Energy system modelling has become central to discussions on developing sustainable systems, supporting both energy access expansion and the global energy transition. The upcoming G20 Global Energy Planning Coalition only exemplifies the importance of this. Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) face particular challenges in developing technical capacity to conduct their own transition planning. The OpTIMUS Community, in partnership with CCG, has accumulated more than a decade of experience of international collaboration around the design and implementation of capacity-building programmes for energy modellers.
This brief reflects upon the lessons learned from this experience, as well as some of the latest innovations in process, to distil a set of ten principles for good practice. These principles are of broad interest and application and can help to ensure that future capacity-building efforts are accessible to participants, sustainable over time, and impactful in their delivery. They cover all aspects of capacity building from curriculum content and technical tools and data to progressive skills-building and certification, community support, targeted training, and international cooperation.