In Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) and the broader Community of Portuguese-Language Countries (CPLP), institutional systems such as business registries, social protection records, and digital payment networks remain fragmented. This fragmentation leaves informality as one of the most persistent challenges in the labor market.
This 6-week online peer-learning cycle, taking place from 7 September 2026 to 23 October 2026, aims to connect technical professionals and policymakers across Portuguese-speaking institutions to exchange, adapt, and implement concrete digital solutions for business formalization and social protection. Grounded in a South-South cooperation approach, the course features hands-on technical clinics conducted in Portuguese, allowing participants to develop tailored national adaptation plans, share good practices, and build a lasting Community of Practice to accelerate regional formalization efforts. It is organized by the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the ILO.
Cycle program
The ten live online sessions form a progressive path, moving from a shared conceptual framework to national-level adaptation and South-South peer learning:
- Setting the course for the journey — current status in each country and an introduction to South-South and Triangular Cooperation
- Digital solutions for formalization: introduction — shared conceptual frameworks and an ecosystem overview
- Identifying and reaching informal businesses and their workers — individual records, including in data-scarce contexts
- Simplified registration and compliance — one-stop shops, electronic registration, simplified tax regimes, and digital social security enrollment
- Expanding social protection — coverage, benefits, financing, and governance
- Digital salaries and payments — incentives and concrete channels for formalization
- Digital tools, digital literacy, and financing — the supply of solutions and the skills on which their adoption depends
- Employer compliance, labor records, and inspection — compliance support and monitoring platforms
- Interoperability, data protection, and digital inclusion — connecting systems with appropriate safeguards
- Synthesis clinic and adaptation — country-specific adaptation notes and an implementation roadmap
Target audience: Policymakers and technical experts from Ministries of Labor, Social Security, Economy, ICT, and Central Banks in PALOP/CPLP countries.
Format: Online (conducted entirely in Portuguese)
Application Deadline: 28 August 2026
Tuition: €1,050 (100% full scholarships available for PALOP candidates upon good practice submission)