CD Calendar

The promises and perils of supporting network formation and development

February 2012

Date: 15 February 2012 (12-1pm PST / 7-8pm GMT )
Type of event: Webinar (free registration)
Location: Online
Organization: Leadership Learning Community

Drawing on the experiences and examples of three leadership and network evaluators, this session will explore a number of questions, including: What are the promises and perils of investing in network formation? What evaluation questions are important to ask? What are critical practices for supporting and nurturing the emergence and development of networks over time? What are promising practices for evaluating network behavior and network effects in the early stages of network formation?

This session will provide useful advice about how to fund, support, and evaluate network potential and sustainability in the earliest phases of network formation.

 

Inclusive WASH webinar

February 2012

Dates: 22 February 2012 (GMT+11)
Type of event: Live webinar
Location: Online
Organization: WaterAid Australia

This is the fifth and final webinar in this free online course. It will look at experiences of reaching other marginalised groups, with contributions from practitioners, and draw out some common lessons. It will then focus on scaling up good practice on inclusive water, sanitationa and hygiene (WASH), and different mechanisms for making sure the principles of inclusion become “business as usual” in the WASH sector.

Meeting the challenges of value chain development: A learning event

February 2012

Dates: 7-8 February 2012
Type of event: Learning event (with live webinar) 
Location: Washington, USA
Organization: USAID Microenterprise Development office

As research to date suggests, and as project implementers can attest, the ‘poorest of the poor’ rarely benefit from value chain development initiatives as a result of constraints that preclude them from participating in project activities as well as from attracting the attention of private-sector actors. Building on recent work in this area, USAID will be hosting a session on “ Reaching the Very Poor Through Value Chain Development” at the upcoming two-day learning event: Meeting the Challenges of Value Chain Development. For those unable to attend in person, it is possible to participate through a live webinar broadcast of the keynote session. The session will focus on the importance of agricultural value chain development to lifting people out of poverty and bringing an end to food insecurity, and the growing appreciation among donors and practitioners of the need to take a systems perspective to agricultural value chain development.

Theory of change training workshop

January 2012

Dates: 5 - 7 March 2010
Type of event: Training workshop (Please note that this is a paid course)
Location: Oxford, UK
Organization: International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)

This new course provides an opportunity to understand and explore what Theories of Change are; how they complement other planning processes; how they can be applied to organisations and to programmes. The course enables participants to consider the steps they need to take in developing a ToC for their own organisation/programme; and offers an opportunity to experiment with developing elements of a ToC on the course.

How to design, manage and conduct impact evaluations

January 2012

Upcoming IFDC training courses on sustainable agriculture and value chains

January 2012

(NB: course fee applies)

9-13 April 2012
Comment relier les agriculteurs aux marchés en Afrique/Linking farmers to markets in Africa (French)
Location: Bamako, Mali

2-13 July 2012
Decision-support tools for agricultural production, fertilizer recommendations and climatic variability
Location: Arusha, Tanzania

2-13 July 2012
Increasing agricultural input and output trade through innovative market information systems in Africa
Location: Nairobi, Kenya

3-7 December 2012
Developing and managing profitable agro-input business through sustainable value chains
Location: Accra, Ghana

Planet under pressure: new knowledge

January 2012

Dates: 26-29 March 2012
Type of event: International conference
Location: London, UK
Organization: International Council for Science (ICSU) and diverse partners

The research community has a responsibility to provide the knowledge needed to move society towards effective stewardship of the planet and to communicate the urgency of this challenge to society. But science alone is not enough. This conference is intended to be a major opportunity to link global-change science in a two-way engagement with the wide range of other stakeholders working towards global sustainability. It is organised as part of the lead up to the forthcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development taking place in Brazil in June, commonly known as Rio+20.

Décentralisation en millieu rural et gouvernance locale: Renforcement des processus multi-acteurs

January 2012

Dates: 3 - 14 September, 2012
Type of event: Training workshop
Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands
Organization: Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation

Les processus multi-acteurs de la décentralisation en milieu rural sont complexes, pourtant de plus en plus importants pour la réussite des actions de développement. La collaboration entre différents acteurs renforce les compétences requises de chacun dans la gouvernance locale, y compris celles du gouvernement local afin de fournir des services répondants aux besoins et intérêts de la population. Ce cours vise le développement de la capacité des ministères, des structures d’appui, des prestataires de services et des ONGs dans l’accompagnement effectif des gouvernements locaux, la facilitation de la gestion des processus multi-acteurs et la promotion de l’apprentissage social. Brochure du cours (pdf)

Climate change governance: Adaptation and mitigation as institutional change processes

January 2012

Dates: 30 January - 12 February, 2012
Type of event: Training workshop
Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands
Organization: Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation

The impact on food production, food security and natural resources in developing countries by climate change is likely to be severe. This course offers conceptual frameworks to understand climate change, vulnerability and adaptation and mitigation options that bring together different stakeholders such as policymakers, scientists, communities, citizens, farmers, extension workers, media and businesses.

