“Seamless, easy”: New eLearning course on social protection in the Pacific and Timor-Leste

Partnerships for Social Protection (P4SP) has launched its first eLearning course on social protection in the Pacific region.

The course, Introduction to social protection in the Pacific and Timor-Leste, is a concise version of P4SP’s more in-depth virtual training on the same subject, making it available to a wider audience.

“It provides a flexible, self-guided learning experience so people can learn at their own pace,” said Rachel Payne, Deputy Team Leader, P4SP.

By offering a simplified and streamlined format, the course enables individuals to easily access key insights about social protection. This includes those with English as a second language, in low-bandwidth environments or who prefer more flexible learning modalities

“The introductory course covers the what, why and how of social protection in the region,” she said.

“Participants walk away from the course with a greater awareness of social protection and how it benefits societies.”

Taking up to two hours, the free course is for people working with or in the Pacific and Timor-Leste with limited knowledge of the topic.

“[It’s a] great initiative for people who have no prior understanding of social protection,” said one participant.

Between its launch in June and September 2024, more than 30 people completed the course, including individuals from Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, and Tonga.

“It was quite easy to get through,” remarked one participant. “I liked that it was seamless, and the content was easy to follow.”

Another said, “The concepts are useful. I appreciate that the examples and definitions used are practical and easy to understand.”

After completing the eLearning course or the corresponding 4-hour online training, participants can attend one of the follow-on training sessions covering topics such as social inclusion, social protection operations, and social protection and climate change.

The eLearning course also bolsters P4SP’s training offerings that range from short online courses to in-person workshops.

“P4SP runs various training sessions on social protection, focusing on operations, gender and disability,” said Rachel.

“These learning opportunities are helping boost the confidence and knowledge of participants from government, non-government, civil society, and research bodies across the Pacific and Timor-Leste.”