TRAINER OF TRAINERS (ToT) GUIDE
FOR LOCAL MANUFACTURERS OF CLEAN COOKING FUELS
A GEDSI-Responsive Guide Covering Biomass Pellets & Briquettes, Biogas, Bioethanol, and Electric Cooking
Purpose and Scope
This guide is for the trainers and mentors who deliver the Training Manual for Local Manufacturers of Clean Cooking Fuels — not the manufacturer-participants themselves. It consolidates everything a trainer needs in one place: how to prepare for a session, how to deliver it consistently and inclusively, how to evaluate learning, and how to follow up after training ends.
Participant cohorts may be mixed across fuel streams (biomass pellets/briquettes, biogas, bioethanol, electric cooking). All participants complete the business skills, safeguards, facilitation, and inclusive-practice content (Parts 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 of the full manual) regardless of stream, while fuel-specific technical sessions (Part 3) and compliance pathways (Part 5) are prioritised by each participant's stream. Trainers should confirm the fuel-stream composition of each cohort in advance and use breakout groups for stream-specific technical content.
Introduction and Preliminary Session Plan
Every cohort opens with a one-hour Preliminary Session, delivered before Part 1 of the manual and before any fuel-specific content. Its purpose is administrative and orientational: it introduces trainers and participants to one another, sets shared expectations and course rules, confirms the fuel-stream composition of the cohort so breakout groups can be planned correctly, and establishes the baseline through the pre-training diagnostic (Annex B1). Trainers should treat this session as a genuine session in its own right, not a formality to be rushed — a well-run Preliminary Session materially improves engagement across every session that follows.
Section 1: Assessment Framework
Every module in the full manual closes with an assessment. The purpose is not to fail participants but to give trainers, mentors, and CCAK a reliable signal of what has actually been learned, so that follow-up support (Part 7) can be targeted rather than generic.
Certification: a participant is recommended to CCAK for a Certificate of Completion when they have (a) passed the module quiz for every module relevant to their fuel stream, (b) achieved a satisfactory rating on all safety-critical items in the practical demonstration checklist, and (c) submitted a completed Enterprise Action Plan. Certification is a recommendation, not a licence — it does not substitute for KEBS product certification or NEMA/EPRA regulatory approval, which follow the separate pathway described in Part 5.
Section 2: Facilitator Guide
Trainers delivering this manual are expected to be practitioners familiar with at least one clean cooking fuel stream, comfortable facilitating adult, enterprise-level learners, and consistent in applying GEDSI principles throughout delivery. The guidance below is organised around three phases common to every module: Prepare, Deliver, and Evaluate.
Prepare
• Read the full module, including all sessions, before the training date. Identify sections requiring specialised technical knowledge (e.g. digester sizing, ethanol distillation ratios) and arrange a co-facilitator or technical resource person if this falls outside your own expertise.
• Confirm the fuel-stream composition of the participant group in advance. Mixed groups require sequencing sessions so each participant's core stream is covered, using breakout groups for stream-specific technical content.
• Gather all required materials: sample products (pellets, briquettes, ethanol test kits, appliance components), compliance document templates, and the visual aids referenced in each session (see Section 5).
• Confirm the training venue is accessible to participants with mobility, visual, or hearing impairments, and that materials are available in Kiswahili or the relevant local language where needed.
• Contact the relevant KEBS, NEMA, EPRA, or county officer in advance if a compliance session will benefit from their direct input or a site visit.
Deliver
• Open each session by stating the learning objectives and connecting the content to participants' existing enterprise operations, not as new theory but as a refinement of what they may already be doing informally.
• Use the DACUM Duty–Task Chart (Part 2.1) to keep technical sessions anchored in real manufacturing tasks rather than abstract descriptions.
• Alternate between short input (15–20 minutes maximum), a practical or worked exercise, and group discussion. Avoid uninterrupted lecture beyond 20 minutes.
• Apply the GEDSI facilitation principles consistently: rotate speaking opportunities, use inclusive language, ensure physical accessibility of any demonstration, and actively invite women, youth, and persons with disabilities to lead parts of exercises.
• Where safety is involved (chemical handling in ethanol production, digester gas pressure, electrical assembly), always demonstrate the correct PPE and safe procedure before allowing participants to practice.
• Record attendance, and note any participant needing additional follow-up (technical gaps, literacy support, accessibility accommodation) for the mentor.