NB: The application deadline for this course is 15th January (Apply online)

Using case studies in development evaluation: Validity, Generalisation and Learning

December 2011

Dates: 21-23 May, 2012
Type of event: International workshop
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Organization: Centre for Social Science Development Research University of Copenhagen and the Evaluation Department of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Abstracts are invited for this international workshop, which will focus on methodological and practical considerations when using case studies in evaluations of development. The workshop will be organised in collaboration with the journal Evaluation:the international journal of theory, research and practice. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 15 December 2011 .

6th international conference on community-based adaptation

December 2011

Dates: 16-22 April 2012
Type of event: International conference
Location: Hanoi, Vietnam
Organization: Disaster Management Centre (DMC), Vietnam and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

This conference will  discuss knowledge of community-based adaptation (CBA) planning and practices from different parts of the developing world and capture the latest learning and good practices in CBA from developing countries. The conference includes three days of field visits to projects to see how communities living in different ecosystems have adapted to climate change.

Multi-stakeholder processes for institutional strengthening

November 2011

Dates: 27 February to 9 March 2012
Type of event: Training
Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands
Organization: Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation

Thinking about the relationships between government, the private sector and civil society has changed considerably. Instead of being perceived as passive beneficiaries, rural populations are increasingly seen as citizens who have the right to participate and who demand good local governance. This has led to the understanding that local governance for rural development should be addressed as a multi-stakeholder process with interactions taking place at different levels amongst actors with different ambitions or perceptions.

Coaching as a leadership development strategy

November 2011

Dates: 14 December 2011
Type of event: Webinar
Location: Online, global
Organization: Leadership Learning Center/CompassPoint

Leadership development is on the forefront of grantmaker and capacity builders' minds, particularly as organizations navigate the current realities they face. This webinar is for experienced capacity builders who are interested in exploring coaching as a leadership development strategy.

High level retreat for African mediators

November 2011

Dates: 23-25 November 2011
Type of event: Informal consultations (invitation only)
Location: Zanzibar, Tanzania
Organization: Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

This ‘Africa Mediators’ Retreat’, co-hosted with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, will bring together around 40 mediators, peace process actors, government representatives and key experts active in mediation as well as in conflict prevention and resolution in Africa. Participants will share their experiences, identify challenges and critically reflect on their practice in an informal setting (Chatham House rules).

Panel discussion on "Capacity Development: Lessons Learned and Ways Forward" at the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness

November 2011

Dates: 29 November to 1 December 2011
Type of event: High Level Forum and Side Events
Location: Busan, Korea
Organization: Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD)

This session will identify key actions to strengthen the practice of and knowledge on country-led capacity development, building on lessons learned. It will examine two areas that are critical to the forward-looking agenda on capacity development: putting country-driven, results-focused capacity development into practice; and creating and exchanging knowledge on what works.

Enterprise Development through Value Chains and Business Service Markets: A Market Development approach to Pro-Poor Growth

November 2011

Dates: Various, starts on 19th March 2012
Type of event: Distance learning programme (Please note that this is a paid course with some funding possibilities)
Location: Global, with a Face-to-Face workshop scheduled for 18 - 29 June 2012 in Turin, Italy
Organization: The International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITC ILO)

This 8-month course is relevant for professionals developing and implementing Value Chain and enterprise development projects in rural and urban areas. It offers a unique on-the-job learning opportunity using practical tools and lessons from enterprise development programs that have reached thousands of small enterprises in rural and urban areas.

ECB interactive learning series

October 2011

Dates: Various, November 2011 to February 2012
Type of event: Online conference series
Location: Global
Organization: Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB)

ECB inter-active is a series of five regional events in Africa, Asia and South America that will share ECB Project learning for the first time across the humanitarian sector. The aim is to share experiences of capacity building and understand more about the ECB Project's innovative approaches for successful collaboration and joint action. Participants will be drawn from government, UN, humanitarian networks, NGOs, donors, and inter-governmental agencies. Each event will include a series of inter-active learning opportunities focused on the core themes of National Staff Capacity Building, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Accountability to beneficiaries.

