ADVANCED SPECIALISATION COURSE

FOR INTEGRATED AND

INTERNATIONALISED TERRITORIAL
DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS
ART PROGRAM IN SUPPORT OF THEMATIC AND
TERRITORIAL NETWORKS
UNDP, UNESCO, UNOPS

INTRODUCTION
In the last few years, there has been a steady increase in demand for training of territorial
development officials. In fact, governments in many countries have implemented or extended
decentralised local development policies as a structural part of national anti-poverty strategies.
New intermediate decentralised governance bodies have been set up to link municipal
development processes with national policies and institutions.

These reforms, backed by the framework programmes, reflect new international tendencies
identifying internationalised local development as the best strategy to tackle the great social,
environmental and economic challenges of the new millennium.
Over the last few years, in response to the challenges posed by globalisation, local
administrations, universities, NGOs, the private sector and other development organisations have
formed an extensive network of local development experiences, which inspired the policy goals of
the Millennium Summit. In many countries running human development framework programmes,
governments have asked the United Nations to boost training activities for development officers,
so that policies can be consolidated by professional officers capable of devising, planning and
managing integrated internationalised territorial development processes.

With these premises, the course aims to: help improve the capacity of officials to read, interpret
and manage territorial resources and gain specific development know-how; help find new means
of sustainable environmental, economic, social, and political-institutional development; stimulate a
process of ongoing training and learning, which could then be included in national higher
education systems. In terms of development programs, the course provides an opportunity to
capitalize on the numerous specific qualified local development experiences developed through
the active collaboration of European universities, administrative officials and technical experts
engaged in decentralized cooperation. Specific topics in the training modules are chosen in
relation to the needs of a country’s national and local institutions. Also taken into account are the
training experiences and practices already developed in specific countries and territories, so that
they may be pooled into a knowledge base and placed at the disposal of all interested parties.
The course was devised and set up by the International ART Program Secretariat (UNDP, UNESCO,
UNOPS). The course will be coordinated by CIRCLE (Centre for International Local Economic
Development Cooperation) at the Federico II University of Naples (Italy). CIRCLE will be
collaborating with the International Secretariat for Human Development and Democratic
Governance (ISHDDG) of York University, Toronto (Canada), and with an important international
university network.

COURSE CHARACTERISTICS
The course can be requested by ministries responsible for promoting and running local
decentralization and development processes, which coordinate human development programmes.
The course has a nationwide dimension and can be used by these ministries as a tool for
improving capacity for territorial development planning and management in all regions,
departments or provinces of their countries.

The course is designed to provide training for a group of 50 local government officials and experts
(from regions, departments, etc) that work in the field of territorial development planning and
management. In countries with partnership strategies involving public and private sectors,
representatives of associations playing an important role in regional development processes will
also be invited to attend the course. In general, participants will have management duties and will
be in possession of higher education qualifications.
Programmes of study are elaborated in conjunction with the country’s ministries, local authorities
and universities, to establish what and how many subjects to include the modules, in accordance
with national priorities, operational procedures, local authorities and participants, qualifications
and necessary resources.
These activities will also look into the possibility of involving other international cooperation
organisations in training processes or action research to be carried out in the areas where
participants come from.

APPROACH
The course adopts an approach that reflects the practices of the human development, based on
the following principles:
• Human development understood as sustainable equal social development, based on
empowerment, acknowledgment of the vital role people play in decision making and
operational processes, and universal right of citizenship regardless of sex, race, religion or
political ideas.
• Participation of all social and political-institutional territorial representations in strategic and
operational decisions, to foster local social capacity building, which is the basis of all best
territorial development practices.
• Strengthening of community cultural identity to facilitate acknowledgement of the
resources available and prevent uncritical adoption of incompatible models and
technologies • Collective learning to build and spread local knowledge, creating synergy for
the accumulation of new knowledge.
• Governance as a way of building local cooperative networks, to exchange views, establish
strategic and operational pacts, implement planned strategic initiatives and liaise with
international and national institutions and resources.
• Internationalisation of territorial development processes, to promote new relations,
knowledge exchange, culture, solidarity, trade and sustainable development based on
common interest Conceptual and methodological coherence, which is an important
ingredient of the various thematic modules of the course, will be guaranteed, in the
planning phase, by the international Secretariat in conjunction with all concerned.

METHODOLOGY
The course is split into two parts:
1. a general section, dealing with topics concerning territorial development aimed at regional
government officials and experts responsible for planning and management of territorial
development processes;
2. a specialised section, dealing with specific topics, aimed at both general management staff
and those responsible for specific areas.
Each part is divided into thematic modules, which are organised into four 4 weekly sessions to
facilitate participation by officials and experts. Each session involves specific workshops or
seminars.