Evaluate
• Administer the module assessment (Annex B) at the close of each module, per the criteria set out in Section 1.
• Use the standard post-session feedback form (Annex B4) to capture participant ratings of clarity, relevance, and pace, and note any content gaps for the next revision cycle.
• Submit assessment results and attendance records to the CCAK county focal point within 48 hours of each training day.
• Schedule the first mentorship follow-up visits within 30 days of module completion (see Section 7).
Section 3: Trainer's Session Guide
This section gives trainers a ready-to-use Session Plan and Trainer's Guide for every session in the manual, organised by Part. The Session Plan sets out objectives, content, training points, delivery methods, and time allocation; the Trainer's Guide beneath it gives the trainer a step-by-step delivery script — Introduction, Development, Test Understanding, and Conclusion — for the same session. Trainers should read both alongside the corresponding session in the full manual, which contains the technical content itself.
Part 3: Technological Aspects of Cooking Fuels
The four fuel-stream sessions below share a common technical sequence — feedstock, production process, key equipment, quality parameters, and safety — so trainers moving between streams can reuse the same facilitation rhythm. Deliver only the session(s) relevant to a cohort's manufacturing focus; use breakout groups where a cohort is mixed. (DACUM Duty A–E.)
Part 4: Business and Market Skills
All participants complete this part regardless of fuel stream. Each session pairs a short technical input with a worked exercise applied to the participant's own enterprise, so learning transfers directly into the Enterprise Action Plan (Annex C1). (DACUM Duty F, G.)
Part 5: Compliance and Market Access
Session 5.1 is foundational and should be delivered to every cohort before the fuel-specific pathway sessions (5.2–5.5), which trainers deliver only for the stream(s) present in the room. Session 5.6 (KEBS certification) and the cross-cutting legal-framework reference (5.7) apply to all streams and are best delivered with a KEBS or KIRDI co-facilitator where possible. (DACUM Duty C, G.)
Section 4: Practical Exercises Toolkit
This section consolidates every hands-on exercise referenced across the manual into one facilitator-ready set, so trainers can prepare materials in advance regardless of which module they are delivering.
Exercise 1 — DACUM Task-Mapping (use with Part 2.1)
1. Give each participant a set of small cards, each listing one Task from the DACUM chart (Part 2.1).
2. Ask participants to sort the cards into three piles: 'I do this confidently', 'I do this but inconsistently', and 'I rarely or never do this'.
3. In plenary, tally which tasks fall most often into the 'rarely or never' pile — this becomes the emphasis list for the rest of the cohort.
Exercise 2 — Enterprise Self-Assessment (use with Session 4.1)
1. In pairs, score your enterprise 1–5 on: production consistency, quality control, record-keeping, market reach, workforce inclusion.
2. Identify the lowest-scoring dimension.
3. Write one specific action to improve it in the next 90 days and add it to your Enterprise Action Plan (Annex C1).
Exercise 3 — Costing Worksheet (use with Session 4.3)
1. Using your own enterprise's most recent production batch, list every cost item (feedstock, labour, energy, packaging, depreciation).
2. Calculate total cost per unit and compare it against your current selling price.
3. If your margin is below 15%, identify one cost item you could reduce or one efficiency gain (see Part 3 quality/process notes) that would restore a healthy margin.
Exercise 4 — Draw Your Market System (use with Session 4.5)
1. On flip-chart paper, sketch your suppliers, your buyers, the supporting services you use, and the rules/standards that affect you.
2. Identify one weak link in the map.
3. Propose one action to strengthen it, and share with the group.
Exercise 5 — Quality Control Walk-Through (use with Part 3, any fuel stream)
1. Using a real or sample production batch, walk through each quality-control checkpoint identified in the relevant Part 3 session (e.g. moisture content for pellets, ethanol purity for bioethanol).
2. Record a pass/fail result for each checkpoint on a simple QC log sheet.
3. Discuss what corrective action would be taken for any 'fail' result, before it reaches a customer.
Exercise 6 — Inclusive Enterprise Audit (use with Session 7.1)
1. List all current roles in the enterprise and who holds each one, by gender and approximate age group.
2. Identify any role from which a person with a disability would currently be excluded, and why (physical access, assumption, or genuine task requirement).
3. Identify one specific, low-cost action the enterprise can take in the next 90 days to improve inclusion in one of the four GEDSI dimensions.
4. Share the identified action with the group and record it in the Enterprise Action Plan, to be reviewed at the first mentorship visit.
Section 5: Visual Learning Materials
This manual embeds diagrams and data visuals at the point of use, rather than collecting them in a separate poster pack, so that trainers using the printed manual in the field always have the visual on the same page as the explanation. The full set of visuals used across the manual is indexed below for quick reference and for reproduction as stand-alone posters were useful.
Section 6: Facilitating GEDSI-Inclusive Training
The full manual's Part 7 covers GEDSI evidence and enterprise-level action in depth (see Session 7.1 of the full manual). The excerpt below is the facilitation-specific guidance trainers apply directly during delivery.
• For cooperative or group-owned enterprises: bylaws should explicitly allow women, youth, and persons with disabilities to hold any leadership position, with a minimum representation target (commonly 40% for gender balance and a designated youth seat).
• For owner-managed enterprises: adopt a simple written policy on equal pay, non-discriminatory hiring, and reasonable accommodation for staff with disabilities.
• Track basic GEDSI indicators alongside production and financial records: staff composition by gender, age, and disability status; leadership composition; and access to training and finance opportunities within the enterprise.
Use Exercise 6 — Inclusive Enterprise Audit (Section 4) to work through this with participants in a structured, time-boxed way, closing with a specific, dated action added to the Enterprise Action Plan.
Section 7: Post-Training Follow-Up — The Mentorship Cycle
Every training cohort is paired with a CCAK-assigned or ELMECC county mentor responsible for at least three follow-up visits per enterprise over the six months following training. Manufacturers directly asked for exactly this kind of follow-up: when asked what would make training more inclusive and effective, respondents specifically requested site visits for practical lessons, personalised training rather than one-size-fits-all sessions, and trainers who are themselves practising entrepreneurs rather than pure theorists — all of which the mentorship cycle below is designed to deliver.
48 hours. Where an enterprise cannot demonstrate progress against its Action Plan by Visit 2, the mentor escalates to the CCAK county focal point to arrange targeted additional support rather than waiting until Visit 3.
What Manufacturers Asked For, In Their Own Words
The KII included an open question on what would make training more inclusive. Their answers should directly guide how trainers and mentors behave, not only what content is delivered:
• "Trainers that are entrepreneurs so that we stop focusing on theory and more practical… ensure personalised training other than assuming we all have the same problem."
• "Bringing on board experts from the regulatory bodies. Bring on board entrepreneurs from other regions to exchange ideas on what they are doing."
• "Site visits for practical lessons."
• "If one day you could do a sign language video version to include the deaf. And also ensure machines have lights to indicate when it's running. This would help include the deaf. I have trained deaf people and it was a bit challenging."
This last point is a concrete, low-cost accessibility action any manufacturer can act on immediately: visual (light) indicators on running equipment support both deaf workers and general shop-floor safety awareness, and should be raised explicitly during Exercise 6 (Inclusive Enterprise Audit).
ANNEX SECTION
Full Session Plans and Trainer's Guides for the Preliminary Session and every session in Parts 3, 4, 5, and 7 are provided in Section 3 of this guide.
Section 9: Evaluation Tools (Annex B)
B1. Pre-Training Diagnostic (5–10 questions, oral or written)
Administered before Part 1 to establish a baseline and inform trainer adaptation. Not scored pass/fail. Sample prompts: What clean cooking fuel(s) does your enterprise currently produce or plan to produce? What compliance certificates does your enterprise currently hold? Have you calculated a floor price for your product before? Does your enterprise have a written record-keeping system?
B2. Standard Module Quiz Template (10 questions)
Each module and fuel-specific session should be assessed using a 10-question quiz combining multiple-choice, short-answer, and scenario-based questions drawn directly from that session's learning objectives. A minimum score of 6/10 is required to pass. Quizzes should be available in English and Kiswahili, and administered orally for participants with literacy barriers.
B3. Post-Session Feedback Form
• How clear was the content of this session? (1–5 scale)
• How relevant was this session to your enterprise? (1–5 scale)
• Was the pace of delivery appropriate? (too fast / appropriate / too slow)
• What is the one thing you will apply in your enterprise as a result of this session?
• What, if anything, was unclear or should be covered in more depth?