International Development, Social Enterprise, and Impact Investing
Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development Project, Republic of Georgia
As part of an ongoing project funded by USAID, the Picker Center developed a program for the East-West Management Institute on Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development in the Republic of Georgia. The project aims to strengthen civil society’s role in advocating for and influencing the implementation of public policy reforms; improve public policy discourse, research, and analysis leading to the development of policy solutions to citizens’ key priorities; enhance the institutional capacity of universities in public policy, public administration, and political science; and develop strong networks of civil society organizations throughout Georgia.
As part of the program, the Picker Center is working with civil society organizations undertaking research projects on public policy in Georgia and has assisted them in improving the design and methodology of their research in areas ranging from public health, education, economic development, and social assistance, with the goal of identifying solutions to the problems under study and ways that civil society might advocate for improvements in public policy.
The Picker Center has organized a number of executive programs on inclusive International Development, Social Enterprise, and Impact Investing to address the world’s most pressing and complex global development challenges. Our courses provide rigorous training and real-world skills in data-driven policy analysis, quantitative methods, capacity building, infrastructure development, program planning, monitoring and evaluation, management innovation, economics, finance, sustainability, impact investing, and cross-sector partnerships to design and implement effective development solutions.
Our programs benefit from the expertise of faculty affiliated with the Center for Development Economics and Policy (CDEP), the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD), the Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP), and the Sustainable Investing Research Initiative (SIRI), and instructors include experts from the United Nations, multilateral development banks, aid agencies, international organizations, NGOs, impact investing companies, and development consultancy firms. Courses combine lectures, case study analysis, interactive workshops, executive coaching, industry panels, action learning projects, and site visits to leading international organizations and multilateral institutions in the New York City and Washington, D.C. areas including the United Nations and World Bank.
Previous Programs
Accelerating Growth in Brazilian Cities
This Special Program for Mayors was an initiative developed in partnership with the Columbia Global Centers | Rio de Janeiro, and Comunitas, a Brazilian civil society organization that aims to contribute to the improvement of corporate social investment and the socio-economic development of the country. The goal of the program was to provide participants with the tools needed to solve the complex problems of growing cities and improve results.
Young Presidents' Organization Value Creation and Investing
The Picker Center collaborated with the Columbia Business School to create a program for the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) aimed at training young chief executives on value creation and investing principles and practices. Topics included social value investing, the valuation framework and exercises on the valuation of companies, risk management, social impact rate of return, and the global economic environment and investing.
UNDP Management Innovation, Syria and Thailand
The Picker Center has provided research and a variety of seminars, training programs, conferences, and hosting services for the United Nations and its various agencies, including UNDP. The Picker Center worked in partnership with UNDP to develop programs on management innovation in Syria and Thailand and organized training services for UNDP officials. It also created a series of case studies based on country-based challenges and facilitated the use of the case studies.
COMFAMA Colombia
In partnership with the Initiative for Policy Dialogue and COMFAMA Colombia, the Picker Center organized a series of five programs on Management for Social Progress for senior government officials and executives of leading industries in Colombia. Topics included emerging paradigms of social policy, financing social policy goals, growth and inequality in Latin America, building human capital, innovation and economic growth, and social entrepreneurship.
Southeast Asia Fellows Program
The Picker Center was commissioned by the Acumen Academy—an institute focused on scalable solutions to poverty—to develop and deliver a five-year course for the Southeast Asia Fellows Program. The initiative provided midcareer training for development professionals and entrepreneurs from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and China's Yunnan Province.
Featured Case Study
Revitalizing Afghanistan
There's no better place than Columbia to learn about value investing. The Value Creation and Investing program was an excellent opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of value investing by using a practical and insightful methodology and to challenge thinking on company valuation techniques and investment decisions. This is how we should approach value creation and investing. Highly recommended to anyone who aspires to become a better investor.
The Value Creation and Investing program was an extraordinary experience that will challenge the way I see business and valuation strategies. An eye opener on the value investing world and of great use even for experienced finance professionals. If you want to become a true value investor for your personal portfolio and learn to apply value investing principles to your business and/or M&A strategy, this event is a must-attend. Great basics of value investing taught at the source. Best place in the world to learn it.
The classes at the Picker Center were fantastic! Great professors, stimulating lectures, and amazing administrative support. This has been one fabulous experience.
—Pema Lhaki, Development Worker, Kathmandu, Nepal
Contact Us
Columbia SIPA Picker Center
Contact us to learn how the Columbia SIPA Picker Center can work with your team to develop a program uniquely tailored to your organization’s learning goals and deliver a profound impact on your long-term organizational success.
Laura McCreedy
Manager of Executive Education and Training
[email protected]
SIPA | COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
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