Training and Study Tours

IPC-IG carries out extensive training  as a means of bringing together researchers and policymakers, under the spirit of South-South learning. Our training programme is tailored for policymakers in developing countries and UNDP specialists. This webpage highlights our training sessions and Study Tours that cover a wide array of topics in the development field.

• Training Sessions
• Study Tours
• Recent Study Tours

Training Sessions

Implementation of CCT Programmes: International Comparisons

The course was held in Syria on the processes of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of national cash transfer programme in Syria, learning from successful experiences of other developing countries.

Training Course on Econometric Methods for Impact Evaluation

In partnership with the Federal Accounts Court (TCU) and the Statistics Department at the University of Brasilia, IPC-IG organised a Training Course on Impact Evaluation. It gathered more than 60 government representatives, the academia and the UN. Training sessions were carried out by IPC-IG and Ipea researchers.

State of the World Economy (SOWE)

IPC-IG organised intensive training sessions on an innovative global macroeconomic model in Campinas, Brazil; Beijing, China; and New Delhi, India as part of the State of the World Economy (SOWE) research and training programme.

The Millennium Development Goals: Beyond Averages 2007

In conjunction with the IADB, UNDP Honduras, and INE Honduras, IPC-IG held the training workshop "The Millennium Development Goals: Beyond Averages 2007" for Latin American statisticians and policymakers in July in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This workshop gathered representatives from seven Central American countries and UNDP Country Offices. More information available in Spanish and English here.  

A similar training workshop, The Millennium Development Goals: Beyond Averages, was held in October 2006 in Brasilia and was attended by government officials from nine Latin American countries, mainly Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Peru, holding leadership positions in national institutes of statistics or in ministries related to the MDGs, and by specialists from several UN agencies. More information available in Spanish, Portuguese and English here.

Course on the Measurement of Income Inequality and Poverty

Jointly with the University of Brasilia IPC-IG promoted a course on the Measurement of Income Inequality and Poverty from August through November 2007 for a mixed public. Training sessions were carried out by IPC researchers.

Policy Evaluation Training Course

In September 2007, IPC-IG organized a training course on Policy Evaluation at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, for researchers and statisticians from Central American countries.

Modelling the World Economy

IPC-IG organized a four-day training workshop on a world macroeconomic model, called "Modelling the World Economy", at the University of Campinas during 17-20 October 2006. Workshop trainees included researchers on economics from universities throughout Brazil. Co-sponsors were the University's Economics Department and the Cambridge Endowment for Research on Finance.

Poverty Analysis: Measurements and Applications

IPC-IG sponsored two of its staff members, including its principal researcher, to present a five-day advanced training course in October 2006 in Beijing for Chinese researchers and government officials on "Poverty Analysis: Measurements and Applications". The course was hosted by the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) and the China Agricultural University.

Skills Building Workshop on Poverty and Social Analysis (PSIA)

A Skills Building Workshop on Poverty and Social Analysis (PSIA) was organized by IPC-IG and the World Bank in December 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop gathered government representatives responsible for the implementation of Poverty reduction strategies, researchers from national institutes, UNDP Country Office staff members and economists from UNDP and the World Bank. It was conceived as a means of raising awareness of and interest for PSIA analysis, developing participants' capacities to identify the appropriate methods and tools to conduct PSIAs, creating a forum to share relevant experiences and lessons learned from existing methodologies, and establishing a community of practice to contribute to the development of PSIAs.

Social Policy Evaluation

IPC-IG offered on 7-8 August 2006 a training course on "Social Policy Evaluation" at the Universidad Nacional San Martin in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which was part of a Masters programme on Public Policy Evaluation. IPC-IG continues to develop its expertise on impact evaluation, particularly of social policies, such as cash transfers.

For further information on other Training Sessions organized by IPC-IG, please click here.

Study Tours

Introduction

Study Tours hosted by IPC-IG aim to provide training on poverty and inclusive growth issues and promote partnerships to fight poverty through advocacy and capacity building. They represent one of our efforts on building South-South dialogue and are aligned with UNDP’s capacity development priorities.

Target audience

Government officials from developing countries and representatives of UNDP Country Offices, Regional Centres and other units.

