OSCE course helps Tajik Border Troops officers enhance skills to develop, conduct, and evaluate training along the Tajik-Afghan border

On 2 August 2024, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD), in collaboration with Tajikistan's Border Troops, concluded a three-week Training of Trainers (ToT) course for nineteen officers of the Tajik Border Troops. The course was led by two international experts specializing in adult learning and planning military training exercises.

The training provided essential skills in adult learning, curriculum development, and teaching methods to border officers. The training included lectures and hands-on exercises and focused on conducting effective military-style field training with an emphasis on safety and practical application. In addition, the officers were taught to use generative artificial intelligence to research training topics and develop course material. The course prepared the officers to develop and conduct effective training on various topics within the Border Troops. Effective training is crucial for the professionalization of Tajikistan’s Border Troops and for preparing the organization to respond appropriately to the dynamic security and humanitarian situation on Tajikistan’s borders. To date, 57 officers of Tajikistan’s Border Troops have completed the ToT course during the "Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops (PFCB2)" project's second phase.

The feedback from the participants was positive, with many expressing interest in applying the new teaching techniques and content development skills in their future training sessions. They found the instruction on curriculum development and learning evaluation particularly valuable for their duties. This underscores the practical value of the training for the ongoing professional development of Tajikistan’s Border Troops.

The graduation ceremony was attended by Tatiana Turcan, Deputy Head of the POiD, Jukka Tuononen, Head of the Political-Military Department of the POiD, and Jon Casey, PFCB2 Project Manager. Tatiana Turcan congratulated the graduates of the ToT course and highlighted their newly acquired skills in adult education, curriculum development, and planning military training. She emphasized the course's importance in building institutional capacity within Tajikistan's Border Troops and acknowledged the support from the project's international donors and the continued co-operation of the Border Troops.

The ToT training is part of the "Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops (PFCB2)" project's second phase, funded by France, the United States, and Germany and implemented by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe. This initiative aims to develop the skills of Tajikistan's Border Troops and strengthen their capacity along the Tajik-Afghan border.