Project Design Certification Programme
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Project Design Certification Programme
8 June–24 July 2026
The course is available in English
Introduction to the course
Do you want to learn how to design and write successful projects? Are you interested in laying a solid basis for all skills pertinent to Project Cycle Management and Results Based Management? Are you ready to build skills the hard way but also learn how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) as your support? Then, this is the right course: The Project Design Certification Programme will train you in writing project proposals for donor funding including through innovative funding sources. It equips you with a toolkit for analysis, design, planning, governance and monitoring of your project including AI tools. At the end of the course every participant has completed a full project proposal ready for submission to a funder. It will build your capacity to confidently use tools to analyse the context, propose convincing and sound strategies which are based on solid planning and use AI to help you implement your newly acquired skills. By sponsoring participants on this certification programme, and thus professionalizing and certifying their staff, organizations will strengthen their institutional capacity to translate their mission into real change on the ground for their beneficiaries. It wills support them to withstand the challenges posed by an increasingly competitive space that calls for innovative approaches to make development a reality.
Who attends this course?
This course is for aspiring proposal writers and fundraisers, and for those with practice but who want to consolidate their skill and equip themselves with a sound knowledge base. It is our foundational course that will provide you with the solid basis to continue to all other disciplines such as Monitoring and Evaluation, Project Management, Financial Management and so on. If you are a technical specialist, a project coordinator, a project manager or and assistant, if you work for an international organisation, government on central or local level, an NGOs, a philanthropic organisation - if you want to learn how to write good projects and acquire a solid basis in Results Based Management, then this course is for you.
Why a project design certification programme?
This certification serves as a standalone that shows you possess the knowledge and skills to write a complete project proposal. The certification is also a good the basis for any further specialisation that you may want to pursue in project and programme cycle management.
Organizations rely on their staff to develop and implement projects in their respective areas of specialization while they often lack this specific skill. The project management skill is a key competence that enables organisations to mobilise funding and act for change through well designed and managed project. This certification programme contributes to closing the skills gap in the development sector.
After all, a well-written project document is the first step in ensuring project success, and is the best entry point for fundraising and partnership building.
What will I be able to do?
- Identify project opportunities for an organization
- Use a set of tools and techniques to identify, design, plan, and budget projects
- Use Artificial Intelligence responsibly and effectively to enhance your project design and writing skills
- Develop a full project document and mobilize resources
- Identify potential partnerships for your project
Why should I join?
The certification programme is organised in a blended modality. It includes a distance learning phase followed by a one-week workshop in Turin on the United Nations Campus under the umbrella of the 2026 Development Cooperation Academy.
For more information on the Academy please click on the following link
Once participants have completed the workshop, they will then work remotely with the assistance of an expert on a final project and receive their certification. The entire programme consists of approximately 70 hours of learning.
Moreover:
- Project design skills are essential for development professionals.
- Employers who sponsor participants will receive ready-to-use project documents.
- Participants receive a professional certificate attesting to their project design skills.
- The programme is designed and delivered by project management experts and practitioners.
- Participatory activities include self-guided modules, an online forum, practical assignments, coaching and tutoring.
- Participants receive permanent access to the Project Design Toolkit.
What certification will I get as a successful candidate?
- Upon successful completion of the Academy, participants receive a Certificate of Achievement in their chosen discipline.
- This certificate shows that you have fulfilled all assignments, knowledge tests and other prerequisites to a minimum standard.
- The complete effort amounts to 70 hours of learning.
- The certificate is a digital certificate which is protected by block-chain technology and can be displayed on social media.
Diploma
The certifications form part of the ITCILO Diploma for Development Cooperation Specialists:
