Training Academy

This specialised e-training course is designed to equip project managers with the essential knowledge and practical tools required to ensure the smooth, compliant, and effective implementation of Technical Assistance (TA) projects funded by the European Union, specifically within the INTPA and NEAR frameworks. Anchored in the Practical Guide (PRAG) to Contract Procedures for EU External Actions, the course provides both foundational and operational insights to avoid errors and ensure full alignment with contractual obligations.

Training Objective

The course aims to provide project managers with a comprehensive understanding of the PRAG framework, contractual nuances, and procedural expectations of EU-funded service contracts. By the end of the course, participants will be well-prepared to manage TA projects with confidence, accuracy, and accountability.

Target Audience

This course is intended for project managers responsible for designing, managing, and implementing donor-funded international development projects, whether based in field operations or at the headquarters of consultancy, engineering, or implementing agencies.

Prerequisites

Participants are expected to have a basic understanding of the project development cycle and the principles of EU external cooperation.

Course Format and Delivery

Produced and provided by Arkipelago SARL, the training is delivered by Filipe Santos through a structured sequence of ten modules, each comprising concise recorded video lessons (5–10 minutes per topic), presented in English with English subtitles. The course concludes with a series of self-assessment quizzes, enabling participants to consolidate their learning and obtain a certificate of completion.

Participants will have access to the training platform for 15 days from their initial login.

Course Programme Overview

1) What is the useful information on EU Programming and financing?

2) What are the rules on selection criteria?

3) Evaluation of offers – CVs:

3) Applicable rules at the moment of the award:

4) Obligations and limits of the contracting authority during the implementation

5) The use of incidental expenditure

6) Modifications:

7) Experts:

8) Reports and invoices

9) Audits obligations

10) Pre-Litigation and how to deal in case of an unsolved issue

This course serves as both a practical and strategic guide, strengthening the capacity of project managers to navigate the complexities of EU service contracts with precision and assurance.

Register here: https://arkipelago-training.eu/registration/?ld_register_id=100390

Explore EBRD's procurement procedures in this insightful video, uncovering their meticulous procurement practices, inclusive bidding approaches, and emphasis on fostering responsible supplier relationships

Discover the streamlined and transparent procurement procedures implemented by the European Investment Bank (EIB) in this informative video. Gain insights into EIB's procurement policies, tendering processes, and the principles guiding their engagement with suppliers

Dive into the world of UNDP's procurement procedures through this informative video. Gain insights into their rigorous tendering processes, robust contract management, and emphasis on integrity and accountability, promoting efficient resource allocation for global development

Explore the efficient procurement procedures instituted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Uncover the USAID's procurement strategies, tendering methodologies, project cycle, and more.

Delve into the streamlined procurement processes established by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Unearth MCC's procurement strategies, tendering methodologies, project cycle, and additional insights into their procurement.

Examine GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) enhanced procurement procedures, including their strategies, tendering methods, project life cycle, and overall procurement practices.

Explore the refined procurement procedures implemented by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Investigate ADB's procurement strategies, tendering approaches, project life cycle, and further elucidate on their procurement practices.

Get started with International Tendering, a concise video guide designed for professionals approaching global procurement and development projects. Learn the essentials of how international tendering works:

A focused, technical briefing designed to strengthen competitiveness and procedural accuracy in Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) procurement. Delivered by Antonietta Poduie, a senior specialist with over thirty years of hands-on experience in MDB and international public procurement, the session provides authoritative, practice-based guidance grounded in real evaluation and implementation contexts.

The training covers effective monitoring and qualification of MDB procurement notices, structured interpretation of tender documents, strategic use of evaluation criteria, and correct engagement with implementing agencies and MDBs throughout the bidding cycle. It also addresses common errors and proven best practices, offering concrete operational guidance on internal procurement workflows, bid/no-bid decision-making, and preparation of technical and corporate documentation.

Successful proposals are not just about facts, they are about connecting with people’s emotions and decision-making processes.

In this course, you will learn how to leverage neuroscience to design business proposals and projects that truly resonate with your stakeholders and drive action.

Learn to design business proposals that resonate and convert:

• Build a compelling value proposition that stands out.
• Decode stakeholders’ pains and gains through neuroscience insights.
• Elevate your projects with proven strategies for maximum impact.

This session is ideal for professionals involved in proposal preparation, project implementation, and procurement for EC-funded opportunities, providing essential guidance to align your practices with the new PRAG 2025 regulations, ensuring compliance, competitiveness, and up-to-date knowledge.

The training will cover:

• A review of the most recent additions and clarifications shared by INTPA in May 2025
• Updates to procurement documents and procedures for Service Contracts
• Commentary on the practical impact of these changes for implementers
• Live Q&A with Gabriele Bendazzi, Procurement Centre Coordinator at IBF Group

This session will provide an overview of the current humanitarian architecture, exploring how crisis response is structured and coordinated at the global, regional, and national levels. We will analyze recent shifts in humanitarian coordination mechanisms, the roles of key actors, and the challenges in crisis activation and response. We will also introduce the United Nations Cluster System and the Triple Nexus approach (humanitarian- development-peace), which is increasingly shaping crisis response strategies. We will have room for questions and/or a brief debate with participants at the end of the presentation.

