Notwithstanding the strategic re-orientations and the many changes intervened throughout the years, all ITPCM activities always kept adhering to a few basic principles:

• all capacity building initiatives conducted abroad are based on specific requests of the national or local institutions and often benefit from their significant contribution (in terms of co-financing, or of offering technical, political and logistical support);
• the preparation of the activities is needs-driven and, therefore, a thorough needs assessment is always conducted beforehand, to understand the precise learning needs of the audience and to be more aware of the already existing level of knowledge and skills (to avoid a waste of time and precious resources);
• the activities are implemented in close coordination with the local partners: this allows not only to increase the credibility of the initiative, mixing together international and local trainers and point of views, but also to make sure that the content of the training is perfectly customized to the trainees’ needs.
• the design of the content of the training activities and the decisions on the methodology to be used for the delivery are always discussed and agreed upon with the local counterpart, taking into consideration the typology of the audience attending the training event;
• in the delivery of the activities special attention is devoted to consider the local culture and traditions (in terms of timing of the activities, pedagogical instruments used, wording and anecdotes used, dressing code, food traditions, consideration for the religious needs of the participants etc.)
• special attention is devoted both in the design and the implementation of abroad activities not only to make sure to fully respect the human rights in all the activities and to pay proper attention to gender issues, but also to reduce, as much as possible, the impact on the environment by avoiding waste of food, water, paper, etc.
• all ITPCM activities are closely linked to our research agenda, as we are fully committed, as a public University, to bring into the training room the outcome of the most updated research, both that conducted by ourselves and the one conducted by other research institutions and centres.