepare for the workshops by completing practice-oriented writing assignments.

Conclusion. At the close of the training program, each participant is required to submit a final essay. The goal is to incorporate what they have learned and their practical experience into a coherent project.

The PASSIA training program on Strategic Planning was implemented during the period May-July 1998. It included lectures on the concepts of civil society in general, and its application in the Middle East in particular. Furthermore, the evolution of Palestinian civil society, its relation to the government and its role in the state-building process were discussed.

The main part of the training program focused on the function, purpose, process, and implementation of strategic planning and related issues, such as project design, institutional development, and evaluation and monitoring as part of the planning process. The lecture program included case studies to elaborate the context of strategic management in Palestine and the region.

The publication presented here contains the proceedings and instructions of the training program and can be used as a handbook that introduces a wider audience to the subject, significance and implications of strategic planning. PASSIA hopes that this publication will make a valuable contribution to the practical and reading materials already available to enhance the Palestinian civil society community and benefit a large number of practitioners and professionals who seek to increase their knowledge and skills.