Training areas

Training sessions cover a wide array of inclusive growth issues related to our research programmes, such as:

• Social Protection and Cash Transfers
• Social Inclusion
• Pro-poor and Inequality-reducing Policies
• Labour Market, Racial Discrimination and Employment Policies
• Macroeconomic Policies
• Equitable Access to Basic Services
• Poverty Measurement and Monitoring

Venue

Training sessions are held at our office in Brasilia, Brazil. Field visits are also organised according to the learning goals of each Study Tour.

Organisation

Study Tours are held on a demand-driven basis and follow the process given below:

• UNDP Country Offices or Government agencies request IPC-IG’s training support on a specific poverty-related topic and submit the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the training activities;

• IPC-IG analyses the request and the Terms of Reference according to our schedule and the availability of our researchers;

• UNDP Country Offices or Government agencies select the participants of the Study Tour;

• IPC-IG elaborates the agenda of meetings and training sessions by liaising with partners related to the issues raised by the TOR. Examples of partners that have recently contributed to training sessions are: Ipea; the Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger (MDS); Afro-Brazilian Business Incubator; the Institute of Socioeconomic Studies (INESC);  the University of Brasilia; and the Federal Senate.

• IPC-IG researchers - with support our partners - provide training through workshops and meetings.

Timing and selection process

Study Tours are hosted by IPC-IG throughout the year according to the demand and our schedule.

Requests should be made by e-mail or fax to the Focal Point at IPC-IG and should necessarily include the Terms of Reference for the Study Tour (refer to a standard TOR below).

Focal Point

Mr. Francisco Filho
Communications Officer
E-mail: francisco.filho@ipc-undp.org
Telephone number: + 55 61 2105 2036

Financial issues

Participants’ travel and accommodation expenses are covered by the UNDP Country Office or Government agency requesting the training programme as well as any travel expenses by IPC-IG staff members supporting the Study Tour.

IPC-IG may charge an administration fee for organising the Study Tours and providing training sessions.

Post-training follow-up activities

Following the completion of the Study Tour, participants are required to submit a report describing the learning results of the training sessions and practical recommendations. The report should be also presented in a post-Study Tour debriefing workshop involving several national government agencies, UNDP specialists and civil society representatives.

APPENDIX

1. Standard Terms of Reference for a Study Tour

A Terms of Reference should include the following information:

1. Background and need: institutional information on the agency requesting the Study Tour; general description of the learning goals; and their importance to the demanding country and agency;
2. Key issues to be studied: description of the questions the Study Tour will help answer;
3. Expected training results: detailed information on the purpose and objectives of the training activity; description of the expected specific measurable outputs of the Study Tour; format of the report to be submitted by the participants after the Study Tour;
4. Composition and training methodology: justification of the destination country and host institution; training methodology (description of the type of institutions that should be involved – NGOs, research centres, government agencies, international organisations -, and of the format of the training sessions (discussion rounds, seminars, field visits); estimated timing and duration of the Study Tour;
5. Participants and selection criteria: description of the potential participants, their posts and institutions and the relevance of the same for the country’s development agenda;
6. Focal points: contact details of the focal points at the Country Office and / or at the Government agency requesting the Study Tour.
   

Recent Study Tours

Uganda-Brazil Study Tour on Social Development

The first high-level delegation of Uganda to visit Brazil for exchanges on social protection and inclusive growth participated in a full-week programme in March 2012 in Brasilia. The Uganda Delegation*, which was composed of ten senior government representatives – including Cabinet Ministers, will participate in a series of learning sessions, presentations and field visits with the aim of fostering knowledge exchanges around successful policy interventions aimed at reducing inequality and tackling extreme poverty via productive inclusion and cash transfers.

Study Tour on Social Cohesion - South Africa - Brazil Dialogue

South Africa is currently developing a strategy for social cohesion and nation-building and Brazil’s policy innovations to address poverty and inequality reduction, social protection, cultural diversity and racial inequality can be very informative to the policy discussion in the partner emerging country. The Study Tour took place on 7 – 11 November 2011 in Brasilia and Formosa (Goiás State) and was an initiative by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa and organized by IPC-IG.

