Background
The Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) strengthens local democracy by promoting equity, participation, transparency, and accountability in local governance. Our practical, evidence-based tools help municipal actors improve democratic practices.
To expand its impact, ICLD is launching a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme to build a pool of facilitators who can effectively integrate ICLD tools into training for local governments across Eastern and Southern Africa.
The ToT programme is designed to enable African partner institutions to take ownership of disseminating, adapting and sustaining these tools within their national and regional training systems. Participating institutions will be expected to roll out cascade trainings for local governments following the ToT, ensuring wider reach and long-term institutionalisation of the tools and approaches.
Dates & Clusters
| Date | Location/Venue | Eligible Countries |
| 24 – 26 March 2026 | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Eastern Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) |
| 14 – 17 April 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa | Southern Africa (Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa) |
Objectives
The training will build facilitation skills to support municipal actors in democratic governance, deepen participants’ understanding of ICLD tools and their adaptation across contexts, and foster a community of practice for peer learning.
Participants will gain:
- Strong knowledge of ICLD tools and how to teach them
- Confidence in facilitation and training design for local governments
- A concrete cascade training plan
- Connections with a regional cohort of trainers
Who should apply?
We invite applications from:
- Associations of local governments (national, regional, sectoral)
- Training institutions or networks working with local governance
- Other organizations providing training to municipal stakeholders
Applicants must demonstrate experience in training delivery, engagement with local governance, and capacity to cascade learning through networks.
ICLD will cover the training costs, travel, accommodation, and meals for participants. Please note that ICLD does not provide a per diem.
Each participating organization may nominate maximum two (2) participants, who have the potential to cascade lessons learned from the workshop.
Programme overview
Participants will:
- Engage in a blended learning programme (online + in-person) on ICLD’s democratic governance tools
- Participate in sessions on facilitation methods, adult learning, and tool adaptation
- Receive mentorship to embed facilitation skills into their training
- Develop an action plan for follow-up cascade trainings
More info on ICLD toolkits: https://icld.se/en/knowledge-bank/publications/?_sft_kc_category=toolbox
Applicants are expected to review the ICLD toolkits prior to applying, as familiarity with these materials will form part of the selection assessment.
Selection criteria
Applications will be evaluated on:
- Alignment with local governance capacity building
- Training facilitation experience and skills
- Quality and feasibility of the cascade training plan
- Potential for sustainable impact
We encourage diverse applications across regions, gender, and organization types.
Application
Interested applicants should complete the application on the online portal available below
Deadlines
- Eastern Africa Cluster: APPLY HERE. Deadline: 25 February 2026
- Southern Africa Cluster: APPLY HERE. Deadline: 9th March 2026
Contact
For inquiries, please contact:
- Eastern Africa: John Gitonga, john.gitonga@gmail.com
- Southern Africa: Danny Chibinda, dannychibinda@gmail.com