Shiraka Programme

Shiraka is a Netherlands-MENA partnership initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The programme aims to improve bilateral relations and support sustainable democratic transitions in the MENA-region.

Shiraka Training Programme

Shiraka is a Netherlands-MENA partnership initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and commissioned by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The programme convenes participants to improve bilateral relations and support sustainable democratic transitions in the MENA-region.

Shiraka includes a training programme for which The Hague Academy develops and leads training in three core areas. These training courses are designed for mid-career public officials and contribute to regional development by combining theory, practice, and site visits.

Overview

Shiraka consists of different thematic areas. Each area imparts the knowledge and skills for civil servants to lead and inspire local governance practices in their home country. Overall, the programme supports three main objectives:

Democratisation, including the organisation of free and transparent elections and government accountability;

Construction of the constitutional state and protection of human rights and minorities;

Economic growth, partly by building up the economic infrastructure, including stimulating employment.

For more information about the Shiraka programme, please visit the site in English or French.

Training Courses

The Hague Academy for Local Governance designs and leads training programmes in three thematic areas:

Social Affairs and Employment

Organised in cooperation with CNV International and the Center for Innovative Local Governance in Tunisia, this training addresses social security policy, employment and corporate social responsibility. It consists of one week in the Netherlands and one week in Tunisia. For more information, see the course brochure available in English, French or Arabic.

Part 1: 7 March to 3 April 2022 (Online, 4-6 hours of workload per week)

Part 2: 16 May to 24 May 2022, in The Hague, The Netherlands

Application deadline: 7 February 2022

Local Governance

This training focuses on issues of decentralisation, citizen participation, and local development. It consists of a four-week online training followed by a nine day-long training in the Netherlands. The training is organised in cooperation with the Centre of Innovative Local Governance in Tunisia. For more information, see the course brochure now available in English, French or Arabic.

Part 1: 4 to 31 May 2022 (Online, 8 hours of workload per week)

Part 2: 1 June to 5 July 2022 (Online, 5 days of workload in total)

Part 3: 6 to 14 July 2022, in The Hague, The Netherlands

Application deadline: 20 March 2022

Water Management

Organised together with Wageningen Environmental Research and the VNG International local office in Egypt, this training will focus on the modernisation of water use. The first part of the training will be held online followed by a second part in the Netherlands. For more information, see the course brochure available in English, French or Arabic.

Part 1: 22 August to 16 September 2022 (Online, 4-6 hours of workload per week)

Part 2: 7 to 15 November 2022 in The Hague, Netherlands

Application deadline: 17 April 2022

Ecosystems for Entrepreneurs

The objective of this training programme is to provide civil servants and entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills needed to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship in their countries. The first part will be held online, followed by a second part face-to-face in the participants’ own country, and finalising with a study trip to the Netherlands. For more information, see the course brochure available in English, Arabic and Kurdish.

Part 1: 4 to 29 July 2022 (Online, 8 hours of workload per week)

Part 2: In-country training (18-23 Sep 2022, Palestinian Territories – 24-29 Sep 2022, Iraq)

Part 3: 24 November – 2 December 2022, in The Hague, the Netherlands

Application deadline: 3 June 2022

E-Government

The objective of this training programme is to provide civil servants with the knowledge and skills needed to design e-government strategies to benefit public service delivery and to promote change in the further digitalisation of their ministries, districts or municipalities. The first part will be held in The Hague and the second part in Tunis. For more information, see the course brochure available in English, French and Arabic.

Part 1: 21 to 25 November 2022 in The Hague, the Netherlands

Part 2: 20 to 24 February 2023 in Tunis, Tunisia

Application deadline: 31 July 2022

Eligibility

Shiraka is limited to government professionals from the following countries:

Algeria

Egypt

Iran

Iraq

Jordan

Lebanon

Libya

Mauritania

Morocco

Oman

Palestinian Territories

Tunisia

Funding

Selected candidates will receive a full scholarship to the programme. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands will cover all relevant costs for participants from countries on the OECD-DAC list. This includes costs for international travel, lodging, visa and insurance, and course tuition fees. Selected participants from countries not on the OECD-DAC list must pay for their own international travel including plane tickets and visas. However, lodging, insurance, and tuition fees for the course will be covered by the Dutch government.