🌍 Part of our Humanitarian & NGO Industry Training Series — browse all related courses →
About This Course
In today's highly competitive humanitarian funding landscape, the ability to design technically sound projects and articulate them persuasively to donors is one of the most valuable — and most under-developed — skills in the sector. Organisations that consistently secure funding do so not only because of their operational credibility, but because their proposals clearly communicate need, strategy, feasibility, and impact in the language that donors require.
This five-day Humanitarian Project Design and Proposal Development Training course is designed to close that gap. Delivered by practitioners with direct experience in humanitarian programme management and donor relations, the course takes participants through every stage of the project design and proposal writing process — from conducting and interpreting needs assessments to crafting compelling problem statements, building logical frameworks, designing monitoring and evaluation plans, and developing realistic, donor-compliant budgets.
Participants will study and practise against the actual requirements of major institutional donors — including USAID/BHA, ECHO, OCHA-managed pooled funds (such as CERF and Country-Based Pooled Funds), UN agencies, and bilateral donors — learning how proposal requirements differ across funding streams and how to tailor submissions accordingly. Real-world proposal examples — both successful and unsuccessful — are used throughout to build critical analytical skills and practical writing confidence.
The course is structured to be immediately actionable. Each module builds on the last, and participants work on a running project design case throughout the week, leaving on the final day with a substantive proposal draft they can refine and submit. Whether you are a programme officer writing your first major proposal or a seasoned manager seeking to sharpen your organisation's funding pipeline, this course delivers the frameworks, templates, and peer feedback needed to raise your success rate.
Who Should Attend
- Programme Officers and Programme Managers in NGOs, INGOs, and UN agencies
- Project Design and Development Officers responsible for concept notes and full proposals
- Grant Writers and Resource Mobilisation Officers
- Humanitarian Coordinators and Cluster Leads seeking to strengthen funding proposals
- M&E Officers involved in results frameworks and indicator development
- Country Directors and Deputy Directors overseeing proposal development processes
- Civil society and local organisation staff looking to access institutional humanitarian funding
- Donor Liaison and Partnerships Officers
Learning Objectives
- Understand the humanitarian project cycle and how project design fits within it
- Conduct and interpret rapid needs assessments to inform evidence-based project design
- Apply problem analysis tools — including problem trees, fishbone diagrams, and stakeholder mapping — to define project scope
- Develop well-structured project logical frameworks (logframes) and results chains aligned to donor expectations
- Write clear, compelling problem statements, project rationales, and technical narratives
- Design SMART indicators and robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks
- Construct realistic, donor-compliant project budgets with appropriate cost narratives
- Adapt proposal formats and language to the specific requirements of major donors including USAID, ECHO, UN agencies, and pooled funds
- Incorporate cross-cutting themes — including gender, protection mainstreaming, accountability to affected populations, and environmental considerations — into project design
- Develop and submit a near-complete funding proposal draft by the end of the programme
Course Modules
Module 1: The Humanitarian Project Cycle and Funding Landscape
- Overview of the humanitarian project cycle: assessment, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation
- Key institutional donors — USAID/BHA, ECHO, OCHA pooled funds, UN agencies, and bilateral donors — and their funding modalities
- How donor priorities, humanitarian response plans, and cluster coordination shape funding opportunities
- Reading and interpreting calls for proposals, requests for applications, and funding guidelines
- The role of Humanitarian Response Plans, Flash Appeals, and Humanitarian Needs Overviews in signalling fundable priorities
- Navigating grant cycles and funding windows: understanding the timing, sequencing, and competitiveness of humanitarian funding rounds
Module 2: Needs Assessment and Situation Analysis
- Principles and methods of rapid needs assessment in humanitarian contexts
- Primary and secondary data collection: key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and desk reviews
- Analysing and triangulating data to establish evidence of need
- Documenting findings in a format that feeds directly into proposal narratives
- Applying intersectional analysis to needs data: disaggregating findings by sex, age, disability, and displacement status
- Ethical considerations in humanitarian data collection: informed consent, data protection, and minimising respondent burden
Module 3: Stakeholder Analysis and Problem Definition
- Stakeholder identification, mapping, and analysis — interests, influence, and relationships
- Problem tree analysis: identifying root causes, direct causes, and effects
