The Applied Learning Series
AI for Development
An online learning series built to give you AI skills you can put to work in your development role right away. Live sessions, each teaching a specific skill against a real task you will likely encounter, so you leave having applied it yourself, not just watched a demonstration.
Each session is repeated for different time zones, so wherever you are, there's a time that should work.
Built And Delivered By
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Each session is designed and facilitated by AI specialists and development experts.
Development Lead
Michael Field
Senior Systems Thinking Specialist
Mike Field is a senior systems thinking and market systems development specialist with more than 25 years of experience supporting development programmes, donors and practitioners globally. He has worked across more than 50 countries, helping organisations apply systems thinking to complex development challenges and strengthen programme strategy, learning and adaptation. Mike brings deep practical experience in market systems development, alongside a strong focus on making new approaches useful and applicable for development practitioners.
AI Specialist
Deon de Klerk
Consultant
Deon de Klerk is the founder of Mindful Machines and an AI specialist focused on helping organisations turn rapidly evolving technology into practical tools for everyday work. He has supported organisations and businesses across multiple countries to build their AI capabilities, identify high-value applications and integrate AI more effectively into their workflows. Deon brings a practical, human-centred approach to AI adoption, with a strong emphasis on making AI accessible, responsible and relevant to real organisational challenges.
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The format
Live sessions built around real tasks
Every session is 90 minutes, built around skills and real pieces of development work.
Live and hands-on
You'll build each skill in real time, on work that mirrors what you're already doing.
Built for application
Every session runs on real tasks. Led by practitioners doing this work themselves.
Beginners to experts
Depth for every starting point. Each session meets you where you are.
Case Examples
Drawn from development programming involving market systems development, economic development, private sector development, youth employment, and livelihood development. Can be easily applied across all development program areas.
Ready to register
Start Building Your AI Skills
Choose the sessions you're most interested in. Register for 3 or more and you'll receive a certificate of completion.
Discounted rates are also available for organisations registering multiple staff. Contact us to learn more.
Getting More from AI:
The Skills Behind Better Results (90min)
14 Oct , 9 - 10:30am CEST
Equivalent to: 10am Nairobi | 12:30pm New Delhi | 2pm Bangkok
Rerun: 15 Oct, 3 - 4:30pm CEST
Equivalent to: 4pm Addis Ababa | 2pm London | 9am Washington DC
Techniques for getting better results from generative AI
This practical session strengthens participants’ ability to use AI effectively in everyday work. Participants will explore how generative AI works, what it does well, and where its limitations lie, before learning practical ways to work with AI more effectively, from providing better context to refining and evaluating its outputs.
Includes: Understanding generative AI; how large language models work; strengths, limitations and common pitfalls; prompting techniques and frameworks; refining and iterating prompts; working with context and source material; evaluating AI outputs; and document & presentation creation.
$45
Per person
Register for 3 or more sessions to receive a certificate of completion.
*Discounted rates available for organisations registering multiple staff. Contact us to learn more.
Navigating the AI Landscape:
Which AI for What? (90 min)
27 Oct, 9 - 10:30am CEST
Equivalent to: 10am Nairobi | 12:30pm New Delhi | 2pm Bangkok
Rerun: 28 Oct, 3 - 4:30pm CEST
Equivalent to: 4pm Addis Ababa | 2pm London | 9am Washington DC
Understanding ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, NotebookLM and other tools, their strengths, differences and best uses
The AI landscape is expanding quickly, and it can be difficult to know which tools to use for which tasks. This session helps participants make sense of the different AI platforms available and understand where each one is strongest. Rather than trying to master every new app, participants will learn how to compare tools, choose the right one for a particular task, and combine different tools where useful. The emphasis will be on practical decision-making: which AI should I use, for what, and why?
Includes: Comparisons between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, NotebookLM and other commonly used tools; different models and capabilities; research, writing, analysis, brainstorming and document-based use cases; free versus paid options; working across multiple tools; choosing tools based on the task; and keeping up with a rapidly changing AI landscape without becoming overwhelmed.
$45
Per person
Register for 3 or more sessions to receive a certificate of completion.
*Discounted rates available for organisations registering multiple staff. Contact us to learn more.
Research Smarter:
Deep Research with NotebookLM (90 min)
12 Nov, 3 - 4:30pm CEST
Equivalent to: 4pm Addis Ababa | 2pm London | 9am Washington DC
Rerun: 13 Nov, 9 - 10:30am CEST
Equivalent to: 10am Nairobi | 12:30pm New Delhi | 2pm Bangkok
Moving from general AI use into a specific, powerful research workflow
This hands-on session explores how AI can support deeper, more structured research using NotebookLM. Participants will learn how to bring together reports, documents, notes and other source material, interrogate that information using AI, identify themes and connections, and produce useful research outputs while remaining grounded in the original sources. The session will focus on using NotebookLM as part of a real research workflow rather than simply as another chatbot.
Includes: Setting up a NotebookLM research workspace; adding and organising sources; asking better research questions; synthesising multiple documents; identifying patterns, gaps and contradictions; generating summaries and structured outputs; tracing responses back to source material; and exploring how NotebookLM can support literature reviews, market research, programme learning and other MSD research tasks.
$45
Per person
Register for 3 or more session to receive a certificate of completion.
*Discounted rates available for organisations registering multiple staff. Contact us to learn more.
AI Agents & Automations:
From Tasks to Workflows (90 min)
26 Nov, 3 - 4:30pm CEST
Equivalent to: 4pm Addis Ababa | 2pm London | 9am Washington DC
Rerun: 27 Nov, 9 - 10:30am CEST
Equivalent to: 10am Nairobi | 12:30pm New Delhi | 2pm Bangkok
Moving from using AI one prompt at a time to getting AI to carry out repeatable processes
This session introduces the next step beyond individual AI prompts: designing workflows where AI can complete multiple steps, use tools and information, and automate repeatable tasks. Participants will explore what AI agents and automations actually are, where they can add value, and where human oversight remains essential. Through practical examples, the session will help participants start identifying processes in their own work that could be streamlined or redesigned using AI.
Includes: The difference between prompts, automations and agents; identifying tasks suitable for automation; breaking a workflow into steps; connecting AI with other tools and information sources; designing simple agentic workflows; human-in-the-loop approaches; quality control and risk; and practical examples of AI-supported workflows relevant to research, programme management, communications and MSD practice.
$45
Per person
Register for 3 or more sessions to receive a certificate of completion.
*Discounted rates available for organisations registering multiple staff . Contact us to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions