CAF launched the second edition of the Professional Certificate in Governance and Public Innovation

CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, announced the second edition of the Professional Certificate in Governance and Public Innovation, to be held in an online format, which aims to strengthen the capacities and skills of those who work in public administration, the private sector and civil society in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal. It will address fundamental issues for those who work in functions related to the design and formulation of public policies in our region and want to improve the state-citizen relationship. Some of the topics that will be discussed in the program of study will be Public Innovation, Govtech, Open State, Digital Transformation, Gender and Social Inclusion, Agile Methodologies, Circular Economy, Smart Cities, Urban Mobility, among other topics, within the framework of the SDG 2030.

Stacy Richards-Kennedy, Regional Manager for the Caribbean of CAF, expressed: "If you are interested in improving the institutions of your country and would like to sharpen your skills by equipping yourself with the tools that help you to improve policy formulation by putting the needs of society at the center, this is the program for you...It was and still is the only regional program of its kind with students from countries across the region speaking three languages simultaneously and sharing ideas and experiences".

The course begins on May 2 and will end on November 30, 2023. It will require a dedication of 150 hours and will be taught in Spanish, English and Portuguese. It will have a mixed modality, in which 60% of the training will be delivered by CAF virtually, while the remaining 40% will be delivered by the University of West Indies in the Caribbean.

During the course, participants will work in groups and present a project with an impact on their community, using the Design Thinking methodology to develop it. The best project per country will participate in the final virtual "bootcamp" incubation stage, where the project will be improved to have funding potential. In the first edition (2022) more than 1,700 people participated and 1,300 students from 19 countries in the region graduated. More than 300 projects were submitted, of which 16 were finalists.

Bernardo Requena, CAF representative in Trinidad and Tobago explained during the online launch of the certificate: "The main objective of this certificate is to strengthen the capacities in different skills such as public innovation, governments, public management, in order to promote transformational leadership and prepare our students to promote the necessary leadership to face the current and future challenge of the region".

The registration process is completely online and is open until May 14, with the participation of prestigious academic institutions in each of the countries:

Barbados - The University of West Indies

Jamaica - The University of West Indies

Trinidad and Tobago - The University of West Indies

Dominican Republic - Santo Domingo Institute of Technology

Argentina - Catholic University of Cordoba

Bolivia - Private University of Valle

Brazil - Getulio Vargas Foundation

Chile - Central University of Chile

Colombia - Externado University of Colombia

Costa Rica - FLACSO

Ecuador - Polytechnic School of Litoral

El Salvador - Diplomatic Institute "Doctor José Gustavo Guerrero".

Spain - Complutense University of Madrid

Honduras - Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University

Mexico - University of Guadalajara

Panama - ADEN School of Government

Paraguay - Columbia University of Paraguay

Peru - Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

Portugal - University of Lisbon (to start in September 2023)

Uruguay - University of Montevideo

Venezuela - Andrés Bello Catholic University

CAF subsidizes between 80% and 95% of the diploma so that the cost is accessible to those interested. Participants who pass the proposed activities will receive the digital and shareable certificate of Diploma in Governance and Public Innovation (CAF-UWI).

You can watch the launching event by clicking here.