Professional programme · 8 weeks · Live online
Innovation & Impact Program Management (IIPM)
Design it. Fund it. Run it. Track it. An 8-week online programme for the people who run accelerators, fellowships, youth employment schemes and grant-funded initiatives across Africa and other emerging markets. Learn to design, fund, deliver and measure an impact programme, and leave with a complete programme blueprint.
A Global Analyst Academy programme, delivered in partnership with ScaleBurg.
Programme at a glance
₦350,000
Early bird ₦300,000 until Friday 20 November 2026, or two instalments of ₦175,000
- Starts Tuesday 8 December 2026
- 8 teaching weeks online, about 6 to 8 hours a week
- Live sessions on Tuesdays, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1)
- Applications close Wednesday 2 December 2026
- GAA Certificate in Innovation & Impact Program Management
Apply in about five minutes, then pay on the GAA Learning Portal to secure your seat.
Programme overview
Running an impact programme is a profession. Train for it.
Accelerators, fellowships, youth employment schemes and grant-funded initiatives are now a profession of their own, across Africa and around the world. The people running them are expected to design a cohort, manage a donor budget, keep partners aligned and send a funder evidence that the work changed something. Most learned it on the job, one painful report at a time.
IIPM is built for them. Over 8 weeks you follow one programme from concept note to close-out: building its theory of change, costing it, selecting and supporting its participants, setting up its MEAL system, managing its partners and writing the report a funder actually wants to read. Every week ends with a working tool you can use on Monday.
You finish with a complete Programme Blueprint, defended in front of practitioners who have run programmes for foundations, development agencies, hubs and corporates.
Not another project management course
What we mean by program management
Most program management training assumes a programme is a group of related projects inside one company.
In innovation and impact work, a programme is paid for by someone else and judged by what happens to the people and ventures it serves. Its manager has to design it, win and manage the money, run the cohort and measure the results. That is the job IIPM trains you for.
What you will learn
Six capabilities funders and employers look for
Design programmes that hold up
Turn a problem into a theory of change, a logframe, a programme thesis and a participant journey that a funder can back.
Win and manage the money
Write concept notes, build budgets with cost per participant and indirect costs, and read grant agreements with care.
Run cohorts that deliver
Source and select participants fairly, design curriculum and mentoring, and run demo days and showcase events.
Measure what matters
Set up a practical MEAL system: indicators, baselines, lean data surveys, feedback loops and a cohort dashboard.
Manage partners and funders
Work with implementing partners, government agencies, sponsors and mentors, and meet donor reporting and compliance rules.
Adapt, close out and tell the story
Run learning reviews and small experiments, close a programme well and write impact reports that do not overclaim.
Who it is for
Built for the people who run the programmes
Hub and accelerator teams
Programme associates, officers and managers at innovation hubs, incubators, accelerators and entrepreneur support organisations.
Foundation and NGO staff
Program officers managing grants, implementing partners, and youth or enterprise initiatives.
Development project staff
Project and MEL officers on donor-funded entrepreneurship, skills and livelihoods projects moving into programme leadership.
Corporate and public teams
CSR, foundation-arm and corporate innovation staff, and government agencies running challenges or enterprise schemes.
You will get the most from IIPM with 2 to 8 years of experience, running or about to run a programme funded by someone else. No certification is needed to join.
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Programme syllabus
Eight modules, one programme, start to finish
Each module is one week: recorded lessons and readings, a live case session on Tuesday evening and a deliverable due on Sunday. The case follows one fictional programme, Ebute Innovation Hub and the Rise Youth Enterprise Accelerator, from the first call with its funder to close-out. Open each module to see what it covers.
Module 1: The Impact Program Manager's Job (Week 1)
What a programme is in the innovation and impact world, and how it differs from a project. Who funds this work (foundations, DFIs, government, corporates and impact investors) and what each expects back. The programme lifecycle from concept note to close-out, and how to map the ecosystem around your programme.
Live: Tuesday of Week 1, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1).
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 1.1: Programmes Are Not Projects, the Impact Program Manager’s Job; GAA Reading 1.2: Who Pays and Why, a Map of Funders in African Innovation and Impact Work; Case Part A: The Call from the Tamarind Foundation.
Deliverable: Ecosystem and stakeholder map. Due Sunday of Week 1.
Module 2: Designing the Programme (Week 2)
Turning a problem into a programme that holds up. Problem and context analysis, theory of change, results frameworks and logframes, the programme thesis, the participant journey and the basics of human-centred design.
Live: Tuesday of Week 2, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1).
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 2.1: From Problem to Theory of Change; GAA Reading 2.2: Logframes Funders Actually Read; Case Part B: Designing Rise.
Deliverable: Theory of change and logframe. Due Sunday of Week 2.
Module 3: Winning and Structuring the Money (Week 3)
How programmes get funded and how the money is structured. Funding models, concept notes and proposals, programme budgets, cost per participant and indirect costs, grant agreements, sub-grants and consortia.
Live: Tuesday of Week 3, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1).
