ALSF Academy
In 2019, the ALSF Academy, the ALSF’s umbrella capacity building initiative, completed its first year of operations. The key focus for this first year was the development and launch of the ALSF Academy’s introductory level (Level 1) program, to begin the ALSF Academy Accreditation process, to launch the ALSF Academy Capacity Building Portal and to develop strategic partnerships to assist with the ALSF Academy’s activities. All of these objectives were achieved and are described in more detail below. The ALSF Academy Introductory Level (Level 1) Program The ALSF Academy introductory level (Level 1) program’s courses were delivered both in-person through regional workshops and online through the ALSF Academy Capacity Building Portal. The inaugural ALSF Academy in-person introductory level workshop was held in Kigali, Rwanda from 15 October to 20 October 2018 for English speaking African lawyers. This workshop was organized in collaboration with the ALSF Academy’s partners the East Africa Law Society (EALS) and the Southern African Development Community Lawyers Association (SADCLA). The second ALSF Academy in-person introductory level workshop was held in Cotonou, Benin, from 5 November to 10 November 2018 for French speaking African lawyers. This second workshop was organized in collaboration with the ALSF Academy’s partner the International Training Centre in Africa for Francophone Lawyers (CIFAF). The third ALSF Academy in-person introductory level workshop was held in Accra, Ghana, from 14 to 15 February 2019, for lead negotiators from African governments. This workshop was organized in collaboration with the African Business Law Firms Association (ABLFA). These workshops brought together legal practitioners involved in complex commercial transactions as well as African government representatives from throughout the African Continent. The workshops each focused on the introductory level concepts related to the ALSF’s key sectors as well as personal and professional development. Each of the above-noted in-person training courses was highly interactive. Trainers and participants remained engaged throughout each session, sharing their knowledge, thoughts and experiences related to the various subjects presented. Generally, participants found the training very useful and insightful; indeed many have since noted that the training has positively impacted their legal practices. The above courses were also separately filmed such that they may be placed on the ALSF Academy Capacity Building Portal to be made available as e-learning to a wider audience. These e-learning courses each include a question and answer section to ensure that the learning objectives for each course have been achieved by participants, as well as comprehensive course handbooks on each subject. The ALSF Academy Capacity Building Portal is described in more detail below. The ALSF Academy Accreditation Process The ALSF Academy Accreditation process was designed to support international and regional organizations, African governments, bar associations and law societies, by defining a set of criteria and standards, coordinating peer reviews, conducting a review of teachers’ credentials, participating in the development of external training programs and formally recognizing high-quality trainings that meet certain standards. During 2019, the standards upon which the ALSF Academy Accreditation process was based were expanded. The elaborated version of the standards have been used to form the first draft of the ALSF Academy Accreditation policies and procedures. Also in 2019, the structure for the Accreditation Committee, consisting of key regional actors and academics who will assist in the finalisation of the policies and procedures and the implementation of the accreditation process, was developed. The ALSF Academy Capacity Building Portal From October to December 2018, 96 e-learning course modules were delivered by the course development teams for the ALSF Academy introductory level (Level 1) program and filmed by the ALSF. These e-learning courses have been added to the ALSF Academy Capacity Building Portal, which launched in October 2019. The portal currently has 140 active users. In addition to hosting all of the e-training courses for the ALSF Academy program, the site hosts resources such as articles, template and model agreements, and links to relevant sites. This structure has allowed the ALSF to provide training on an ongoing and sustainable manner, updating knowledge as necessary. Development of Strategic Partnerships The ALSF’s partners involved in legal capacity building activities in Africa such as the ABLFA and ILFA, as well as national and regional bar associations such as the SADCLA, the EALS and the CIFAF, have been instrumental in assisting the ALSF in putting together the in-person training programs and in the development of the course handbooks for the ALSF Academy. Partners’ feedback has enhanced the knowledge products made available to the Program’s audience by ensuring that they are relevant and adequately address the realities in all African jurisdictions