Each thematic module consists of:

• Theoretical and practical lessons given by a university professor from the ART university
network, with the aim of providing operational tools for the management of teaching processes.
• Theoretical and practical lessons given by a local foreign authority officials and experts involved
in decentralization cooperation, with the aim of providing operational tools for the management of
territorial
processes and services
• Group simulations.
• Workshops (action research) in areas interested in putting into practice the knowledge and
operational instruments acquired during the course. These activities research can benefit from
technical and financial support given by local authorities through decentralised cooperation.
To ensure a coherent approach, all modules are planned according to a standardized procedure
involving:
• Presentation of specific topics reflecting major international tendencies and the conclusions of
United
Nations summits
• Presentation of specific topics reflecting the concepts of human and territorial development
• Illustration of the main methods and tools used in strategic planning and territorial management
in the
specific topic area
• Presentation of territorial governance structures needed for territorial management in the
specific topic
area.
In planning of training activities, the university or international teaching institution will be always
supported by
a representative of the university of the country concerned, to put the activities in context and
facilitate
knowledge exchange and transfer.
An important added value of the course is that the country’s universities can include the syllabus
in their own courses. Teaching staff will include international professors, local professors,
representatives of local foreign authorities involved in decentralization cooperation, and
representatives of the United Nations and international cooperation.
During the planning phase in a specific country, national universities can make a valuable
contribution by making available books and materials on current policies, laws and initiatives
relating to the topics on the course syllabus. The study of these materials could form an integral
part of each course module.

Depending on available resources, the course will be accompanied by special events such as
conferences, given by international experts or course professors, and press conferences.

COURSE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

On the basis of information provided by the International Secretariat, competent national
authorities can ask for a course to be organized in their country. In this event, the Secretariat
organizes a planning mission and establishes contact with any national authorities and universities
that will be taking part in course activities.
Based on the results of the mission, the Secretariat proposes a course programme, a syllabus for
each module, the number of sessions and seminars for each module, and any subsequent
workshops. The proposal will also include a list of teachers and experts who will be responsible for
teaching the modules and sessions.
A second mission to the country is organised to discuss and finalise the proposal, establish the
details of the course and work out all aspects with national authorities and universities. This
includes details of any action research to be carried in accordance with specific local authorities
and other national associations.
After this second mission, the Secretariat coordinates preparations for teaching activities and
teachers’ plans for modules and sessions, including didactic materials and bibliography.
The course is to be held in accordance with an agreed program. Didactic activities will be filmed
and edited so that they may be used in future national or international editions of the course.
COURSE MODULES
GENERAL MODULES
Development, international cooperation and new multilateralism.
The strategic role of sustainable internationalised territorial development. Course Introduction; the
reason for territorial development in the era of globalisation; the outcome of major United Nations
summits and the new development platform; main characteristics of territorial development
processes (social capital, identity, integrated development); human development, territorial
development and ethics; sustainable territorial development processes; the role of international
cooperation

Governance and strategic planning of territorial development.

Creation of a “favourable development environment“ and fostering trust between institutions and
the population; historical heritage embracing ‘minor’ artistic and architectural manifestations,
traditional farming, material culture, immaterial culture, and landscape emergencies as the basis
for ecological development; the concept of strategic planning as tool for promoting governance of
territorial development processes; the importance of an integrated and inter-sectorial approach;
partnerships involving public, private and social sectors; participation process and methods to
develop them; new governance and monitoring tools for development projects and goals; role of
multilateral cooperation and decentralization cooperation partnerships as backup instruments for
local internationalised development.

Social and economic territorial development.

Exploitation of endogenous potential; competitive processes and social inclusion; economic
development and the service system; local health, education, environment and territorial service
systems; governance of economic and social territorial development processes and methods that
foster a favourable environment for local and internationalised development, so as to reduce
conflicts that risk degenerating into violence.

THEMATIC MODULES

Strategic planning processes and structures.

Definition of main characteristics of strategic development plans and tools for governing strategic
territorial planning processes; strategic territorial exploration and systematic interpretation; joint
local development policymaking; planning and management of integrated territorial development
projects; instruments for territorial development governance.

Economic development strategies and tools.

Local economic development and globalisation; aims, goals and available strategies; endogenous
development and attracting external resources; territorial value chain as a resource for permanent
development and employment; techniques for improving competitiveness and internal
cooperation; territorial development and small and medium-sized businesses (cooperative
networks, trade associations, districts, competitive systems); organisation of service systems: non-
funded services and financial services, international experience and best practice (from Europe
and the rest of the world); economic sensitisation of social inclusion and the fight against poverty;
local development agencies; governance of processes and sustainability.