Structure:

• Introduction: What is humanitarian coordination, and why does it matter?
• Humanitarian architecture overview: the UN Cluster System, roles and responsibilities of national governments, UN agencies, donors, and civil society coordination mechanisms at global, regional, and local levels
• Key Trends and Changes in recent years: How has the humanitarian coordination landscape evolved?; challenges in crisis response, including bureaucratic constraints and funding gaps
• The Triple Nexus Approach
• Case study on integrating humanitarian action, development, and peacebuilding
• Discussion and Questions: Space for participants to engage in debate and share experiences

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain a comprehensive understanding of humanitarian coordination structures
• Learn who is responsible for crisis activation and coordination
• Understand how the UN Cluster System operates in practice
• Explore the Triple Nexus approach and its implications for future crises
• Identify key challenges and trends shaping humanitarian response

Additional Resources:

Participants will receive supporting materials, including:

• Key UN and NGO reports on humanitarian coordination and the Triple Nexus
• Case studies illustrating coordination challenges and successes
• Practical tools for navigating the Cluster System and Nexus programming
• Recommended readings on future trends in crisis management

Cette session de formation s'adresse aux organisations ou professionnels œuvrant dans le cadre du développement international et sur des projets de coopération, pour renforcer leurs capacités en termes de méthodologie de conception et planification de projets de développement.Cette formation permettra aux participants d'enrichir leurs connaissances d'un ensemble de méthodes de planification stratégique incluant l'analyse SWOT et des parties prenantes, l'arbre à problèmes, l'arbre à objectifs, les approches ascendantes et descendantes, l'approche et le développement du cadre logique. Quelles sont les intérêts de cette formation ?

L'ensemble de ces méthodes permettra aux acteurs bénéficiant de cette formation de rendre la conception des projets de développement et de coopération dont ils ont la charge plus pertinente et mieux adaptée au contexte du pays, à la stratégie sectorielle du gouvernement et aux attentes des bailleurs et parties prenantes. De ce fait, les projets auront de meilleurs impacts et une plus grande durabilité.

This session will explore core protection principles in humanitarian action and how to effectively integrate them into programming. Participants will learn the difference between mainstreaming protection across sectors versus designing standalone protection interventions. The session will also address risk management, distinguishing between contextual risks (external threats) and programmatic risks (risks associated with programs by NGOs, UN Agencies and other external actors). Special attention will be given to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), one of the most critical programmatic risks, with a focus on prevention and response mechanisms. There will be room for questions and/or a brief debate with participants at the end of the presentation.

Structure:

1. Introduction to Protection: the centrality of protection in development and humanitarian responses, key protection principles: do no harm, accountability, participation, and non-discrimination, mainstreaming vs. standalone protection programs
2. Risk management: contextual risks (security threats, armed conflict, political instability, economic and socio-political crises); programmatic risks (operational gaps, ethical risks, SEA, harm to affected communities); tools for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks.
3. Deep Dive: Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) Prevention and Response: what is SEA, and why is it a non-negotiable risk in humanitarian and development settings?; preventive measures: codes of conduct, PSEA policies, and reporting mechanisms; survivor-centered response: ensuring access to support services and accountability mechanisms.
4. Discussion and Questions: Open space for debate

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand protection as a fundamental pillar of any response
• Differentiate between protection mainstreaming and standalone protection interventions
• Learn how to identify and mitigate contextual and programmatic risks
• Gain knowledge of SEA risks, prevention strategies, and response mechanisms

Additional resources:

Participants will receive supporting materials, including:

• Key UN and NGO guidelines on protection and risk management
• Case studies on protection challenges and mitigation strategies
• Practical risk assessment tools for humanitarian programming
• PSEA policies, reporting templates, and survivor-centered response guidelines

Cette session de formation s'adresse aux organisations ou aux professionnels travaillant dans le cadre de projets de développement et de coopération internationale, afin de renforcer leurs capacités en matière de suivi de ces projets. 

Quelles connaissances les participants auront-ils acquises et quels intérêts auront-ils tirés de cette formation ?

À l'issue de cette formation, les participants seront en mesure de participer activement au suivi des projets de développement international. Ils auront acquis des connaissances théoriques et pratiques sur le processus de suivi, son positionnement dans le cycle de gestion de projet, les indicateurs pertinents et les outils de suivi. Ils seront ainsi en mesure d'assurer le suivi des projets de développement dont ils ont la charge en appréciant de manière objective, sur la base d'indicateurs spécifiés dans les cadres logiques, leur état d'avancement et leur niveau d'atteinte des objectifs.

Change can create resistance, but also incredible momentum if handled the right way.

In this course, you will discover how to lead teams through change by combining neuroscience insights with creative leadership techniques. Learn how to turn uncertainty into opportunity and build teams that are ready to embrace transformation.

Master the art of leading change with neuroscience and creativity:

• Understand the brain's response to change using the change curve.
• Adopt a bold, innovative mindset to rethink challenges.
• Guide teams through transitions with effective, brain-friendly strategies.
• Build team resilience and alignment during uncertain times.