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 3.1: Concept Notes That Get a Second Meeting; GAA Reading 3.2: Costing a Programme, from Line Items to Cost per Participant; Case Part C: The Budget Conversation.
Deliverable: Concept note and budget. Due Sunday of Week 3.
Module 4: Running Cohorts That Deliver (Week 4)
The craft of running a cohort. Sourcing and outreach, selection rubrics and due diligence, curriculum and mentor design, technical assistance, demo and showcase days, and the workplans, RACI charts and risk registers that keep delivery on track.
Live: Tuesday of Week 4, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1).
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 4.1: Selection Is the Programme, Sourcing and Choosing a Cohort; GAA Reading 4.2: Support That Participants Actually Use; Case Part D: 1,200 Applications and 40 Places.
Deliverable: Selection rubric and delivery plan. Due Sunday of Week 4.
Module 5: MEAL: Measuring What Matters (Week 5)
Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning that a small team can actually run. Output, outcome and impact indicators, baselines and targets, data collection tools, lean data surveys, feedback mechanisms, cohort KPIs, and the difference between attribution and contribution.
Live: Tuesday of Week 5, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1).
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 5.1: Indicators That Mean Something; GAA Reading 5.2: Lean Data for Busy Programme Teams; Case Part E: The Midline Numbers.
Deliverable: MEAL plan and indicator tracking table. Due Sunday of Week 5.
Module 6: Partners, Government and Stakeholders (Week 6)
Managing the people a programme depends on. Partnership models and MOUs, managing implementing partners, working with government agencies, corporate sponsors and mentors, safeguarding and governance.
Live: Tuesday of Week 6, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1).
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 6.1: Managing Implementing Partners; GAA Reading 6.2: Working with Government Agencies in Nigeria and Across Africa; Case Part F: The Partner in Kano.
Deliverable: Partner agreement outline and engagement plan. Due Sunday of Week 6.
Module 7: Compliance, Reporting and Adapting (Week 7)
Keeping funders confident and the programme honest. Narrative and financial donor reports, compliance and audit readiness, issue and change management, learning reviews, and running small experiments to improve the programme mid-course.
Live: Tuesday of Week 7, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1).
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 7.1: The Donor Report, What Funders Look For; GAA Reading 7.2: Adaptive Management, Learning Reviews and Small Experiments; Case Part G: The Quarterly Report.
Deliverable: Quarterly donor report. Due Sunday of Week 7, with your capstone.
Module 8: Scale, Sustainability and the Story (Week 8)
Closing well and setting up what comes next. Close-out and handover, sustainability and follow-on funding, revenue models for hubs and support organisations, impact reports and case studies, and presenting your programme to a funder panel. The recorded lessons open in Week 7, so you can use them in your capstone.
Live: Capstone defences, Monday and Tuesday evenings of Week 8, 6pm to 9pm WAT (GMT+1). You book one slot.
Pre-reads: GAA Reading 8.1: Closing Well, Close-Out, Handover and Follow-On Funding; GAA Reading 8.2: Telling the Impact Story Without Overclaiming; Case Part H: What Comes After Rise.
Deliverable: Capstone blueprint and panel defence. Capstone due Sunday of Week 7.
Capstone project
Your Programme Blueprint
Your certificate is earned through a capstone, not attendance. You build a complete blueprint for a real programme at your organisation, or for the running case if you cannot share your own.
Each weekly deliverable becomes one chapter, so most of the work is done by Week 7. In Week 8 you defend it for 15 minutes in front of two practitioners playing the funder.
Assessment: weekly deliverables 40%, capstone blueprint 40%, panel defence 20%. Pass mark 60%, with every weekly deliverable submitted. Scores of 80% or more earn the certificate with distinction.
What your blueprint includes
- Ecosystem and stakeholder map
- Theory of change and logframe
- Concept note and budget
- Selection rubric and delivery plan
- MEAL plan and indicator tracking table
- Partner and stakeholder engagement plan
- A sample donor report
- Sustainability and close-out plan
The experience
How you will learn
Live case sessions
Two hours every Tuesday evening, built around the running case and your own programmes. Every session is recorded.
One running case
An original, Africa-set case written by GAA follows one accelerator from its funder's first call to close-out.
Peer teams of five
You review each other's deliverables every week and leave with a network of people doing the same job.
Tools you keep
Twelve templates, from the theory of change canvas to the donor report, ready to use at work.
Templates included: Ecosystem and stakeholder map, Theory of change canvas, Logframe, Concept note, Programme budget model, Selection rubric, Workplan and RACI chart, Risk register, MEAL plan, Indicator tracking table, Partner agreement checklist, Donor report template.
