UNDP launched advanced digital governance training for civil servants in Turkmenistan
The comprehensive capacity-building programme was launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan and the Academy of Civil Service under the President of Turkmenistan. Additionally, the UNDP supports Turkmenistan in the development of an electronic data exchange system pilot.
“The successful rollout of Turkmenistan’s critical digital infrastructure represents a major milestone. At the same time, there is still a need to expand the pool of qualified digital and IT professionals, which is key to fully leveraging new systems and supporting continued progress in public sector digital transformation,” said Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan. “The initiative is part of UNDP’s broader efforts to support Turkmenistan’s ongoing digital transformation agenda, and we remain fully committed to supporting further efforts to strengthen digital capacities across the public sector”.
The training programme will equip mid-level civil servants, IT specialists, and academic staff of leading universities of Turkmenistan with the necessary skills and knowledge to guide digital reforms and utilise digital solutions. The training supports a forward-thinking approach to public administration, promoting merit-based career advancement, a deeper understanding of the cybersecurity framework, and the professional growth of young professionals into leadership positions. So far, 120 senior and mid-level civil servants, IT specialists, and academic staff of leading universities of Turkmenistan have participated in the training programme.
“eGA is supporting UNDP’s work in Turkmenistan because digital skills are essential for any public servant committed to delivering transparent and efficient services. Long queues and paper-based bureaucracy simply should not have a place in 21st-century public administration,” said Hannes Astok, Executive Director of e-Governance Academy.
Training sessions were held on 18–21 November 2025 and 2–5 December 2025, with eGA experts delivering practical, skills-focused modules for participants. Key topics included strategic foundations of digital governance, human resource management in the public sector, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in public administration.
The strategic foundations of the digital governance course set the goal of understanding how digital government-related policies are created and how quality data, together with efficient public service provision, should focus on end-users, i.e., citizens. The Human Resource Management course focused on merit-based personnel management with digital tools used as a by-default solution.
The emerging technologies course explored practical ways to apply modern digital tools, with a particular focus on the responsible integration of AI to improve efficiency and public service delivery. In parallel, the cybersecurity course addressed the growing complexity of cyber threats and provided participants with essential skills to secure digital infrastructure and ensure the resilience of e-government systems.
Beyond addressing immediate capacity needs, the UNDP initiative is designed to help establish a sustainable system of continuous professional development, positioning the Academy of Civil Service as a national hub for training, upskilling, and retraining civil servants.
The capacity-building collaboration is based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan and the e-Governance Academy, as well as between the Civil Service Academy under the President and the e-Governance Academy, signed in November 2025. Through this partnership, Turkmenistan will receive specialised educational and advisory support intended to accelerate its digital reform agenda.
Photos by UNDP Turkmenistan