Free webinars on equity-focused evaluations

October 2011

Dates: Various, October to December 2011
Type of event: Webinar
Location: Online
Organization: My M&E portal

My M&E, an open learning portal that supports knowledge-sharing on country-led M&E systems worldwide, is convening a series of free webinars on equity-focused evaluations by respected experts in this field.

Upcoming sessions in October and November will cover, respectively: case study and equity in evaluation (Saville Kushner); programme theories and logframes to evaluate pro-poor and equity programmes (Patricia Rogers and Richard Hummelbrunner); and systems thinking for equity-focused evaluations (Bob Williams and Martin Reynolds).

Training course in health systems research

August 2011

Dates: 16th January to 1st February 2012
Type of event: Training course
Location:  KIT Training Centre, Amsterdam
Organization: Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)

Health care programme managers need to be able to use a range of research approaches and methods to solve the problems they face while working in the health system. This course looks at the strengths and weaknesses of different research approaches and methods and discusses which research methods should be used to answer certain health system research questions. The course specifically focuses on qualitative and participatory research methods.

INTRAC 20th anniversary conference: Civil Society at a New Frontier

August 2011

Dates: 5-6 December 2011
Type of event: Conference
Location: St Anne's College, Oxford, UK
Organization: International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)

This two day international development conference will focus on civil society, economic growth and the post-aid environment.

Global South-South Development Expo 2011

August 2011

Dates: 5-9 December 2011
Type of event: Expo
Location: Rome, Italy
Organization: UN FAO

With the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) rapidly approaching, it is critical for countries, the UN system, multilateral institutions, civil society and the private sector to explore all avenues for small, medium and large-scale development solutions to the complex challenges faced by developing countries. The first Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) aims to showcase Southern solutions to the urgent problem of food insecurity.

Learning from South-South and triangular cooperation

August 2011

Dates: 26-28 September, 2011
Type of event: Network event
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Organization: Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD)
 

The main purpose of this meeting, organized by the Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD) is to promote discussion on Capacity Development and South-South Cooperation in Latin America, with a particular focus on rural poverty reduction and food security.

Mastering wicked problems: Alan Fowler Master Seminar Series hosted by INTRAC

August 2011

Dates: 20-21 October, 2011
Type of event: Training course
Location: National Council of Voluntary Organisations, London UK
Organization: International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)

Successful NGOs overcome ‘wicked’ problems. These are critical issues and dilemmas for the whole organisation that have multiple, interdependent causes. Potential solutions are many, but they are seldom obvious or amenable to assured implementation. Yet, effective leadership and management find ways to surmount such problems and motivationally communicate a way forward. This capability is vital for maintaining social value and durability.

Impact Evaluation Conference 2011: Follow live conference updates

June 2011

Dates: 15-17 June 2011
Type of event: Conference
Location: Cuernavaca, Mexico
Organization: 3iE

The 2011 impact evaluation conference 'Mind the gap: From evidence to policy impact'  will bring together over 400 policymakers, practitioners and researchers from Latin America, Africa and Asia, to take stock of what we have learned from evaluations and the way forward for adopting new approaches.The conference will highlight cases from across the world where impact evaluations have provided evidence to scale up or modify existing development programmes. The conference offers a unique learning space to share ideas and be part of current debates on impact evaluations. All are welcome to participate by following live updates and commenting on the live blogs.
 

Invitation to participate in country and regional CD dialogue

June 2011

Dates: Open-ended
Type of event: Dialogue
Organizer: LenCD/UNDP

The Learning Network on Capacity Development (LenCD) has issued a call for a series of one-day events to engage country stakeholders and development partners in a dialogue on their capacity-development priorities. Supported by UNDP, the dialogues will build on the Cairo Consensus on Capacity Development that was adopted in March 2011 as a contribution towards an agenda for action for the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.

Working with stakeholder dialogues

May 2011

Dates: 28th June - 1st July, 2011(Postdam, Germany) and 27th to 30th September, 2011 (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
Type of event: Training course
Organizer: Collective Learning Institute

This is a skills development program for those who host, initiate and facilitate stakeholder engagement processes.

1st Asia Pacific mediation leadership summit: From talk to action

May 2011

Dates: 2-4 December 2011
Type of event: Conference
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Organization: Asia Pacific Mediation Forum

The aim of the conference is to engage a range of experienced academics, mediators, conflict transformation and peacebuilding practitioners from different cultural, organizational and professional backgrounds who are culturally fluent, creative and innovative, and want to contribute (and build on) their knowledge and expertise and proactively evolve the way that conflicts are mediated, transformed and built in the Asia-Pacific region.

