IDIA Managing Innovation for Impact Training

Finding innovative solutions to address complex development challenges is essential for driving progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. As the breadth and diversity of development innovation tools and approaches continue to increase, the ability of organisations to efficiently and effectively manage innovation processes, resources and relationships becomes ever more critical. 

To help address this challenge, the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA), in partnership with the Global Innovation for Impact Lab (GIIL) at Stanford PACS, has developed a unique, in-person training programme for innovation funders, practitioners and decision-makers.

With a curriculum shaped and delivered by innovation experts from some of the world’s leading development agencies, the IDIA Managing Innovation for Impact Global Training programme equips organizations and individuals with the skills, tools and mindsets they need to translate innovation into impact at scale. We do this by convening diverse cohorts of practitioners from around the world, and supporting them to apply core systems-thinking principles and innovation scaling frameworks that promote impactful development outcomes in the communities they serve.

Principle-driven curricula:

IDIA’s training programmes are tailored to each cohort’s distinct geographic and sectoral needs, but three fundamental principles inform the continuous development and delivery of our curricula:

  1. Respect for contextual sensitivity: innovation scaling processes and partnerships are most impactful when they reflect and respond to the realities of our cohorts. Our training programmes actively consider the individual, institutional and context-specific needs of our participants.

  2. Awareness of power dynamics: our trainings equip professionals in senior leadership positions with the tools, mindsets and approaches needed to address inequitable power dynamics; and promote stronger, more inclusive and resilient innovation ecosystems in countries.

  3. Mobilizing diverse social resources: we support practitioners from a variety of sectors and geographies to challenge traditional funding and collaboration models, and develop the bold and innovative partnerships needed to outpace global challenges.

Browse the section below to learn more about the programme, meet our faculty of experts, and explore latest opportunities.

Proven Impact at Individual, Institutional and Ecosystem levels

In 2024, Moonshot Global conducted an independent evaluation of the first 6 years of the IDIA Training, consulting widely with global training alumni to understand how participant experiences had shaped their work at individual, institutional and ecosystem levels. The evaluation report concluded:


“The International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA) training programs have achieved remarkable success in transforming individual innovation leaders while revealing strategic opportunities to strengthen institutional impact and put into place plans for long-term financial sustainability. Assessment of primary and secondary data from programming that reached 139 participants across 31 countries over six years provides clear evidence for this conclusion… and these programs have been lauded for their impact in building capabilities, inspiring action, connecting participants with diverse peers, and providing practical approaches to scaling innovation.”

Download the full report here.