Last Friday, in Mexico City, the Local Capacity Development Activity (LCDA), funded by USAID, celebrated the graduation of the first cohort of its “Diplomado” certificate training course. The course is a capacity building program for Mexican Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that incorporates classroom and practical work covering 10 modules of organizational management topics. The program provided training and technical support to a total of 20 organizations working in Mexico on critical issues surrounding socio-economic development, crime, violence, democracy and climate change.

Over the duration of three months, graduating participants were exposed to 84 hours of classroom instruction, over 28 hours of hands-on training and were invited to attend 4 virtual talks led by field experts that spoke to common long-term capacity and sustainability issues. With the objective of applying knowledge into practice, participant organizations were asked to draw on their preliminary institutional capacity assessments (PICKS) and Diplomado training to develop individual proposals outlining weaknesses and opportunities for strengthening organizational practices.

LCDA is expected to provide the course to 100 Mexican CSOs during the first 3 years of the program and to develop a sustainable business model for the Diplomado to continue after USAID funding ends. With the first Diplomado cohort graduated, LINC and FUM are excited to begin preparation for the second cohort of CSOs, which is expected to start to in September this year.In her remarks during the Diplomado closing ceremony, Margaret Spears, USAID/Mexico Acting Mission Director, congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to proactively apply their training. Mrs. Spears exclaimed: “The Diplomado seeks to generate a sustainable training model that is able to enrich civil society training programs in Mexico.”  Mrs. Spears applauded the implementers LINC and Fondo Unido Mexico (FUM), stating that that Diplomado is a great example of extraordinary cooperation between the United States and Mexico.

Margaret Spears, USAID/Mexico Acting Mission Director, congratulates the first Diplomado graduat