How power and resources are distributed between central and local institutions — and how citizens shape the decisions that affect them — determines whether development is responsive, accountable, and sustainable. This advanced programme equips senior practitioners to strengthen participatory governance and to work effectively with decentralisation processes that bring decision-making closer to communities.
Designed for an international audience from officer to director level, the programme engages the politics and practice of governance: decentralisation models, citizen participation, local government capacity, participatory planning and budgeting, and the accountability mechanisms that link communities to the state. Participants learn to lead programming that deepens democratic, accountable, and inclusive local governance.
Course Objectives
Upon the successful completion of this program, attendees will be able to:
- Critically appraise governance and decentralisation concepts
- Analyse decentralisation models and processes
- Assess local governance systems and capacity
- Strengthen local government institutions
- Design participatory planning processes
- Lead participatory budgeting
- Build citizen participation mechanisms
- Strengthen state-society accountability
- Promote inclusive and equitable participation
- Engage with political economy realities
- Build civic engagement and citizen voice
- Strengthen transparency and openness
- Manage devolved service delivery
- Navigate central-local relations
- Measure governance outcomes
- Anticipate emerging trends in participatory governance
Course Outline
- Module 1: Governance & Decentralisation Concepts
- Module 2: Decentralisation Models & Processes
- Module 3: Assessing Local Governance Capacity
- Module 4: Strengthening Local Government
- Module 5: Participatory Planning
- Module 6: Participatory Budgeting
- Module 7: Citizen Participation Mechanisms
- Module 8: State-Society Accountability
- Module 9: Inclusive & Equitable Participation
- Module 10: Political Economy Realities
- Module 11: Civic Engagement & Citizen Voice
- Module 12: Transparency & Openness
- Module 13: Devolved Service Delivery
- Module 14: Central-Local Relations
- Module 15: Emerging Trends: Participatory Governance
Who Should Attend
This advanced programme is designed for international governance advisers, programme directors, local governance and civil society specialists, and senior officers working on governance and decentralisation across INGO, national NGO, donor, and government settings.
Registration & Inquiry
For more details & inquiry, please contact us at:
