Strengthening innovation leadership capacity for impact

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Recent advances in science, technology and innovation have given way to a plethora of impactful solutions to the world’s development challenges. But too often, promising innovations fail to scale. This is rarely because the idea behind them is wrong. It is because the people, institutions, policies and systems around them are not aligned to drive sustainable impact from them. 

The IDIA Academy Adaptive Leadership Programme is designed to change that. Facilitated by global innovation experts, it equips senior leaders from multilateral agencies, government ministries, private foundations and civil society with the tools, mindsets and networks they need to manage innovation for impact in a fast-changing world. 

It does this by convening diverse cohorts of participants – across multiple sectors, countries and contexts – and supporting them to apply core systems-thinking principles and scaling frameworks that promote sustainable outcomes in the communities they serve.

A unique experience for innovation leaders to progress professionally, deepen critical understanding, and build lifelong networks

The IDIA Adaptive Leadership Programme supports funders, decisionmakers and practitioners to manage innovation for impact across four terrains of change. 

Building on more than a decade of IDIA expertise, this unique approach serves as both a mental model and practical framework for transforming the formal, informal, individual and systemic enabling conditions that translate innovation into impact at scale.

Participants engage with the IDIA terrains of change model at various stages throughout the Programme, leveraging each terrain to deepen their ability to scale innovations, while strengthening the wider institutions, networks and ecosystems in which they operate to ensure lasting impact.

Through a unique blend of structured learning,  collaborative networking and interpersonal reflection, IDIA’s “Managing Innovation for Impact” Adaptive Leadership Programme offers development innovation leaders a transformative opportunity to address complex challenges with clarity, confidence and practical tools.

Participants complete the Programme with:

  • Enhanced Leadership Capacity: participants gain knowledge of key innovation principles, systems-thinking concepts, and storytelling techniques, enabling them to articulate and implement strategies for scaling impact.

  • Increased Confidence and Efficacy: IDIA Academy alumni demonstrate significant growth in their ability to lead and inspire change, drive collaboration, and apply tools in real-world contexts.

  • A Lifelong Network: Our programmes blend collaborative networking with deep, interpersonal reflection to foster enduring connections, and enable continuous learning, resource sharing and collective action.

  • IDIA Membership: Alumni become active members of IDIA’s Ecosystem, gaining access to new networks, flagship events, and opportunities for collaboration and professional development.

Navigating four terrains of change for sustainable impact at scale

Our impact — advancing innovation leadership expertise since 2018

In 2024, Moonshot Global conducted an independent evaluation of the first 6 years of the IDIA Adaptive Leadership Programme, consulting with alumni around the world to understand how participant experiences had shaped their work at individual, institutional and ecosystem levels. The 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.”

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