The UCPM is known for its wide range of quality training and development provision. But have you ever wondered how the trainers and lecturers are themselves trained, and how they ensure that they keep up to date with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver training?
For the first time this year, the EU has brought together lecturers and trainers from its deployable training courses and courses for civil protection experts and disaster management stakeholders for a series of ‘Training the Trainers’ (ToT) courses. The idea behind them is that by bringing together experts from across their fields, they are able to share expertise and good practice and learn from each other as they refresh their own skills.
The course was organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) with the Civitas Soteria consortium, led by ICF, in cooperation with the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and MDF.
The training was designed for two profiles: i) Lecturer/Facilitator – experts who deliver presentations on specific topics and facilitate group discussions, both online and/or face-to-face; ii) Trainer - experts who provide training, guidance, and coaching in simulation exercises of UCPM deployable training courses, where they observe and assess how teams and individuals are performing, which is then recorded and reported in the participant performance assessment and evaluation forms.
The training course, which took place in Affligem, Belgium, on 3-6 November 2025, was the third in the series of eight Training of Trainers courses. Recommendations and lessons learned from the first two sessions – such as the need to increase coherence between different deployable courses, as well as to strengthen training skills and methods - have already been integrated into this third course. A similar approach will be adopted following this session.
‘Even the most experienced trainers are getting something from this course. It is inspiring to see how organisers react to participant feedback in real time. One of the greatest Training of Trainers courses I have ever attended'.
One of the most important factors in the success of the Training of Trainers is the sheer wealth of experience together in one place. Most of the participants in Affligem have worked and provided training in civil protection for years, or decades in some cases; from doctors and engineers to fire specialists and civil protection experts from Member States. The breakout sessions and breaks can be just as valuable for participants as the structured sessions; giving them chance to build or enhance networks. Good practice and expertise are shared through conversations on the sidelines.
We are all leaders here; people have such wide experience. Sometimes it is so valuable just to be able to listen to other participants’ experience.
Over four days, the Training of Trainers course is designed to focus on key thematic areas, notably: the Code of Conduct and community building, design and development of training, training delivery, performance assessment, evaluation, delivering feedback; and interpersonal and soft skills. For each of these thematic areas, the competences expected to be developed by participants during the ToT are identified.
Some of the key session highlights are included below:
Revisiting the Code of Conduct
Professor de Guttry (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna) refreshed participants on the use of the Code of Conduct for UCPM training staff (the operating guidelines for lecturers and trainers which set out legal aspects, and clarifies the roles and ethical standards, principles and behavioural expectations on a training course). Participants worked in groups to consider fictional scenarios and define whether a breach in a code of conduct had occurred.
Donatella Salvi, Team Leader of the UCPM Training, Exercises and Exchange of Experts programmes at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) informed the group that the code of conduct was currently being revised and a new version would be available shortly.
Principles of Adult Learning
A session on the principles of adult learning (andragogy) took participants through different learning techniques available and how these could be applied during a UCPM training course.
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Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical framework (pyramid) used to assess educational goals, helping educators structure learning objectives and assessments. Participants looked at how it can help them to refine learning objectives and outcomes at the start of a course, enabling learners to creating concrete outcomes.
Participants also considered how the Kolb' Experiential Learning Model - a framework which emphasises learning through experience and is based around a four-stage learning cycle – could be used within their training programmes to boost learning.
A session on how to make training sessions more inclusive, led by Maddalena Bearzotti (MDF), was particularly insightful. Lecturers and trainers should consider ‘layers of diversity’ – some of which are visible, some which are not– as well as the intersectionality between them.
Those leading courses should familiarise themselves in advance with the participants’ needs, such as level of experience, language, accessibility requirements. Access to digital tools should also be taken into account, and presentations should be prepared to take into account those with colour blindness - eg avoiding using certain colours, such as green and red, on slides.
Maddalena also added that lecturers and trainers should factor in different personality styles when preparing their course; for example quiet working time should be built in for introverts, whilst group work is appreciated in an extrovert group. The learning styles of the group – whether people learn visually (through reading, charts etc), by listening or through movement – should also be considered in each training programme.
Of course, the success of the Training of Trainers course can really only be measured in terms of how trainers and lecturers are able to use it in their own training going forward.
Grazia concurred with this: ‘I’m interested to see how the learning will be applied in the longer term, and how it will help to make a difference in the two-three months after the training. That’s when we see how it is being used.’
Some of the participants are already planning how they will use the skills they have picked up:
‘The course is so useful; it clarifies a lot. I have a training session (UMI) coming up in January. I appreciate the knowledge, clarification and tips that I’m picking up and will use them in January. There is a lot for me to remind myself on.’
‘‘This course lets me know the things we are doing right, as well as delve deeper into the theory behind it. I’m sure I will be able to use all these tools to continue improving my performance as a trainer in the forthcoming Team Leader Courses.’
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