Frequently asked questions

ADP is an independent non-profit professional body governed by a board and a standards committee. The board is being constituted at launch and its composition will be published on the Governance page once appointments are complete.

Three streams, in declining order of preference: trainer accreditation fees, restricted and unrestricted grants, and donations. Funders cannot dictate the content of a standard; the body of knowledge is always published under an open licence. Full funding model on the Governance page.

No. ADP is an independent, non-profit professional body. We may receive grants from public funders for specific standards-development work, but accepting funding does not transfer editorial control over the body of knowledge.

ADP develops the standards and accredits the trainers. certN designs and delivers the examinations. The two are deliberately separated so that the body owning the standard does not also run the exam — independence is structural, not promised.

Government staff, nonprofit professionals, CSR/sustainability practitioners, social entrepreneurs, youth leaders, and consultants working in development and social innovation. The SIPC overview page covers the six audiences in detail.

SIPC is anchored in an open body of knowledge, examined independently, and built specifically for the international development sector. The SIPC for employers page is written specifically for HR teams and learning directors who want to recognise the credential in hiring and performance development.

SIPC focuses on social innovation methodology — problem analysis, solution generation, prototyping, and impact measurement in development contexts. It complements general project-management credentials (PMP, PRINCE2) and sector credentials (DPro). The body of knowledge is open and freely available, so you can read exactly what is tested before deciding whether the credential fits your career path.

No. SIPC is valid for life. No renewal fee, no continuing-education requirement, no expiry date. ADP publishes future editions of the Practice Guide with explicit changelogs, and certificate holders can optionally upgrade to the latest edition by passing a short delta exam.

Yes. The Practice Guide is published under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0. No paywall, no email gate, no commercial restriction. The Arabic edition is available now; English and French translations are in progress.

Yes. CC BY 4.0 permits commercial use. You can teach from the guide, sell training based on it, excerpt it in commercial publications — all on the condition that you credit ADP and indicate any changes. See the License section for citation guidance.

The Practice Guide page lists recommended APA and Chicago citations. Both link to the canonical URL https://adp-international.org/social-innovation-practice-guide/. For academic work, please use the canonical URL as the persistent reference.

The current status table is on the Practice Guide page. If your language is not listed and you are willing to translate, email translations@adp-international.org.

No. SIPC has no formal prerequisites — the Practice Guide alone is sufficient preparation if you study it carefully. Most candidates choose to train with an accredited trainer because of the structured practice, facilitated discussion, and feedback on their own work.

The trainer directory lists every active ADP-accredited trainer. Filter by country, language, and training format. If you don’t find what you need, contact us.

Yes. Many trainers offer digital classroom (live online) and self-paced online formats. Filter the trainer directory by training type to find them.

Most accredited courses run between 20 and 40 hours of contact time, spread over four to eight weeks. Self-paced courses are longer because participants set their own pace. Each trainer publishes the specific length and structure on their profile.

Exam pricing is set by certN, ADP’s independent exam partner. ADP does not take a percentage of the exam fee. Current pricing is published on the certN booking platform at vds.certn.global.

Directly with certN at vds.certn.global. Create an account, choose an exam window, pay the exam fee, and the exam is delivered online from your own workspace under proctored conditions.

No. The exam is closed-book and proctored. A certN proctor monitors the session by webcam to ensure exam integrity. Roughly 80% of questions are application-based scenarios that test judgement, not recall — so memorisation alone is not a viable strategy.

Retakes are available after a 14-day cool-down, with no cap on total attempts. Each attempt requires a new exam booking and fee through certN. Failed exams include a diagnostic breakdown by phase so you know where to focus your preparation.

The exam follows the editions of the Practice Guide. Arabic is the launch language; English and French will follow as translations land. Other languages will follow as community translation completes.

Anyone who holds (or commits to obtaining) the SIPC credential, has prior teaching or facilitation experience in any field, and can deliver in at least one named format (face-to-face, digital classroom, or self-paced). Full criteria are on the Become accredited and Tiers pages.

Annual fees vary by tier. Fees fund the review process, the directory infrastructure, the trainer materials, and ADP’s institutional sustainability. The specific schedule is on the Tiers page.

Annual, renewable. Trainers continue to qualify by maintaining the activity required for their tier and by holding a current SIPC credential. Sustained inactivity triggers a review.

Accreditation is held by individuals — the credential travels with the trainer, not the employer. Organisations that want to deliver SIPC training typically have one or more staff accredited individually. For organisational-scale training discussions, email info@adp-international.org.