The Impact Evaluation of Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Training: Outcomes of CBM India Trust Training

Sara Varughese; Lindsey Gale; Francis Annuncia; Yashashree Deore; Nathan Grills; Fairlene Soji

doi:10.20372/dcidj.818

Dr Sara Varughese ⁽¹⁾, Dr Lindsey Gale ⁽²⁾, Dr. S. Francis Annuncia ⁽³⁾, Yashashree Deore ⁽⁴⁾, Professor Nathan Grills ⁽⁵⁾, Fairlene Soji ⁽⁶⁾

(1) CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India, India,

(2) University of Melbourne, Australia,

(3) CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India, India,

(4) Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar,, India,

(5) University of Melbourne, Australia,

(6) CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India, India

https://doi.org/10.20372/dcidj.818

Issue
Vol. 36 No. 1 (2025): Spring Issue

Submitted
October 16, 2024

Published
April 25, 2025

Keywords:

Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID), community development, Competency-Based Training, Success Case Method, disability inclusion, Training Evaluation

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Abstract

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) competency-based certificate course in India. Launched in 2021, the course was designed to equip grassroots workers with the necessary skills to improve quality of life outcomes and promote the integration and inclusion of people with disabilities within their communities.  

Method: A qualitative case study methodology, using Brinkerhoff's Success Case Method (SCM), was employed to assess the outcomes of the training program. The study identified both successful and less successful applications of the acquired competencies in real-world settings. 

Results: The findings indicate significant improvements in workplace competencies among trained fieldworkers, resulting in positive impacts on the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families in their communities. Additionally, the study offers recommendations to adapt And improve the CBID training program. 

Conclusion and Implications: The results underscore the importance of competency-based training for grassroots workers, emphasizing its potential to drive inclusive development and advocating for increased investment by policymakers and training providers. 

Keywords: Competency-Based Training, Success Case Method, Disability Inclusion, Training Evaluation  

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Authors

Dr Sara Varughese

CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India

sara.varughese@cbmindia.org (Primary Contact)

Dr Lindsey Gale

University of Melbourne

Dr. S. Francis Annuncia

CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India

Yashashree Deore

Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar,

Professor Nathan Grills

University of Melbourne

Fairlene Soji

CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India

Author Biographies

Dr Sara Varughese, CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India

Dr Sara Varughese DO, FRCS (Edin) Msc PEH ( LSHTM) is the Managing Trustee, CBM India Trust and is the chair of the Serve International Board. Previously, Sara was the Country Director of CBM India, the Regional Director of CBM South Asia and Programme Manager for Disability and Rehabilitation at the WHO SEARO.

Dr Lindsey Gale , University of Melbourne

Dr Lindsey Gale is an honorary and former research fellow at the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne. With over two decades of work in the field of occupational therapy and doctoral studies in Education, Lindsey has applied her knowledge to pursue projects which allow for greater community inclusion for people with disabilities, particularly in the area of education. Lindsey has published extensively and her competency-based curriculum writing methodological tools have been instrumental in the education of disability support workers in India.

PhD, M. Learning Intervention, B.App.Sc.OT

Dr. S. Francis Annuncia, CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India

Dr. S. Francis Annuncia is presently the coordinator of the competency-based course in Community-Based Inclusive Development at CBM India Trust. She holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science from Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation at Holy Cross College, Tiruchirappalli, where she supervised numerous master's-level research projects. She also played a key role in implementing the University Grants Commission's major project on Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (HEPSN) and was instrumental in establishing the 'Edu-Tech Assistive Technology Lab' to enhance educational services for students with special needs. Dr. Annuncia has published several papers on disability and, in 2017, received an award of appreciation for her outstanding contributions to the development of education for children with disabilities.

M.R.Sc, PGDGC, Ph.D

Yashashree Deore, Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar,

Yashashree Deore holds a Master of Public Health from the Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, with expertise in maternal and child health, healthcare training, and public health research. Her research associate role with Sambodhi includes improving respectful maternity care practices, and she has contributed to impactful projects with organizations such as Lifeline Foundation, Reliance Foundation, and FMCH India. With experience in monitoring and evaluation, she employs both qualitative and quantitative methods to assess and enhance healthcare interventions. Committed to advancing equitable healthcare, Yashashree is focused on creating practical, evidence-based solutions that improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.

B.Pharm, M.PH

Professor Nathan Grills, University of Melbourne

Professor Nathan Grills (MBBS, MPH, DPHIL, DPH) is a Public Health Physician at the Nossal Institute for Global health, University of Melbourne. He works on community health and disability largely in the context of India. Nathan has a personal and professional interest in disability. Academically he established the Melbourne-India Disability Research Initiative which works with the Department of Empowerment of People with Disability, Government of India. Programmatically he established the Samvedna Community Based Disability program in North India and has overseen the establishment of a national network of organisations responding to disability in India. Personally, Nathan’s daughter, Abby, has intellectual disability. Nathan has worked in international health and development in Africa, Fiji, East Timor, PNG, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Fairlene Soji, CBM India Trust, Bengaluru, India

Fairlene Soji currently works as Director – Impact and Knowledge Management, at CBM India Trust. She has completed her masters in sociology and holds a post-graduate diploma in Community Based Rehabilitation and has been working in the field of disability and development for more than 25 years.

1.

Varughese S, Gale L, Francis Annuncia, Deore Y, Grills N, Soji F. The Impact Evaluation of Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Training: Outcomes of CBM India Trust Training. DCIDJ [Internet]. 2025 Apr. 25 [cited 2025 May 24];36(1):22-45. Available from: https://dcidj.uog.edu.et/index.php/up-j-dcbrid/article/view/818

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