Capacity Development & Mutual Learning

Capacity Development that Translates into Measurable Organizational Performance

GBPG is at the cutting edge of how we can combine traditional models and new emerging technology to create a world-leading capacity development capability. We partner with NGOs, INGOs, multilateral and bilateral donor institutions, and governments to co-create and institutionalize capacity systems that enhance quality, compliance, and effectiveness in fragile and complex environments. We align with CHS 2024, OECD-DAC criteria, and multilateral and bilateral donor priorities while building pragmatic, field-ready practices.

GBPG Core Principles

Learn. Adapt. Transform

Building a progressive culture where continuous learning and effective simulation foster adaptation, this adaptive mindset drives meaningful transformation toward sustainable & lasting institutional excellence.

From Capacity to Capability From Systems to Impact

Turning institutional frameworks into measurable performance through immersive practice, AI-assisted workflows, & coaching while ensuring capacity that translates to tangible field impact.

Mutual Learning. Shared Growth. Sustainable Change.

Partnerships that foster reciprocity, shared knowledge, enduring organizational resilience and a co-design approach with people who have lived experience ensure authenticity, accuracy in everything we do.

Our Approach

Assess & Audit

GBPG uses its great analytical and organizational skills to turn assessments and audits into useful information and risk mapping and compliance benchmarking into ways to measure institutional growth, build donor trust, and improve performance.

Discovery & Design

We are global leaders in developing institutional systems and frameworks, co-designing with lived-experience experts to turn policies into cohesive governance and immersive training with defined roles, measurable KPIs, and transparent data for lasting impact.

Deliver

Our team drives transformation through pilots, training, and coaching within structured change management. Staff can safely practice high-stakes moments in VR, follow AR-guided tasks, receive AI coaching, all measured against capability rubrics and KPIs.

Institutionalize & Sustain

GBPG ensures that change endures by institutionalizing systems, documenting knowledge, and embedding mutual-learning loops that secure ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement long after project completion.

Innovation to Respond DRR

GBPG embeds innovation into capacity development by combining XR disaster simulations with DRR methodologies, enabling teams to practice incident command, community engagement, and logistics under pressure, while AR field overlays support rapid assessment, triage, and coordination.

Institutionalize & Sustain

Innovation to Respond DRR

GBPG integrates XR disaster simulations with DRR methods, enabling realistic incident response training and AR-assisted field coordination for rapid assessment, triage, and community engagement under pressure.

What We Deliver

End-to-end capacity solutions beginning with organizational reviews to hands-on systems build and coaching.

Organizational Review & Audit

Our experts deliver CHS 2024-aligned capacity assessments and audits beyond compliance, providing system analyses and action roadmaps that strengthen governance, accountability, and donor readiness across U.S., EU, and global standards.

Program Assurance & Quality

GBPG strengthens program assurance and quality by integrating MEAL systems, accountability frameworks, and risk-based controls that drive continuous improvement, transparency, and operational excellence across all stages of program delivery.

People & Capability

GBPG develops high-performing teams through competency frameworks, leadership pipelines, and tailored training. We design VR skill modules with integrated coaching, AI-driven insights, and inclusive, localized learning solutions.

Evaluation & Learning

GBPG enables evidence-based decisions through rigorous evaluations and learning systems, applying OECD-DAC standards, after-action reviews, and ROI analyses to transform data into actionable insights and measurable organizational improvement.

Organizational Review & Audit

Program Assurance & Quality

People & Capability

Evaluation & Learning

What We Deliver

End-to-end capacity solutions beginning with organizational reviews to hands-on systems build and coaching.

Organizational Review & Audit

Program Assurance & Quality

People & Capability

Evaluation & Learning

Organizational Review & Audit

Program Assurance & Quality

People & Capability

Evaluation & Learning

Our Approach

Assess & Audit

GBPG uses its great analytical and organizational skills to turn assessments and audits into useful information and risk mapping and compliance
benchmarking into ways to measure institutional growth, build donor trust,and improve performance.

Discovery & Design

Deliver

Institutionalize & Sustain

Innovation to Respond DRR

Results You Can Expect

Efficiency & Speed

Cycle-time reductions (~20-40% in select contexts) through process redesign and digital tooling.

Compliance & Assurance

Clear controls, audit trails, and evidence which build to pass donor reviews without fear.

Capability & Ownership

Leaders and teams can operate systems sustainably and beyond individual champions.

Better Staff Retention

GBPG improves staff retention by fostering a practice-first, coachsupported learning culture that builds confidence, mastery, and long-term commitment.

Preparedness Through Immersive Learning

Virtual reality and DRR tools
accelerate institutional learning, allowing teams to experience anticipate, and manage real-world crises before they happen allowing to build confidence, coordination, and faster response capacity.

