Specialist short course

Digital technologies are radically transforming international development landscapes.

Although digitalisation promises immense opportunities, it also creates disparities in access and power.

When it comes to the formulation and application of digital development strategy, policy or practice, understanding the critical elements emerging in digitalisation globally is essential.

This course will:

Equip you with the practical frameworks and approaches to promote inclusive digital transformation in your digital development work.
Access the most current evidence in the digitalisation of international development and humanitarian practice.
Help you use practical frameworks and approaches that identify digital innovations that will improve equity, inclusion, and participation.
It will also help you assess digital development practices, policies and strategies at national and/or organisational level to identify action to support more inclusive and equitable approaches.

By the end of the course, you will be able to identify gaps or areas of improvement in a digital development practice, policy and strategy, by learning from existing examples, experts, and resources.

You will gain insights into digital power dynamics in low-middle income countries, allowing you to champion inclusive, people-centric digitalisation policy and practice across diverse contexts.

Course aims Facilitators Who is it for How you’ll learn Outcomes

Digital technologies are radically transforming international development landscapes.

Although digitalisation promises immense opportunities, it also creates disparities in access and power.

When it comes to the formulation and application of digital development strategy, policy or practice, understanding the critical elements emerging in digitalisation globally is essential.

This course will:

Equip you with the practical frameworks and approaches to promote inclusive digital transformation in your digital development work.
Access the most current evidence in the digitalisation of international development and humanitarian practice.
Help you use practical frameworks and approaches that identify digital innovations that will improve equity, inclusion, and participation.
It will also help you assess digital development practices, policies and strategies at national and/or organisational level to identify action to support more inclusive and equitable approaches.

By the end of the course, you will be able to identify gaps or areas of improvement in a digital development practice, policy and strategy, by learning from existing examples, experts, and resources.

You will gain insights into digital power dynamics in low-middle income countries, allowing you to champion inclusive, people-centric digitalisation policy and practice across diverse contexts.

Who should attend?

Digitalisation cuts across a number of sectors within international development.

This course is for anyone involved in digital development practices, policies and strategies, from research and programme staff to parliamentary advisors and policy analysts.

How you will learn

You will learn through:

Interactive lectures, discussions and hands-on exercises, relating to the real-world case studies and scenarios of the course participants.
Peer feedback and group problem-solving, with lightning talks that allow participants to share on their anticipated/existing challenges and solutions in practice.
Self-reflective journal tasks after each lecture session.
You will prepare a presentation on the final day, to facilitators and peers, targeting improvements to your digital transformation strategy, policy or practice.

The lectures will present key concepts on inclusive digital transformation, framed around themes developed and identified from practice and research, by experts at IDS and invited guest lecturers from practice.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, you will be able to:

Understand the historical and emergent landscape of digital development.
Apply concepts and analytical approaches to assess digital power in digital development.
Identify how digital technologies can perpetuate or mitigate exclusion related to gender, race, location, and other key factors.
Incorporate mechanisms for inclusive digital transformation: deliberation, design, and governance.
Understand the state of digital rights and surveillance practice in low-middle-income country (LMIC) contexts.

Why study this course with IDS?

Our course facilitators for ‘Inclusive Digital Transformation in International Development’ are specialist experts on the topic. They are therefore best-placed to provide the latest thinking from the forefront of inclusive digital transformation.
The course is interactive and will allow time for peer knowledge sharing and ideas generation in discussion groups comprised of professionals and practitioners in international development.
Learn with the number 1 ranking institute in the world for development studies – ensuring the highest quality of teaching, as well as impact and range of international development research.
IDS’ partnerships ensure our research has real-world impact. This means that our courses are designed to be applied and implemented in practical settings. This guarantees that you will acquire solutions to your organisation’s challenges that can be implemented practically.

Location and building accessibility

This is an in-person short course, so please visit our contact page for information on how to get to IDS. Please also check the building accessibility information if required.

Entry requirements

Course fees

Course fees start from £1,193.5 per person.

Fees are as follows (see ‘discounts’ section for more information):

Discount Type	Discount Amount	Discounted Fee
Small non profits + group booking	30%	£1,193.5
IDS and Sussex alumni	20%	£1,364
Short course alumni	20%	£1,364
Small non profits (income under £10 million)	20%	£1,364
Low- and middle-income countries (income under £10 million)	20%	£1,364
Group discount (three-five places)	10%	£1,534.5

The full course fee is £1,705

Fees include lunches and refreshments, two evening group dinner, and course materials. It does not include accommodation, flight etc.

Once you have received confirmation that your application has been approved, the fee must be paid in full to secure your place on the course.

Pay short course fees in instalments

You can now pay for your place on this course in instalments. To organise paying in monthly instalments, please email [email protected].

Please note that you will need to have paid the final amount by the course start date, so please contact us as soon as possible ahead of the course start date to arrange this.

Discounts

Non-profits discount

A 20% discount on course fees is offered to participants from small not-for-profit organisations (income under £10 million). Please indicate in your application if you wish to be considered for this discount. There is a limited number of this discount offered, at the discretion of the course convenor.

Low- and middle-income countries

A 20% discount on course fees is offered to participants from low and middle income countries (income under £10 million). Please indicate in your application if you wish to be considered for this discount. There is a limited number of this discount offered, at the discretion of the course convenor.

IDS & Sussex Alumni discount

A 20% discount on course fees is offered to participants who have studied with IDS and the University of Sussex, including both postgraduate and short courses.

Group discount

Groups of three to five participants from one organisation will be offered a 10% discount on the total fee. (This discount can be used in conjunction with other discounts. i.e. a small non-profit booking three places qualifies for a 30% discount). If you make a group booking, you get an additional workshop tailored to your programme or project.

Early bird discount

Anyone who is accepted and makes payment by 09 September 2024 qualifies for a 10% discount.

If you have any questions about your eligibility for these discounts, please contact the short courses team.

Please note the maximum discount is 30%.

How to apply

Please read our short course booking Terms and Conditions (pdf) and IDS Code of Conduct (pdf).

The application procedure is a three-stage process:

Stage 1: Apply by completing the online application form. Deadline for applications is 16:00 GMT on 16 December 2024.

Stage 2: You will be notified within two weeks as to whether your application has been approved or not. Successful applicants will receive an acceptance email and details of how to pay the course fees. Places on the course are not guaranteed until fees have been received.

Stage 3: Once fees have been received, you will be sent confirmation of your place on the course and a letter to support your visa application (if required).

You are responsible for organising your own travel and visas (where needed). Information about local accommodation will be provided by the course coordinator once your fees have been processed.

This is course is run regularly. If you can’t make it to this date, you can register your interest in future sessions by contacting us at [email protected].

Bespoke versions of this course can also be planned and delivered in country for a single institution or group of institutions and partners, by arrangement. Please contact Leah Plati: [email protected] for further information.

If you are interested in an online version of this course, please contact us at: [email protected].