Are you ready to deepen your expertise and expand your professional network in Development Cooperation? The Development Cooperation Academy is your opportunity to engage with the latest trends, strategies, and innovations driving impactful development initiatives worldwide.

This annual gathering brings together leading practitioners and thought leaders to discuss the most pressing challenges and transformative opportunities in the field.

In 2025, our focus is on the shifting financing and funding landscape of Development Cooperation—a pivotal topic that explores the evolving dynamics shaping partnerships, resource mobilization, and sustainable development strategies. Join us to collaborate, share insights, and shape the future of Development Cooperation.

Climate finance has emerged as a critical priority, with multilateral development banks pledging significant resources and striving to mobilize private sector investments. Meanwhile, high global interest rates and a deepening public debt crisis are constraining governments' ability to invest in sustainable development. The Global South continues to call for more equitable funding to address the pressing impacts of climate change and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Momentum is therefore building for reforms in the global financial architecture to support development, with a focus on enhancing transparency, promoting equity, defining clearer roles for the private sector, and advancing innovative funding and financing mechanisms.

In our Academy, we go beyond the theoretical discourse and dive into the practical implications of global shifts in financing and partnerships for sustainable development. We question, challenge, and critically analyze the role of development cooperation financing within this complex, dynamic, and multi-stakeholder landscape. Our event serves as a dynamic hub, bringing together diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise to forge innovative solutions and strategies that address systemic challenges and unlock new opportunities for impactful partnerships.

At the same time, we include in the Academy six blended Certification Programmes in key disciplines of development management. Successful completion of the online phase, the in-person track, and the tutor-led practicum grants a recognized Certificate of Achievement. The disciplines are:

• Programme and Project Design: Lay the foundations for designing and managing Initiatives using the principles of Results Based Management
• Effective Project Management: Learn sound management principles and agile and adaptive techniques for project success
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Understand and apply key methods to assess and demonstrate programme performance.
• Financial Management: Gain insights into sound financial planning and oversight in development projects.
• Impact Evaluation: Measure the social and economic impacts of your initiatives with a scientific approach.
• Data Analytics and Knowledge Management for Development: Gain practical skills and insights into leveraging data and sharing knowledge to drive decisions, improve outcomes, and foster collaboration.

Participants will specialize in one of the disciplines above and will receive a Certificate of Achievement upon completion of the whole programme with all three phases. This Certificate will count towards the Diploma of Development Cooperation Specialist.

The programme includes an on-campus event, where each day features a plenary session with panel discussions that bring together participants from all certification disciplines to debate the common Academy topic.

• Global Financing Trends: What are the major threats and opportunities in today’s development cooperation landscape, and how can we navigate the challenges ahead?
• Tailored Resource Mobilization Strategies: How can diverse funding streams, such as blended finance and localized solutions, drive sustainable development results?
• Collaborations with Non-State Actors: What are the best practices and challenges in building transformative partnerships with private companies, philanthropies, and NGOs?
• Roadmaps for Development Financing in Uncertain Times: How can we build resilience and foster partnerships amidst geopolitical shifts and multilateral uncertainty?
• Funding for Climate Safeguards: How can innovative mechanisms and equitable solutions scale the impact of climate funding, even with limited resources?
• Winning Proposals: Master skills to respond effectively to project calls.
• Soft Skills for Partnerships: Enhance communication and negotiation for collaboration. 

The Development Cooperation Academy is scheduled to take place in three phases from 9 June to 25 July 2025. 

The cost of participation is fixed at 2 680 euros including tuition fees and the full-board accommodation on campus for the five days.

The application deadline is 10th April 2025

If you have already determined which discipline you would like to specialize in at the Development Cooperation Academy, simply follow the link provided below for that specific discipline and register directly to the Academy and the chosen discipline on the designated page.

Should you have any queries regarding the event, feel free to contact us directly to ppcm@itcilo.org

Join us now by expressing your interest!

Seize this unique opportunity to deepen your expertise in the development cooperation project cycle, specialize in a specific function, uncover strategies for building sustainable partnerships and securing financing, and position your organization for the future of development cooperation.