China-Brazil: Broadening the Cooperation Agenda on Social Protection

The Study Tour aims at promoting knowledge sharing and best practices on social protection in Brazil and China. The Study Tour represents an important step for the exchange of social protection experiences between the China and Brazil, within a context of growing economic and political ties. A wide dissemination of the results of this learning experience will be promoted at the global level. China-Brazil: Broadening the Cooperation Agenda on Social Protection is under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between IPC-IG and IPRCC;  accordingly, 2009 is to be nominated the Social Protection Year. The Study Tour is to be held on 24-26 August in Brasilia.

Study Tour on Evaluation and Monitoring of Social Policies: Cooperation Agenda Brazil-Venezuela

During five days, participants of the Study Tour on Evaluation and Monitoring of Social Policies: Cooperation Agenda Brazil-Venezuela engaged in a series of lectures, discussion rounds, presentations and seminars by IPC-IG and Ipea specialists as wells as representatives from the Brazilian Government, NGOs and UN agencies in Brazil. Training sessions aimed at fostering policy discussion on evaluation of social programmes, social and human development indicators, and the Brazilian and Venezuelan experiences on social protection and promotion. Participants came from the National Statistics Office of Venezuela, the Fundación Escuela de Gerencia Social, the Venezuelan Planning and Development Ministry, and UNDP Venezuela.

Study Tour of the Africa-Brazil Cooperation Programme on Social Development

Representatives of six African countries, the African Union, NEPAD and the African Development Bank took part in a Study Tour to Brazil sponsored by the Africa-Brazil Cooperation Programme on Social Development. The African delegates participated in a series of lectures and presentations by Brazilian government representatives and IPC-IG specialists. Discussion rounds were held to foster the exchange of policy experiences among the participants and help design innovative social promotion and protections schemes. Meetings took place in Brasilia and Recife, where the participants had direct contact with the beneficiaries of social programmes and learned from the implementation of social policies in the field through a series of field visits.

Study Tour on Participatory Budgeting and Planning

IPC-IG hosted representatives of People's Republic of Bangladesh to the Study Tour on Participatory Budgeting and Planning on 17-24 August 2008. The mission was composed of four senior Bangladeshi government officials. The purpose of this Study Tour was to provide the Bangladeshi government officials with training sessions and knowledge-sharing opportunities on Brazilian experiences with local governments and participatory budgeting. The focus of the discussions was on the impact of increased popular participation in the decision making process and its impacts onto sustainable development and poverty reduction through the empowerment of poor people. Meetings took place in Brasilia and Belo Horizonte and involved the academia, representatives from the Brazilian government, international organisations, and several other stakeholders involved in participatory planning processes.

Mission of the Government of the Republic of South Africa: A South-South Dialogue on Social Protection

The Mission of the Government of the Republic of South Africa: A South-South Dialogue on Social Protection took place on 28 March - 5 April 2008 in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. The mission focused on social policies in comparative perspective and case studies for tackling child poverty.  IPC-IG organised seminars, discussions with Ipea experts, meetings with Brazilian government officials, UNDP and UNICEF representatives, and donor agencies. IPC-IG also facilitated field visits to the Afro-Brazilian Business Incubator in Rio de Janeiro.

Study Tour on Social Policies for Ethnic Minorities

IPC-IG hosted 11 representatives from the Vietnamese government as part of the Study Tour on Social Policies for Ethnic Minorities in Brasilia from 26 November to 5 December 2007. The purpose of the mission was to provide training to the Vietnamese officials on innovative and successful social protection and development policies for ethnic minorities. The focus was on self-help programmes for the poor. Additionally, the Study Tour provided an opportunity for an exchange of knowledge and experiences on such policies between Latin America and Southeast Asia in general.

Learning Tour on Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction

In July 2007 IPC-IG hosted the Learning Tour on Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction of officials from the Tanzanian Ministry of Planning, Economy and Empowerment, which participated in a series of seminars with IPC-IG and Ipea researchers and meetings with Brazilian government representatives.

For further information on other Study Tours organised by IPC-IG, please click here.