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JDR Vol.15 No.3 pp. 368-376
(2020)
doi: 10.20965/jdr.2020.p0368

Paper:

Evaluating Expectations for Training Transfer: Exploratory Study on a Capacity Development Project for Road and Bridge Technology in Myanmar

Michael Henry*,†, Kohei Nagai**, Koji Matsumoto*, and Hiroshi Yokota*

*Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University
Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan

Corresponding author

**Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Received:
September 24, 2019
Accepted:
February 18, 2020
Published:
March 30, 2020
Keywords:
capacity development, quality control, road and bridge infrastructure, training transfer
Abstract

To ensure the long-term performance of bridges in Myanmar, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) initiated a capacity development project to enhance the quality control capabilities of engineers in the Myanmar government. Such expertise will be transferred to a group of “core trainers,” who will be responsible for sharing their acquired skills and knowledge with other engineers in Myanmar. The effective transfer of Japanese expertise is thus crucial for realizing the project’s goal of improving the quality of bridges and structures managed by the government of Myanmar. This research aims to explore the perspectives and expectations of the core trainers’ for training transfer after the project using the results of a survey questionnaire and to evaluate the effect of various factors on their expectations for transfer using partial least squares path modeling. It was found that the core trainers had positive expectations regarding the benefits of training transfer as well as generally positive perspectives on the factors affecting such transfer. The results of statistical modeling, however, failed to reveal any significant relationships between the modeled factors and the expectations for training transfer. This may be attributable to the sample size, which is limited by the scope of the capacity development project; a mixed method approach is therefore proposed as a more appropriate method in this context. Nonetheless, the results generally suggest that the work environment is fundamental in facilitating effective training transfer, and further research is necessary.

Cite this article as:
M. Henry, K. Nagai, K. Matsumoto, and H. Yokota, “Evaluating Expectations for Training Transfer: Exploratory Study on a Capacity Development Project for Road and Bridge Technology in Myanmar,” J. Disaster Res., Vol.15 No.3, pp. 368-376, 2020.
Data files:
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Last updated on Apr. 22, 2024