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AFD Launches E-learning Platform for Partners and Beneficiaries

published on 02 July 2020
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afd e-learning platform
© Cultural Video Production LTD/Fredrick Ochieng
For development projects to deliver results, organizations need financing. But it's not always easy to know where to begin. AFD has developed an e-learning facility dedicated to the procurement of contracts it finances, and it's open to all beneficiaries of AFD financing.

Getting development projects off the ground depends on procuring the contract. And executing a solid procurement procedure will entail a project schedule, a selection of capable firms, and the signing of reliable contracts.

This is why AFD has been supporting beneficiaries of its financing, providing training in procurement processes since 2017. AFD has already carried out more than 20 such sessions worldwide - and demand is growing: the waiting list is now over a year.

“We realized that training needs were huge”, explains Xavier Mesnard, from the Procurement Support Unit of AFD. “So we decided to create a very interactive tool, with many case studies based on real examples; it is very detailed, and most importantly accessible to people with diverse backgrounds in procurement. The aim is for our counterparts to understand better AFD’s procurement procedures”.

How to better understand AFD’s procedures

After more than 2 years of development, AFD teams finalized this e-learning that aims to answer two main questions:

  • What changes for a contracting authority when working with AFD financing?
  • How to use AFD’s Standard Bidding Documents?

The course comprises 18 training modules, and allows receiving a certificate once completed. “We also included all the relevant tools to procure contracts with AFD financing: AFD’s Procurement Guidelines, Standard Bidding Documents, a Frequently Asked Questions section with more than 130 questions and answers, and guidance notes on more than thirty different procurement topics”, adds Xavier Mesnard.

An entirely free training

For anyone interested in this subject, and especially for those involved in the procurement of contracts with AFD financing, the training platform is available. Registration is automatic, and the e-learning is self-paced: there is no specific timing to complete it. It is also important to mention that this training is entirely free.

While the course is only available in English at this time, a French version will be available in 2021.