Game-Based Innovation for Provincial and District Planning

The Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs has carried out a two-day training program on Results Based Management with the support of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Sri Lanka.

The training program, targeting Sub-National Planning officials, was held in three locations around the country from 5 to 12 November 2016. These trainings, held in Anuradhapura, Badulla and Hambantota for Planning officials from all Provinces across the country, were conducted by MDF South Asia Training & Consultancy and Fields of View, Bangalore, India.

The two-day workshop in each location saw the active participation and positive feedback of Provincial and District Planning Officials, at which they explored the use of new and innovative game-based planning tools to foster a development sector that is forward-thinking and visionary.

Speaking about the trainings, Director General of the Department of National Planning Sanjaya Mudalige said: “The Department of National Planning has always maintained productive and amicable relationships with these officers and has recognised the need to offer more opportunities for capacity building.” Conducted as a follow up to the first National Summit on Foresight and Innovation for Sustainable Human Development which was held in May 2016, these trainings were a result of the need for more collective, inclusive and innovative development planning which will contribute to enhancing development practices and policies that are visionary, and to create the world we want and need by 2030. It is also a part of the ongoing initiatives by UNDP Sri Lanka to strengthen the Innovation Eco-system in Sri Lanka while aiming to build capacities and identify champions at National and Sub-National levels to take the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda forward.  

Country Director of UNDP Sri Lanka Jorn Sorensen noted that “The continued partnership between the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs and UNDP is at the cornerstone of efforts to create an enabling environment for agile and innovative policy making processes.”