Addis Ababa, October 20, 2016 (ECA) -Twenty four staff members of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have been certified as spokespersons and opinion leaders for the Commission, after completing the ECA Re-profiling Training Programme on Communication Skills.
ECA’s director of Public Information and Knowledge Manage Division (PIKMD), Jimmy Ocitti, explained that the course is one of many capacity building programmes designed to support staff in the context of ECA’s new business model.
“The ECA Communication Strategy’s guiding principles specify that all ECA staff - not just the Communications Section - should be able to effectively represent ECA’s brand and communicate ECA’s messages,” explained Mr. Ocitti. “This course therefore prepares staff to participate at key media related events, including press conferences, talk shows, lectures, debates, media interviews and more.”
The training took place at ECA headquarters in Addis Ababa from 26 September to 16 October 2016, under the auspices of the Institute for Economic Planning and Development (IDEP), and was attended by staff members in the professional and related categories from all ECA divisions and SROs.
Participants were nominated by directors of relevant divisions and SROs to be trained either as spokespersons or opinion leaders.
Sandra Nyaira, an ECA Public Information Officer who participated in the Spokesperson Skills course described it as “essential and enriching.”
For Deniz Kellecioglu, Economic Affairs Officer at ECA’s Macroeconomic Policy Division, the training was timely and necessary. But like many other participants, Mr. Kellecioglu said the time allocated for the training was too short.
Trainees were awarded end-of-course certificates to officially recognize them as ECA Spokespersons for those who took the Spokespersons Skills course and ECA Opinion Leaders for those who took the Opinion Leaders Skills course.
Another course on Networking Skills will be organized later in 2017.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org