Program Quality Enhanced & Donor Confidence Improved

GBPG elevates program quality
scores and builds donor confidence by embedding evidence-based systems, transparent reporting, and continuous performance improvement.

Faster Onboarding & Rolereadiness

GBPG reduces critical errors and strengthens safeguarding and compliance metrics through immersive practice, real-time feedback, and embedded accountability systems.

Practical Tools You Keep

Risk-based QA Pack

GBPG’s Risk-Based QA Pack integrates risk matrices, issue-tracking systems, and internal audit checklists to proactively identify, escalate, and mitigate risks across all operational levels.

Accountability & MEAL Suite

The Accountability & MEAL Suite unifies indicator registries, Community Relationship Management feedback channels, and data quality audit tools to ensure transparent, evidence-driven program performance and stakeholder accountability.

Compliance & Donor Readiness

Readiness toolkit equips organizations
with quick-reference guides,
standardized document templates,
and partner due-diligence tools that
ensure alignment with US-, EU-, and
other major donor requirements.

People & Change

Toolkit strengthens organizational capacity through competency frameworks, XR and AI inclusion, structured coaching plans, and Training-of-Trainers resources that build leadership, ownership, and sustainable learning culture

Virtual Reality & DRR

Toolkit merges immersive learning technologies with risk preparedness frameworks enabling scenario-based capacity building, crisis simulations, and decision-making exercises that strengthen institutional resilience and response readiness.

Practical Tools You Keep

Risk-based QA Pack

GBPG’s Risk-Based QA Pack integrates risk matrices, issue-tracking systems, and internal audit checklists to proactively identify, escalate, and mitigate risks across all operational levels.

Accountability & MEAL Suite

Ops Digitization Kit

Connects contract tracking, fleet monitoring, and procurement dashboards into an integrated digital system that enhances transparency, efficiency, and real-time oversight across operations.

Compliance & Donor Readiness

Readiness toolkit equips organizations with quick-reference guides, standardized document templates, and partner due-diligence tools that ensure alignment with US-, EU-, and other major donor requirements.

People & Change

Toolkit strengthens organizational capacity through competency frameworks, XR and AI inclusion, structured coaching plans, and Training-of-Trainers resources that build leadership, ownership, and

Ethical AI & Data

Toolkit that guides responsible digital transformation through clear dataclassification standards, privacy and security fundamentals, and GBPG’s Transparency Prism to ensure ethical, accountable, and compliant AI use.

Virtual Reality & DRR

WASH & Infrastructure Governance

Emergency Support & Surge

VR, AR and AI training for DRR

Institutional Reforms & Governance

Results You Can Expect

Efficiency & Speed

Cycle-time reductions (~20-40% in select contexts) through process redesign and digital tooling.

Compliance & Assurance

Clear controls, audit trails, and
evidence which build to pass donor
reviews without fear.

Cycle-time reductions (~20-40% in select contexts) through process redesign and digital tooling.

Capability & Ownership

Leaders and teams can operate
systems sustainably and beyond
individual champions.

Better Staff Retention

GBPG improves staff retention by fostering a practice-first, coachsupported learning culture that builds confidence, mastery, and long-term commitment.

Cycle-time reductions (~20-40% in select contexts) through process redesign and digital tooling.

Preparedness Through Immersive Learning

Program Quality Enhanced & Donor Confidence Improved

GBPG elevates program quality scores and builds donor confidence by embedding evidence-based systems, transparent reporting, and continuous performance improvement.

Faster onboarding & rolereadiness

GBPG accelerates onboarding and role-readiness, enabling teams to reach full performance within days or weeks instead of months — driving faster impact and sustained operational excellence.

Our Experts

Lulzim Morina

Team Leader / Organizational Capacity Development & Humanitarian Systems Expert

Lulzim Morina

Lulzim leads GBPG’s global Capacity Development and Humanitarian Systems portfolio, applying CDML to strengthen governance, leadership, and operational resilience across fragile and conflict affected contexts. With 26 years of field leadership in Sudan, DRC, Yemen, Uganda, Türkiye & NW Syria, he has directed major institutional reviews, system reforms, and capacity-building programs improving quality, compliance, and performance. He built Mercy Corps Sudan’s Program Assurance & Quality Department and ranked2nd in Africa for program impact and led multi-country mutual-learning frameworks integrating MEAL, risk management, and accountability systems. Lulzim turns organizational diagnostics into learning loops that translate training into field results. His mentoring of national leaders and operational teams demonstrates how mutual learning drives sustained capability. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, he transforms humanitarian operations into adaptive, evidence-based institutions capable of delivering lasting, measurable changes.

