The world organization United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and the Barcelona Provincial Council, through the Observatory for Decentralized Cooperation and UCLG Learning, are launching an online training under the name "Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Tools for Local Transformation".
This online course, with the collaboration of UN-Habitat and UNDP, responds to local and regional governments' need around the world to address the challenge of adopting the 2030 Agenda and implementing the SDGs in their territories.
In this sense, the course aims to train and provide tools for local and regional governments (LRGs) and their associations to implement and adapt the SDGs at the local level, a process known as "localizing the SDGs".
In order to enable the participation of as many countries as possible, the course will be available in three languages: Spanish, English and French. This entails a greater diversity of visions and experiences that can only enrich the training.
This training is based on the road map developed by the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, UNDP-Art and UN-Habitat, to assist local and regional governments in formulating national policies to create an enabling environment for action at the national, local and regional levels.
Target audience:
The training program is intended primarily for technical and political authorities in the fields of international relations, development cooperation, public policy planning or any other field of government work related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It also encourages the participation of profiles that guide and manage sustainable local development policies or programs at other levels.
Course objectives:
By the end of the course, participants will be able to conduct SDG-compliant policies and align their municipal or regional action plans with the 2030 Agenda. Thanks to the theoretical foundations and the applied experience, the following skills are sought:
- Identify new international challenges and challenges facing local and regional governments;
- Ensure ownership of the 2030 Agenda by local and regional governments around the world;
- Identify the benefits of localizing the SDGs;
- Internalize the leadership culture of local and regional governments to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs;
- Gain knowledge in the managing of initiatives and instruments for localizing the SDGs: planning tools, advocacy tools, project implementation tools and monitoring and evaluation tools;
- Share different real life experiences of localizing the SDGs;
- Contribute to strengthening the global alliance for sustainable development.
Syllabus:
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Chapter 2: Awareness raising, advocacy and dialogue for the localization of the SDGs
Chapter 3: Localizing the SDGs. Aligning local and regional development plans
Chapter 4: Preparation of the National and Local Voluntary Reports on the SDGs
Course design:
The aim is to tap into the richness and heterogeneity of the political, social and territorial landscape through the participants' exchange of experience.
The focus is on learning by doing and getting acquainted with real policies, good practices and case studies from all over the world.
A laboratory of ideas is generated for local governments as well as a forum for debate and discussion on issues related to the localization of the SDGs
Methodology:
The training is designed taking into account that the profile of the participants is entirely that of people who have a professional activity. It is not mandatory to be connected to the Campus at specific times, so each participant may adapt the schedules of the activities to their own agenda.
Furthermore, this online course is clearly designed to be practical. Accordingly, there is a strong bias towards activities, most notably those that generate a substantive debate and interaction between the participants. The aim is that the participants' own experience operates as a pillar on which the training is structured. This combination makes it possible to delve deeper into the content through critical analysis, while encouraging the application of concepts and tools.
Before starting the training as such, the course includes a Module 0 that introduces students to the dynamics and strategies of online training. This enables them to get acquainted with the virtual work environment and its main tools for communication and interaction with the group. Likewise, there will be a teacher and a reference tutor to walk the group through the course materials and activities associated with each subject.
Admission criteria:
A total of 35 places are offered for each of the three language modalities (English, Spanish and French). The course carries no cost for participants since it is fully funded by the Barcelona Provincial Council and UCLG.
Any person, regardless of nationality and whose professional activity consists of managing public development policies in any country may enroll in the course. Once all applications have been received, the Evaluation Panel will review the different profiles and decide who are the 35 individuals selected for each of the three modalities. The selection process will take into account the adjustment to the target audience profile described above and it will attempt to ensure a balanced composition of the group with as many different countries as possible. All course registrants will receive an email at the end of the process informing them if they have been selected or not.
The training will take place over 3 months and will have a total duration equivalent to 63 teaching hours.
Key dates:
September 17, 2019: End of registration period
September 30, 2019: Beginning of the course
December 22, 2019: Course completion
Contact: ocd.bcn@diba.cat / learning@uclg.org
