Practitioners' Course

The Practitioners' Course will reopen in 2025. Updated location and fees will be communicated in November 2024

About the Practitioners' Course on federalism, decentralization and local governance within multilevel systems

The Practitioners’ Course combines theoretical inputs with practical studies and peer learning. The programme also equips participants with tools and methods to help address questions of fiscal decentralization, accountability and governance that they are confronted with in their professional lives. The focus of the 2023 course was on “Effectiveness and Accountability in Local Governance”. In addition to staff from the University of Fribourg, a range of experienced (inter)national experts provide their expertise representing various disciplines, perspectives and country experience from various continents.

• Course description

  The programme includes lectures, group work, panel discussions, case studies and a large number of field trips. Course preparation includes engagement with a prepared reader on important topics related to decentralization and local governance. Using a mix of case studies, input lectures and simulation exercises, the participants are expected to reflect, discuss and find solutions to the topics under discussion. Courses are taught in English.

• Course objectives
  • Provide participants with a general overview to concepts related to federalism, decentralization and local governance.
  • Enable practice-learning to participants, in order for them to glean best practices to take home.
  • Enable well-argued reflection on the purposes of decentralization and local government in terms of autonomy, effectiveness of service delivery and (government) accountability.
  • Identifying the constraints that hinder local governments from achieving their objectives, and the remedies to empower local governments to fulfil them.
• Target group

  The program of the course has been specifically created for policy makers, local and regional government officials, elected representatives as well as sector specialists supporting local governments (development agencies) and civil society actors, dealing with decentralization and local governance. 

• Application

  • The application deadline has expired

  Participants will be required to confirm their participation on notification of their admission in writing, without which the place will be allotted to the next person on the waiting list.

• Fees

  Updated fees will be communicated in November 2024

  The fees include tuition, course material, excursions, board and accommodation (full-board: breakfast, lunch and dinner), access to the library of the Institute and Internet access on campus. 

  The fees do not cover the following costs:

  • Travel costs to and from the course location
  • Transportation within Fribourg
  • Visa
  • Health insurance
  • Personal expenses during stay in Fribourg
  • The Institute of Federalism offers assistance for applicants who need financial support. For more information, please contact us.
• Accommodation

  Location will be communicated in November 2024.

• Contact

  Yvonne Heiter-Steiner

  Institute of Federalism
  University of Fribourg
  Av. Beauregard 1
  1700 Fribourg
  Switzerland

   +41 26 300 8125