How the 8 weeks run
Week by week
Week 1 starts with the first live session on Tuesday 8 December 2026. Live sessions run on Tuesdays, 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1), with optional clinics on Mondays, 7pm to 8pm WAT. That is 5pm to 7pm in Accra and London, 7pm to 9pm in Johannesburg and 8pm to 10pm in Nairobi. After Module 2 there is a two-week holiday break over Christmas and New Year, then Modules 3 to 8. Deliverables are due by 11:59pm WAT (GMT+1) on the Sunday of each teaching week.
| Week | Module | Live session | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Module 1: The Impact Program Manager’s Job | Tuesday | Sunday: Deliverable 1 |
| Week 2 | Module 2: Designing the Programme | Tuesday | Sunday: Deliverable 2 |
| Break | Two-week holiday break | No session | Catch up and get ahead on your capstone |
| Week 3 | Module 3: Winning and Structuring the Money | Tuesday | Sunday: Deliverable 3 |
| Week 4 | Module 4: Running Cohorts That Deliver | Tuesday | Sunday: Deliverable 4 |
| Week 5 | Module 5: MEAL: Measuring What Matters | Tuesday | Sunday: Deliverable 5 |
| Week 6 | Module 6: Partners, Government and Stakeholders | Tuesday | Sunday: Deliverable 6 |
| Week 7 | Module 7: Compliance, Reporting and Adapting. Module 8 lessons also open | Tuesday | Sunday: Deliverable 7 and your capstone |
| Week 8 | Module 8: Scale, Sustainability and the Story | Capstone defences, Monday and Tuesday evenings | Results and certificates by Friday |
Fees and dates
December 2026 cohort
| Start date | Apply by | Fee | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 8 December 2026 | Wednesday 2 December 2026 | ₦350,000 (early bird ₦300,000 until Friday 20 November 2026) | 8 weeks, about 6 to 8 hours a week |
Pay in full
₦350,000, paid when you apply.
Early bird
₦300,000 when you apply and pay by Friday 20 November 2026.
Two instalments
₦175,000 when you apply and ₦175,000 by the end of Module 4.
Teams of three or more
10% off for three or more people from one organisation: ₦315,000 each, paid by bank transfer. Choose the team option when you apply.
Admissions
How to join
STEP 1
Apply
STEP 2
Pay
STEP 3
Get access
STEP 4
Start
Apply
Apply for the December cohort
Applications close on Wednesday 2 December 2026, and early bird pricing ends on Friday 20 November 2026, so applying early helps.
Sending a team of three or more? One person applies and chooses Team of three or more. You will then list your participants on the next page, and we email you the bank details for payment.
Questions? Email support@globalanalystacademy.com or book a conversation with the team.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as PMP or PMI's program management credential?
No. PMI treats a programme as a group of related projects inside one organisation. IIPM is about programmes that a third party funds and that are judged by what happens to the people and ventures they serve: accelerators, fellowships, grant-funded initiatives and youth employment schemes. If you want PMI certification, see our PMP programme.
Who should take IIPM?
Programme associates, officers and managers at innovation hubs, accelerators, foundations, NGOs, development projects, CSR teams and government agencies. Most participants have 2 to 8 years of experience and are running, or about to run, a programme funded by someone else.
How much time will it take?
About 6 to 8 hours a week for 8 weeks: a two-hour live session on Tuesday evening, two to three hours of recorded lessons and reading, and your weekly deliverable. Monday clinics are optional.
Is there a break over the holidays?
Yes. After Module 2 there is a two-week break over Christmas and New Year, then Modules 3 to 8 run. Use the break to catch up and start pulling your capstone together.
What if I miss a live session?
Every live session is recorded and posted on the GAA Learning Portal within 48 hours. You can still submit that week’s deliverable on time.
Is the course fully online?
Yes. Everything runs online, so you can join from anywhere. Live sessions are on Tuesdays from 6pm to 8pm WAT (GMT+1). That is 5pm to 7pm in Accra and London, 7pm to 9pm in Johannesburg and 8pm to 10pm in Nairobi.
Can I use my own programme for the capstone?
Yes, and we encourage it. If you cannot share details of your own programme, you can build your blueprint on the running case instead. Everything you share stays within the faculty and your peer team.
Is the running case real?
No. Ebute Innovation Hub, the Rise accelerator and the Tamarind Foundation are fictional, written by GAA so we can show real situations without exposing real organisations.
How do instalments work?
Pay ₦175,000 when you apply and ₦175,000 by the end of Module 4. Your certificate is issued once both payments are complete.
Can my organisation pay, or send a team?
Yes. Three or more participants from the same organisation pay ₦315,000 each by bank transfer. Choose Team of three or more when you apply, list your participants, and we email you the bank details. If your finance team needs a formal invoice, we will send one.
What is ScaleBurg's role?
IIPM is a Global Analyst Academy programme delivered in partnership with ScaleBurg, a pan-African innovation-scaling venture. ScaleBurg brings practitioner experience from innovation and venture-support programmes into the cases and faculty.
What do I receive at the end?
The GAA Certificate in Innovation & Impact Program Management, your completed Programme Blueprint, and 12 working templates you can reuse in your job.
How long will I have access to the learning portal?
You have 12 months of access to the recordings, templates and reading pack on the GAA Learning Portal, counted from the programme start date.
December 2026 cohort · Starts 8 December
Run programmes funders trust
Applications close on Wednesday 2 December 2026. The first live session is on Tuesday 8 December 2026.