Fact Sheet
The Smithsonian Institution and the UN Development Program
Washington, DC
October 17, 2006

FEATURED RESULTS: "Since its launch in 2003 at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, the Institute@ ... has provided 206 capacity building training courses to over 3,000 participants at 14 international conferences. The Institute@ model has subsequently been replicated by 9 international bodies, including 6 UN organizations helping to usher in a new way of doing business; delivering results at international conferences."

Purpose of Initiative:
During the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), the Smithsonian Institution conceptualized and delivered the Summit Institute for Sustainable Development (SISD). The SISD, a capacity-building program, provided in-depth "how-to" classes to participants with the financial support of the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Nando Peretti Foundation and the UN Foundation. With instructors from both developed and developing countries, the SISD provided 67 small interactive courses to almost 1,200 participants. SISD was highly popular, and course evaluations demonstrated the international community's demand for capacity building training at future international fora. SISD also demonstrated that the knowledge and capacity of delegates and civil society could be leveraged to provide practical skills and tools.

Building upon the SISD model, in 2003, the Smithsonian Institution and the United Nations Development Programme created "The Institute@..." partnership. The Institute@... develops training institutes designed to provide practical how-to training and continuing education to participants at UN and other key international meetings relevant to sustainable development.

Partners:
Governments : United States of America

International Organizations : United Nations Development Programme

Civil Society : Smithsonian Institution and the UN Foundation. In addition, other organizations and individuals partnered through contributing their time and skills as Institute@ instructors.

Partnership Targets:
The partnership's goals are to:

• Deliver capacity building training on key sustainable development issues across a spectrum of sectors (e.g., water, energy, health, agriculture, biodiversity, SIDS, urban and gender development, etc.) at multilateral fora;
  
• Promote capacity building as an accepted outcome at multilateral fora;
  
• Create communities of practitioners who support sustainable development implementation;
  
• Create a cadre of development trainers;
  
• Promote continued learning and capacity-building networks through the launching of a web-based "Virtual Institute" which will enable students access to course reference materials, continuing education curricula, schedules for future Institute@... training programs, and contact information for in-country universities or organizations that offer other relevant training programs. The Virtual Institute@... will facilitate the exchange of information between participants continuing the spirit of open dialogues and sharing information; and
  
•  Develop training manuals to supplement course offerings and encourage integrated cross-theme discussions. Training manuals provide additional resources for both the trainer and the participant (e.g. compendium of case studies, best practices, quotes, and statistics). With the vast number of experiences and approaches that vary from region to region, the training manuals will provide general lessons learned and guidance to the practitioner in determining which sets of tools and practices under which conditions will lead to successful implementation.
  

Progress Towards Targets:
Delivering Training
To date, fourteen Institutes have provided training to over 3,000 participants at a diverse set of meetings ranging from the UN (e.g., UN Commissions on Sustainable Development and the Status of Women, the UNEP Global Ministerial Environment Forum, World Summit on the Information Society, and the World Urban Forum) to IUCN's 2005 World Conservation Congress to the 2006 World Water Forum in Mexico. A complete list of Institutes is provided below. Together, the 14 Institutes demonstrate the demand for and viability of providing targeted hands-on training at international fora. For example, one participant at the UN's 2004 World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva wrote: "This course was probably the most useful session of the entire week - clear, concise and implementation oriented. Thanks!"

The Institutes have ranged from very small--such as at the 7th meeting of the UN Conference on Biological Diversity's Conference of the Parties, where The Institute@... delivered one course specifically for a group of indigenous delegates--to the very large; 25 courses held in 6 simultaneous class rooms at the 2004 White Water to Blue Water partnership conference. At the White Water to Blue Water conference, The Institute@... trained 523 delegates, which was over 40% of the meeting participants. The Institute @... the IUCN World Conservation Congress was perhaps the most successful one to date. The conference organizers saw this as an opportunity to more fully support their clientele and gave prominent space and notice to it. The organizers of the next IUCN World Conservation Congress have already asked The Institute@... to be part of the planning and a key component of their next Congress scheduled for 2009.

Developing a Cadre of Trainers
UNDP led the partnership's effort to provide professional coaching and curriculum development design assistance for Institute@... trainers. In addition, the partnership provided assistance to trainers before, during, and after their courses to help them further develop their skills in information transmission, interactive training, and participatory skill development.

Next Steps
The partnership is seeking funding which will enable it to provide future Institute@... courses on a more sustainable basis to a broader and more diverse audience. In addition, the initiative is also seeking funding in order to offer an Institute @... at the upcoming 11^th and 12^th SBSTTA meetings of the UN Conference on Biological Diversity and the 4th IUCN World Conservation Congress in the next biennium. Finally, to accomplish its goal of establishing a virtual institute, the partnership is in the process of gathering all relevant materials from prior Institutes and developing a coherent framework.

Resources:
The U.S. government has provided $450,000 as well as instructors and in-kind support. UNDP has provided a total of $651,167 in financial and in-kind resources. The Smithsonian, the Nando Peretti Foundation, the UN Foundation and other partners have provided financial and in-kind support.

USG Primary Points of Contact:

Smithsonian Institution: Leonard Hirsch (202/633-4788; E-mail: lhirsch@si.edu)

United Nations Development Programme, Learning Resources Centre, OHR, Bureau of Management: Tapan Mishra (212/906-6298; E-mail: tapan.mishra@undp.org)

United Nations Development Programme, Bureau of Resource Mobilization and Strategic Partnership-Division for UN Affairs: Alison Drayton (212/906-6251; E-mail: alison.drayton@undp.org)

The Institute@...

Event	Dates/Location	Meeting Theme(s)	# Courses	# Trained
UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-11)	April 27-May 4 2003, New York City, USA	Sustainable Development	12	88
UN World Summit on the Information Society, Phase 1	December 9-12 2003 ; Geneva, Switzerland	Information technology	9	202
UN Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Regional Conference in preparation for the SIDS-BPoA+10	January 26-30 2004 ; Bahamas	Integrated coastal management	14	154
The Convention on Biological Diversity; Community Kampong at COP VII	February 5-10 2004 ; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Protected areas, mountains, cross-cutting issues	1	50
UN Commission on the Status of Women, 48th session	March 1-14 2004 ; New York City, USA	The role of men and boys in gender equity, conflict management	6	175
White Water to Blue Water Partnership's Workshop	March 21-26 2004 ; Miami, Florida, USA	Integrated management of freshwater and marine systems	25	523
The UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD-12)	April 16-30 2004; New York City, USA	Water	5	160
The UN Habitat World Urban Forum	September 2004;Barcelona Spain	Housing	5	170
IUCN's World Conservation Congress	November 17-25 2005 ; Bangkok, Thailand	People and nature, making a difference	30	636
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) BPoA+10	January 8-14, 2005 ; Port Louis, Mauritius	Sustainable Development	16	154
UNEP Global Ministerial Environment Forum	February 21-24, 2005 ; Nairobi Kenya	Millennium Development Goals	4	179
UN Commission on the Status of Women, 49th session	March 2-10 2005; New York City, USA	Gender	29	611
UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-13)	April 11-22, 2005, New York City, USA	Water	6	118
4th World Water Forum	March 17-21 2006 , Mexico City, M�xico	Water	44	253
TOTAL			206	3473

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