
Building capacity for effective online
learning tailored to regional needs
The
establishment of Virtual Learning Centers (VLCs) has been
conceived as a mechanism to improve regional delivery of online training and
to transfer the competences required to organize and deliver online training to
FAO regional and sub-regional offices.
This
approach aims to ensure courses offered are in line with the training
needs of the countries in the target regions and are well tailored to the local
languages and contexts.
The aim of the project is to build
capacity on how to develop and deliver virtual training including courses,
modules, webinars and discussion fora, where participants can discuss and share
experiences with colleagues, FAO staff and international experts.
What
are the advantages of an online approach?
By using information and communication technology
to deliver and cascade courses and
resources, the VLCs allow ample and geographically disparate audiences to be
trained in an economical and environmentally friendly manner. Virtual
networking allows colleagues in distant locations to easily share experiences
with those they might otherwise never meet.
Who
are the courses for?
The courses aim to enhance the
capacities of national stakeholders within interdisciplinary areas including
animal health, animal production, food and feed safety and quality, aquaculture
and environment and natural resources (i.e. forestry and wildlife).

Strategic fit
The project implementation is in line
with FAO’s
strategic framework and will deliver its activities against
SO2 output indicators (2.1.1.A and 2.1.1.B).
The
project embraces digital technologies for knowledge and information sharing in
line with with FAO strategies and efforts to enhance the use of
digital technologies to support countries under the umbrella of the FAO’s Hand-in-Hand initiative for
building sustainable agriculture and food security. In addition, the project
will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),
particularly SDG targets 2.3 for improving productivity and incomes
of smallholders, and SDG 2.4 for
ensuring sustainable agriculture and food production systems.

Project activities
The project specifically supports the
following activities:
- Establish regional VLCs to deliver virtual training
programmes. In addition, to the existing VLC in Southern Africa, the
project will assist FAO Regional Offices to establish one VLC in each of
the five regions (Africa, Asia/Pacific, Near East and North Africa,
Eastern Europe and Central Asia,Latin America and the Caribbean).
- Design new courses and develop digital tools, platforms, and
resource material for virtual training programmes including training
modules in the disciplines mentioned above.
Who
is involved?
The
project is managed by the FAO Animal Production and Health Division (NSA) in close collaboration with the Zoonoses/AMR Center (CJWZ), Forestry Division (NFO),
Fishery Division (NFI) and the regional FAO offices in Africa (RAF), Near East
and North Africa (RNE), Eastern Europe and Central Asia (REU) and the Asia and
the Pacific (RAP). The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth
Disease launched the VLCs concept in 2020, and continues to provide technical and operational support.