Exploiting historical and cultural heritage.

• Territorial heritage as a driving force for development process;
• historical heritage and territorial identity; participatory resource inventories; planning and
development of
• heritage regeneration projects; governance of processes exploiting historical territorial
heritage.

Exploiting environmental territorial resources.

The great challenges posed by UN summits and the role of environmental territorial development;
the territorial approach in present-day issues, water, deforestation, soil degradation, pollution;
renewable energy; governance of environmental territorial development processes.

Eco-tourism and internationalised development.

New international tendencies; the role of eco-tourism as a driving force for territorial development;
participatory reading of tourist resources; development of territorial tourist development plans;
territorial marketing; territorial structures and services for the promotion and management of
tourist development.

Emergency prevention, planning and responses.

Extent of the problem and new international tendencies; role of local communities; participatory
reading of territorial risks; critical recuperation of locally consolidated prevention techniques;
development of territorial plans for preventing emergencies, contingency plans and responses
within the framework of national services and policies; dissemination of information as an
instrument for reducing damage before, during and after emergency situations; territorial
structures for governing the process.

Planning and management of local health and welfare service systems.

Integrated approach to the management of health and social protection problems; the structural
connection between health, social protection and economic development.
Part 1. Analysis of existing services and prospects for possible reorganization in terms of local
health systems; finance, administration, planning, supply, technologies and integrated
management; services and programs for medical and surgical emergencies, the fight against
infectious diseases (HIV, malaria, TB, diarrhoea, etc), maternity and infancy, social diseases.
Part 2. Analysis of existing services and prospects for possible reorganization in terms of welfare.
Human development, polities aimed at fighting social exclusion and measures to activate the
population and beneficiaries. Protection of vulnerable groups: orphans, minorities, the old and
infirm, evacuees, refugees, war victims and others. Mental health systems, end of
institutionalisation and development of new territorial alternatives.

Planning and management of local education systems.

Analysis of existing school systems and possible reorganisation in terms of local education
systems; education and human development; planning and management of education systems
that do not discriminate and include all local children; integration of specific programmes and
projects (such as those concerning truancy, bilingualism, literacy) into territorial educational
systems; new pedagogical tendencies and the active role of new generations; role of schools in
territorial development processes.

Territorial marketing.
Territorial marketing within the framework of territorial development policies. The meaning of
territorial marketing; roles, strategic and operational goals, major players in territorial marketing;
strategic positioning (analysis of territorial supply and demand, internal and external demand,
external and internal demand balance, demand segmentation; intangible supply assets, tangible
assets, ‘unique’ factors representing real specific attractions; criteria for strategic territorial
positioning); territorial marketing strategies; (undifferentiated, differentiated, focused, systematic
marketing; strengthening of existing social and economic networks, developing new expertise,
radical innovation and innovatory projects, development of marketing strategy processes;
strategic instruments); territorial communication policies (confidence boosting as a resource;
comparative analysis criteria between a territory’s potential and perceived image; seeking
acknowledgement, adhesion, shared action; criteria to distinguish message target groups and
relative action; communication tools, strategic role of great events and innovatory projects);
international experience; the role of international development cooperation networks.
MODULE PLANNING FORMAT

MODULE TITLE
Strategies and instruments for local economic development
EXPECTED RESULTS
Improvements in territorial operators’ capacity to read, interpret and exploit potential resources;
production of appropriate territorial economic development strategies and policies to support
social inclusion; promotion of local associative productive networks to increase territorial
competitiveness and internationalise the economy; organisation of an integrated economic
development services system.

ORGANIZATION OF SESSIONS
First session (5 days): available strategies
Day 1: models for territorial and strategic analysis (external investment, infrastructure, knowledge
investment, etc)
Day 2: territorial analysis working group
Day 3: economic development strategies in the Shannon Region (Ireland)
Day 4: economic development strategies in the Galicia Region (Spain)
Day 5: local strategies working group and simulation; workshop preparation
2nd session (5 days): techniques for improving a system’s competitiveness, internal
cooperation and social inclusion
Day 1: the concept of comparative advantage and competitive advantage; analysis of endogenous
value chain potential
Day 2: group work on an area’s endogenous potential and creation of value chains
Day 3: industrial districts in Europe
Day 4: territorial competitiveness and social inclusion: economic sensibilization models
Day 5: group work and simulation: workshop preparation
3rd session (5 days): local economic development agencies
Day 1: analysis models for demand and supply of development services
Day 2: group work on demand and supply of development services
Day 3: planning and organisation of local economic development agencies
Day 4: the development agencies of Bilbao (Spain) and Manica (Mozambique)
Day 5: group work on setting up a local agency; workshop preparation