- Moving from problem tree to objective tree and defining the project's scope
- Target population profiling and beneficiary selection criteria
- Conflict and power analysis: understanding how political dynamics and vested interests affect problem definition and project acceptance
- Coordinating with cluster leads and local authorities to validate problem framing and avoid duplication of effort
Module 4: Project Design Principles and Results Frameworks
- Theory of change: articulating the causal logic linking activities to long-term impact
- Logical framework (logframe) structure: goal, purpose, outputs, and activities
- Building results chains that are coherent, realistic, and donor-aligned
- Common logframe errors and how to avoid them
- Incorporating assumptions and risks into the project design: identifying what must hold true for the results chain to function
- Adapting project design to acute and protracted crisis contexts: balancing humanitarian principles with resilience and nexus considerations
Module 5: Developing SMART Indicators and M&E Plans
- Characteristics of effective indicators: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound
- Output, outcome, and impact-level indicators — selecting the right mix
- Baseline data requirements and data collection planning
- Designing a monitoring and evaluation plan that satisfies donor reporting requirements
- Developing data management systems: tools, responsible parties, frequency of collection, and data flow from field to report
- Using real-time monitoring data to support adaptive management and mid-course project adjustments
Module 6: Writing Compelling Proposal Narratives
- Structuring the technical narrative: executive summary, problem statement, project description, and methodology
- Writing for the donor: clarity, evidence, and alignment with donor priorities
- Articulating organisational capacity and past performance convincingly
- Common narrative weaknesses that lead to rejection — and how to correct them
- Integrating quantitative evidence and beneficiary voices to strengthen the problem statement and demonstrate contextual credibility
- Crafting a compelling sustainability and transition narrative that addresses how project results will be maintained beyond the funding period
Module 7: Cross-Cutting Themes in Project Design
- Gender analysis and gender-responsive project design
- Protection mainstreaming and the do-no-harm principle
- Accountability to affected populations: feedback mechanisms and community participation
- Environmental sustainability and conflict sensitivity considerations
- Disability inclusion: applying universal design principles and ensuring equitable access for persons with disabilities in project activities
- Localization and local leadership: integrating national and community-based actors into project design and decision-making structures
Module 8: Budget Development and Cost Narratives
- Budget structure: direct costs, indirect costs, and cost-share requirements
- Building a line-item budget aligned to project activities and donor eligibility rules
- Writing a cost narrative that justifies and explains each budget line
- Budget compliance: allowable costs, procurement thresholds, and audit trail requirements
- Budget phasing and cash flow planning: aligning expenditure schedules with activity timelines and disbursement conditions
- Multi-partner and sub-grant budget design: allocating costs across consortium members while maintaining accountability and transparency
Module 9: Adapting Proposals to Specific Donor Requirements
- Mapping proposal sections to USAID/BHA Application for Federal Assistance requirements
- ECHO Single Form: structure, scoring criteria, and common pitfalls
- CERF and CBPF proposal formats: speed, prioritisation, and cluster endorsement
- Tailoring language, indicators, and results frameworks to match donor-specific terminology and priorities
- Navigating multilateral trust funds and pooled mechanisms beyond CERF: MPTF, START Fund, and USAID OFDA legacy requirements
- Developing a donor intelligence file: tracking strategic priorities, previously funded projects, and evaluator feedback to sharpen proposal positioning
Module 10: Proposal Review, Finalisation, and Submission
- Internal quality assurance: the proposal review checklist from a donor's perspective
- Peer review exercise: structured critique and revision of narrative and budget sections
- Finalising and packaging the proposal: annexes, certifications, and submission platforms
- Post-submission: responding to donor clarifications, managing revisions, and building long-term donor relationships
- Conduct a compliance cross-check: verifying that every mandatory requirement, page limit, and formatting rule in the call for proposals has been met before submission
- Capturing lessons learned from each submission cycle: establishing an institutional knowledge base to improve proposal quality and win rates over time
Requirements & Prerequisites
Participants should have at least one year of experience working in a humanitarian, development, or civil society organisation in a programme, coordination, or related role. Familiarity with basic project management concepts is helpful, though no formal project management qualification is required. Prior involvement in proposal writing or programme planning — even at a support level — will help participants get the most from the practical exercises.
