Local knowledge is crucial to good governance and inclusive development. From Albania and Kenya to Mongolia, Ukraine, and Uganda, these five international cases show how local practitioners are using Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes to gain the skills they need to share knowledge, lead workshops, and build up the shared capacity of their organisations or communities. The Hague Academy partners with training institutes abroad to support knowledge sharing that is practical and sustainable.
Strengthening Decentralisation in Albania
Albania has followed a national strategy of decentralisation to strengthen local governance, improve service delivery, and support economic growth. In 2025, the Albanian government established the Training Academy of Local Government of Albania (TALGA) to further support municipal institutions.
Supported by the MATRA programme, The Hague Academy works with Helvetas Albania and VNG International to build TALGA’s capacity as a national training hub. TALGA trainers will follow a ToT programme on adult training skills, curriculum design, and action-learning methods. Apart from developing training design and delivery skills, trainers from both institutions will exchange local governance challenges, for example, in the field of economic development, citizen participation, and gender inclusion, highlighting best practices to apply in Albanian municipalities.
Addressing Migration Policy Needs in Kenya
In Kenya, the Shirika Plan to transform refugee camps into integrated settlements has placed greater responsibility on municipal governments to manage integration while maintaining public services. Together with VNG International, Kenya School of Government (KSG) identified a need for actionable knowledge on migration governance, citizen participation, and inclusive service delivery.
The KSG collaborated with The Hague Academy to train their staff on these topics while at the same time providing practical tools and coaching for engaging training sessions. The trainers of both institutes jointly developed a training curriculum for local government and civil society practitioners. The result is a pool of skilled trainers who adapt and deliver governance trainings locally, ensuring capacity is strengthened and multiplied through local civil servants.
Guiding Urban Development in Mongolia
Concentrated urban growth around Mongolia’s capital of Ulaanbaatar demands new solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. To address this, the Governor’s Office of Ulaanbaatar and the Human Resource Development Centre partnered with The Hague Academy to train local trainers capable of delivering tailored learning programmes on civic participation and local economic development.
The municipal trainers first built their expertise on these two topics and practiced interactive training methods in The Hague. They then adjusted the training for the Mongolian context. By building an internal team of trainers, the city can now offer its own governance and development programmes, ensuring that learning remains local, practical, and responsive to new challenges.
Ensuring Transitional Justice in Ukraine
Even as the war continues, Ukrainian civil servants work to support good governance in conflict-affected areas and both liberated and soon-to-be-liberated communities. To support this, The Hague Academy collaborated with a consortium of Ukrainian and Dutch partners to deliver a Training-of-Trainers programme on transitional justice.
Staff from Ukraine’s High School of Governance explored how transitional justice principles of accountability, reparations, institutional trust, and reconciliation can be taught and incorporated into local policies. They considered the capacity needs of prosecutors, police, judges, journalists, and civil society actors in Ukraine dealing with international war crimes. By embedding expertise locally, Ukrainian trainers aim to help rebuild institutions and advance justice for post-conflict communities.
Inclusion through Local Leadership in Uganda
Over five years, The Hague Academy has trained facilitators from Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and local governments to champion inclusive decision-making through the We Are Able! programme. These trainers now run workshops, coach peers, and advise local governments on accessibility and inclusive participation.
In Uganda, councillor Khadija Aliru’s story shows the personal impact of a ToT approach. Although she was first hesitant to speak out publicly and try to influence policy, the network, and experience she gained from facilitating trainings helped her secure a city council position, where she successfully advocates for disability inclusion in Arua City’s planning and budgeting process.
Strengthening Locally Led Development
The value found in these five international cases ultimately lies in how knowledge is embedded locally. Local trainers make use of the multiplier effect to strengthen the capacity of many other organisations after they completed the Training-of-Trainers programme. By sharing their expertise, they build networks of skilled and knowledgeable professionals, and contribute to more equipped and capable communities.