Simon Lowe

Team Leader / Immersive Simulation & Organizational Learning Innovation Expert

Simon Lowe

Simon drives GBPG’s Immersive Learning and Digital Transformation agenda, using the CDML framework to embed virtual, augmented, and AI-based learning into institutional systems. With a decade of design-thinking and behavioral-science experience across Asia-Pacific, he builds VR/ARenabled capacity-development environments that translate complex theories into practice. His cross-sector collaborations—with governments, NGOs, academia, and private industry—turn experiential learning into scalable organizational capability. Simon’s simulations enable staff to practice high-stakes decisions safely and receive real-time feedback through AI coaching, driving measurable skill retention. By integrating digital storytelling and human centered design, he advances mutual learning ecosystems that merge innovation with inclusion. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, Simon converts technology into a catalyst for transformation, ensuring that immersive practice strengthens leadership, accountability, and performance across institutions.

Malcolm De Silva

Global Procurement Systems & Innovation Expert

Malcolm De Silva

Malcolm leads GBPG’s Capacity Development and Institutional Reform portfolio, bringing 25+ years of leadership with the UN, ADB, EBRD, ESA, and IAEA. He has transformed complex procurement systems into transparent,accountable, and learning-driven frameworks through institutional reviews, capacity assessments, and e-procurement reforms. A pioneer in linking compliance with performance, he has authored international procurement manuals and developed digital assurance platforms adopted by major multilateral organizations. Malcolm applies the CDML framework to embed continuous learning and ethical governance, turning policy and process design into practical systems that deliver measurable improvement. His capacity-building programs strengthen leadership capability, risk management, and strategic sourcing, empowering institutions to internalize reform. Guided by GBPG’s principles of co-creation and mutual learning, Malcolm converts expertise into institutional maturity and sustainable global standards.

Kewal Thapar

Team Leader / Institutional Reform & Strategic Partnership Expert

Kewal Thapar

Kewal directs GBPG’s Institutional Strengthening and Strategic Partnership work, integrating the CDML model to enhance governance, fiduciary management, and performance. With over 35 years of international experience—including at the World Bank, ADB, WFP, and KPMG—he has led landmark institutional reviews and capacity-development programs improving accountability and policy coherence across regions. He spearheaded the ADB Greater Mekong Subregion Strategy and designed results-based frameworks in climate, infrastructure, and governance sectors. Kewal’s leadership fuses evaluation with mutual learning, enabling peer institutions to convert lessons into operational reform. His approach connects capacity building with adaptive management and evidence-based decision-making, embedding reflection and collaboration into institutional culture. Through mentoring and high-level dialogue, he strengthens organizations to evolve from compliance to excellence, fully embodying the GBPG CDML ethos of shared learning and sustainable impact.

Gonçalo Serra

Innovation, Digital Transformation & Sustainability
Expert

Gonçalo Serra

Gonçalo leads GBPG’s Digital Innovation and Systems Transformation portfolio, applying the CDML framework to strengthen institutional capability through technology, collaboration, and learning. With 15 years of experience in procurement reform, innovation strategy, and sustainability, he has delivered major transformation programs with EY, CGI, and the Lisbon Municipality, aligning operational excellence with public-value outcomes. As an expert to the European Commission, he supports digital-governance assessments and capacity-development initiatives driving sustainable growth across Europe. Gonçalo’s practice blends capacity building and mutual learning, equipping organizations to adapt to evolving digital ecosystems through participatory design, data-driven decision making, and open-innovation partnerships. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, he transforms digital projects into institutional-learning platforms that enhance efficiency, transparency, and measurable sustainability impact.

Jaehyang So

Multilateral & Bilateral Partnership, Governance and Institutional Resilience
Expert

Jaehyang So

David leads GBPG’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Institutional Development work, applying the CDML framework to strengthen governance, capacity systems, and sustainable infrastructure delivery. With over 30 years of experience advising the World Bank, African Development Bank, and USAID, he has led capacity-building and institutional-assessment programs that improve procurement integrity and policy effectiveness across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. His expertise spans PPP policy design, risk management, and institutional performance evaluation, linking reform with measurable impact. David champions mutual learning between governments, private actors, and multilateral agencies, turning complex partnerships into platforms for capability growth and sustainable investment. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, he transforms infrastructure programs into long term mechanisms for resilience, inclusion, and shared value creation.