Training Methodology
- Guided proposal-writing workshop — participants work on a single running project design scenario throughout the week, building each section of a real proposal incrementally
- Donor document analysis — structured review and critique of actual calls for proposals, RFAs, and guidelines from USAID, ECHO, CERF, and UN agencies
- Case study comparisons — side-by-side analysis of funded and unsuccessful proposals to identify what made the difference
- Logframe construction labs — facilitated hands-on sessions where participants build results chains, select indicators, and stress-test assumptions in small groups
- Peer review and feedback rounds — structured critique sessions where participants review each other's problem statements, narratives, and budgets using a donor-perspective checklist
- Budget-building exercise — participants construct a line-item project budget and cost narrative using a donor-compliant template with facilitator guidance
- Role-play: Donor Q&A simulation — participants defend their project design to a panel in a simulated donor clarification call
- Reflective debrief sessions at the close of each day to consolidate learning and surface questions for the following module
Organisational Benefits
- Increased organisational success rate in competitive humanitarian funding rounds
- Stronger internal capacity for evidence-based, donor-aligned project design
- Reduced reliance on external consultants for proposal development
- Improved quality of concept notes and full proposals across the funding pipeline
- Better alignment between field programming realities and proposal commitments
- Enhanced staff confidence and productivity in resource mobilisation functions
- More coherent and measurable project logframes that improve implementation and accountability
- Greater institutional knowledge of major donor requirements and compliance expectations
- Improved cross-team collaboration between programme, finance, and M&E functions during proposal development
Where Is Humanitarian Project Design and Proposal Development Training Offered?
This course runs in-person across: Abuja, Nairobi, Kigali, Kampala, Mombasa, Zanzibar, Naivasha, Lagos, Dubai, Nakuru, Riyadh, Accra, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Pretoria, Addis Ababa, Kisumu, plus Live Virtual (online) cohorts. Browse live dates for your city below.
Upcoming Schedules
| Location | Format | Dates | Price |
|---|
| Abuja, Nigeria |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,800 |
| Nairobi, Kenya |
In-Person |
5 Oct 2026 – 9 Oct 2026 |
KES 105,000 |
| Kigali, Rwanda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Kampala, Uganda |
In-Person |
12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 |
USD 1,900 |
| Live Virtual |
Online |
17 Oct 2026 – 8 Nov 2026 |
KES 80,000 |
| Mombasa, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Zanzibar, Tanzania |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Naivasha, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 115,000 |
| Lagos, Nigeria |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 2,500 |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,100 |
| Nakuru, Kenya |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
KES 120,000 |
| Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 4,500 |
| Accra, Ghana |
In-Person |
19 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Cape Town, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,800 |
| Johannesburg, South Africa |
In-Person |
26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 |
USD 3,500 |
+232 more dates — view live schedule →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be an experienced proposal writer to attend this course?
No. The course is designed for participants with at least one year of experience in a humanitarian or development organisation but does not require prior proposal writing expertise. Beginners to proposal writing will gain a thorough grounding, while more experienced professionals will sharpen their skills and learn how to adapt to different donor requirements.
Will participants produce an actual proposal during the course?
Yes. The course uses a running workshop exercise in which participants develop a substantive proposal draft incrementally across all five days. By the final session, you will have a near-complete proposal — including a logframe, narrative sections, M&E plan, and budget outline — that you can refine and submit to a real funding opportunity.
Which donors are covered in the training?
The course covers the proposal formats, eligibility requirements, and evaluation criteria of the most common institutional humanitarian donors, including USAID/BHA, the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), OCHA-managed pooled funds (CERF and Country-Based Pooled Funds), and UN agency grant mechanisms. Case studies from bilateral donors are also referenced.
Is a certificate awarded upon completion?
Yes. Participants who attend all five days and complete the practical workshop exercises receive a Certificate of Completion in Humanitarian Project Design and Proposal Development from TrainingComplex, recognised by partner organisations across the sector.
Can this training be delivered in-house for our organisation's team?
Absolutely. TrainingComplex offers customised in-house delivery of this course, which can be tailored to your organisation's specific donor portfolio, sector focus, and current proposal pipeline. In-house delivery allows your whole programme and grants team to build shared language and processes around proposal development. Contact us to discuss a tailored package.
