The Alliance is working with the International Road Federation, IRF (Geneva), funded by the FIA Road Safety Grant Programme, on a program that combines the training and capacity building expertise of both organizations.
Learn, Examine, Review, Act, Replicate, Network (LEARN) develops the knowledge and skills of government agencies, engineers, FIA clubs, teachers, NGOs, journalists, the private sector, and masters and PhD students to implement evidence-based road safety actions. Following a successful pilot program in Kenya and Senegal, the program has been rolled out in four more countries in Africa including Cameroon, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia.
Improving road safety is a key development priority for Africa. Despite comparatively low motorization levels, the continent witnesses the world’s highest rate of road traffic fatalities, with approximately 26.6 deaths per 100,000 population (WHO 2018). The importance and need for better road safety data has been highlighted in the United Nations, African Union and other multilateral resolutions.
LEARN targets professionals who either work directly in road safety or whose role does — or should — incorporate it. It familiarizes them with a range of tools and techniques to help drive change using data to validate their work. It is enabling the creation of multi-stakeholder coalitions in African countries to improve road safety policy and action.
The long-term objective is the creation of multi-stakeholder coalitions in the beneficiary country, to improve road safety policy and action. Selected participants build their data-related knowledge and skills, familiarize themselves with a range of tools and techniques that can help drive change and communicate a robust road safety message. By the end of the training, participants jointly develop an action plan for the creation and launch of a multi-stakeholder road safety coalition in their country. Continuous mentoring and support is offered to the coalition to realize a concrete initiative showcasing at the national, regional and international meetings.
Why the Global Alliance and IRF?
Short-term:
Long-term:
The first phase of training covers road safety data and familiarization with toolkits. The training results in the development of a joint action plan thus fostering collaboration between NGOs, government officials, academics, and other stakeholders.
In phase two, the participants from phase one, gather to move forward implementation of the coalition action plan through a demonstration data project.
The key benefits of the program so far are the strengthened connections that are built between NGOs, government officials, and other key stakeholders.
“My favorite part of LEARN is the insight on collection of data on dashboard format which can be used for tailor made decisions for varying circumstances” – Participant, Zambia
“Highly impactful training. Learnt a lot and will be able to apply it in the day-to-day implementation of standards and policies” – Participant, Uganda