David Baxter

Public-Private Partnerships, Procurement and Organizational Development Expert

David Baxter

David leads GBPG’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Institutional Development work, applying the CDML framework to strengthen governance, capacity systems, and sustainable infrastructure delivery. With over 30 years of experience advising the World Bank, African Development Bank, and USAID, he has led capacity-building and institutional-assessment programs that improve procurement integrity and policy effectiveness across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. His expertise spans PPP policy design, risk management, and institutional performance evaluation, linking reform with measurable impact. David champions mutual learning between governments, private actors, and multilateral agencies, turning complex partnerships into platforms for capability growth and sustainable investment. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, he transforms infrastructure programs into longterm mechanisms for resilience, inclusion, and shared value creation.

Arnold Hoitink

Public Finance Management Governance & Institutional Reform Expert

Arnold Hoitink

Arnold leads GBPG’s Public Finance and Institutional Governance portfolio, applying the CDML framework to build accountable, learning-oriented financial systems. With over 20 years of experience in Australian public administration and international reform programs across Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa, he has led budget, fiscal, and institutional-strengthening initiatives for EU, US, and UK-funded projects. His expertise includes financial systems assessments and evaluation, performance-based budgeting, fiscal frameworks, and financial governance assessments that link accountability with development outcomes. As Team Leader and Chief of Party, Arnold has guided governments through complex capacity-building and reform cycles—turning diagnostics into actionable strategies. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, he embeds mutual learning and institutional capability within public-finance systems, driving efficiency, transparency, and sustainable growth.

Javier Munoz Ledesma

Evaluation, Governance & Institutional Strengthening expert

Javier Munoz Ledesma

Javier heads GBPG’s Evaluation & Governance Reform portfolio, advancing CDML to convert assessment into capacity development and continuous improvement. With 20+ years of international experience spanning AENOR, UNE, EQA España, and the Institute for Business Competitiveness, he has managed EU-funded institutional reforms, quality-infrastructure projects, and governance reviews across Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. He integrates evidence-based evaluation, peer learning, and adaptive management to build institutional capability and resilience. As a specialist in conformity assessment and organizational transformation, he links compliance with performance and accountability. Javier’s mutual-learning methodology ensures that evaluation findings become catalysts for reform. Guided by GBPG’s CDML principles, he empowers institutions to learn, evolve, and sustain measurable governance excellence.

Connie Delos Santos

Risk Management &
Integrity Expert

Connie Delos Santos

Connie anchors GBPG’s Integrity, Risk & Governance Capacity-Development work, advancing the CDML framework through ethical accountability and institutional learning. A Certified Fraud Examiner with 24 years of experience across Asia and the Pacific, she has delivered integrity reviews, anti-corruption audits, and institutional risk assessments with ADB and UNDP. Her expertise turns compliance systems into capacity-building platforms, helping organizations integrate risk awareness and ethical decision-making into daily practice. Connie develops internal-control frameworks, fraud-prevention strategies, and performance-based oversight models that foster mutual learning among finance, audit, and management teams. She transforms audits into opportunities for improvement, ensuring that transparency becomes embedded culture rather than procedure. Through GBPG’s CDML approach, she equips institutions to be not just compliant but capable—accountable, adaptive, and resilient.

Dr. Aditi Thapar-Grohe

Climate Action, Equity &
Sustainability Expert

Dr. Aditi Thapar-Grohe

Aditi leads GBPG’s Climate Action and Sustainability Capacity-Development portfolio, applying the CDML framework to integrate equity, learning, and systems change into climate governance. With deep experience designing emissions-reduction and resilience projects aligned with the Paris Agreement, she partners with governments, NGOs, and private sector actors to co-create scalable climate solutions. As a trustee of The Nature Conservancy (Ohio) and lecturer at Columbia University and Ohio State University, Aditi translates policy into practice through mutual learning and mentorship. Her programs build institutional capacity for carbon accountability, adaptation planning, and inclusive climate finance. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, she bridges evidence, education, and empowerment—transforming climate initiatives into sustainable systems that deliver measurable environmental and social impact.

José Angelo Estrella Faria

Legal Reform, Governance & Institutional Harmonization
Expert

José Angelo Estrella Faria

José Angelo brings over 30 years of global leadership in international law, legislative reform, and institutional capacity development, advancing GBPG’s CDML framework through rule of-law strengthening and knowledge transfer. As Secretary-General of UNIDROIT and Principal Legal Officer at UNCITRAL, he guided governments in modernizing commercial, trade, and investment laws, embedding sustainability and accountability into legal systems. His expertise spans public-private partnerships, e-commerce, insolvency, secured transactions, and maritime law, where he led global harmonization initiatives and multi-stakeholder policy dialogue. A prolific author of 50+ publications, José Angelo transforms complex legal processes into mutual-learning platforms that strengthen governance and operational coherence. Guided by GBPG’s CDML ethos, he connects legal modernization with institutional performance—empowering states and organizations to adopt global best practices through collaborative learning and reform.

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