CDRA spring immersion course

May 2011

Dates: 12-23 September, 2011
Type of event: Training (Please note that this is a paid course)
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Organization: Community Development Resource Association (CDRA)

This unique new 3 week immersion course provides an exploratory and experiential space for learning and sharing that will take participants "on a journey to reignite and infuse passion, inspire and generate creativity, bringing renewed energy to thinking, feeling and doing". The course will provide an “off the map experience” which will encourage you to find and chart your own paths. Participants will draw energy, inspiration and a new impetus to respond appropriately and proactively to the challenges of our times.

Training course in citizen participation and accountability

May 2011

Dates: 12-23 September, 2011
Type of event: Training (Please note that this is a paid course)
Location: The Hague, the Netherlands
Organization: The Hague Academy for Local Governance

How can municipalities increase accountability towards their citizens? And how can they benefit from involving citizens and organizations in a smart way? This innovative training course will address such governance concepts as the accountability chain and the participation ladder. It will also include visits to participation projects in urban planning, social cohesion and safety.
 

Virtual evaluation writeshop 2011

May 2011

BetterEvaluation - a new interactive web facility that allows those dealing with evaluations as designers, commissioners or implementers to make informed methodological choices - seeks participants for its first-ever "Virtual Writeshop" on evaluation, to run between May and September 2011. Interested evaluation professionals with experience in diverse aspects of evaluation - including design, collection, sensemaking and reporting - are invited to participate.

Open courses on relational approaches to change and learning

April 2011

Dates: Various

Type of event: Training (Please note that these are paid courses although limited EU funding is available)

Location: Copenhagen (Denmark) and Gouda (Netherlands) 

Organization: In Dialogue

In Dialogue offers four different open international courses in 2011. All of them are based on positive relational approaches to change and learning. These courses are open to anyone who has an interest in the subjects and are open to some funding options (to cover board, lodging, course fees and travel) of the European Commission; Comenius programme for secondary education staff and the Grundtvig programme for adult education staff.

Training courses on facilitating multi-stakeholder processes and social learning

April 2011

For the benefit of Capacity.org readers who have expressed interest in learning more on the topic of facilitating multi-actor change, we would like to draw your attention to a number of upcoming training courses organized by Wageningen UR - Centre for Development Innovation, namely:

• Local Governance and Rural Decentralisation – Multi-stakeholder Processes for Institutional Strengthening
• Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation – Managing and Learning for Impact
• Facilitating Multi-stakeholder Processes and Social Learning

There is limited funding available for some of the courses, but please note that much earlier deadlines apply for scholarship applications.

INTRAC announces 2011-12 training programme

April 2011

Dates: Various

Type of event: Training (Please note that this is a paid course)

Location: Oxford, UK

Organization: International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)

Course overview: INTRAC’s 2011-12 training programme kicks off with a Monitoring and Evaluation course on 9-13 May. This is the first of a series of courses on monitoring and evaluation, advocacy and organizational development being organized in May and June 2011. Please visit the INTRAC website for application details and an overview of the full training calendar.

Global Forum on Sanitation and Hygiene, 2011

March 2011

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) is convening the 2011 Global Forum on Sanitation and Hygiene in Mumbai, India, from 9-14 October. The overarching themes for the week are “Accelerating Change,” “Building Knowledge and Capacity” and “Sharing across Regions.” There will also be a “Bottom of the Pyramid WASH Fair” of organizations, products and services, and ideas. 

Call for applications: Masters Program in Capacity Development and Extension (University of Guelph)

February 2011

Applications are invited for the September 2011 intake of the MSC Program in Capacity Development & Extension at the University of Guelph, Canada. The deadline is 31 March, 2011.  

Upcoming ICT learning events

February 2011

The sixth international conference on ICT for development, education and training, eLearning Africa 2011, will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 25-27 May. The conference will focus on youth, skills and employability, exploring among other questions: How are people and organizations, both globally and in Africa, coping with skills deficits and the employability crisis? Why are these deficits not being addressed effectively by our education systems? What skills development and lifelong learning programmes are under way to help address these shortages? 

Announcing systems thinking webinars

January 2011

Systems Thinking World will begin hosting a free webinar series from the first week of February 2011. Webinars are expected to be 60 to 90 minutes in length with several Q & A segments included. For each webinar a discussion will be established within Systems Thinking World on LinkedIn. This will provide participants a forum for submitting webinar feedback as well as follow up on additional questions regarding the webinar. 

International conference on capacity development

January 2011

Dates: 15 December 2011
Type of event: International conference
Location: The Hague, The Netherlands
Organization: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairst

Following the publication Policy and Operations Evaluation Department (IOB) evaluation report of the effectiveness of Dutch support for capacity building in developing countries, this follow up conference will implementation of the report's recommendations.