Alliance of Development Practitioners
The global professional body for the development sector
Independent, non-commercial. We develop open standards, certify practitioners, and accredit trainers — built by the practitioner community, freely licensed for everyone.
- Independent non-commercial
- Open access · CC BY 4.0
- Examinations by certN
- Built by practitioners
What ADP does
Open standards
We develop open methodologies for professional practice in the development sector. Our Social Innovation framework is freely licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Explore Social InnovationCertification
We design competence-based certifications, examined independently by certN. The Social Innovation Practitioner Certification (SIPC) is our first.
About SIPC certificationTrainer accreditation
We accredit trainers worldwide to prepare candidates for certification. Anyone can teach our standards freely; accreditation is for those who want recognition.
Become an accredited trainerOur publications
The Social Innovation Manual
Our social innovation framework
Designed for practitioners, students, trainers, and organisations. Free, CC BY 4.0, no email required, no registration.
Download the Social Innovation ManualTwo ways to learn
Self-study
Read the manual, apply it in your work, and take the exam when you're ready. Free, flexible, self-paced.
Start learningTrain with an accredited trainer
Structured cohort-based preparation toward the SIPC exam, delivered by an ADP-accredited trainer in your region and language.
Find a trainerAbout ADP
Independent by design
ADP is an independent, non-commercial professional body. We don't deliver training or sell exams — our standards are developed openly with practitioners worldwide and our examinations are administered independently by certN.
Built by practitioners. Open to you.
ADP is built and maintained by practitioners. You can teach the framework freely under the open license, volunteer to translate it, or share feedback that improves the next edition.