The Lichfield Partners and Associates, a UNESCO REF Chartered Strategic institute and globally trusted for its international strategic influence. The Lichfield was designated by UNESCO REF as the Strategic Advisory, Diplomatic and Implementation Partner for SIP‑ALPHA, recognized for its institutional depth, fiduciary integrity, and multilateral reach. Lichfield operates as an embedded mechanism within the global development architecture, convening governments and UN agencies, stewarding resources under international fiduciary standards, and driving results‑based delivery across priority sectors.
Through its dual strategic and diplomatic mandate, Lichfield provides governance assurance, partnership orchestration, and accountability frameworks that meet UN‑grade expectations and inspire confidence among ministries, multilateral donors, and private sector financiers. Lichfield is not positioned as a conventional consultancy, but as a trusted institutional mechanism, a partner of choice for governments, multilateral agencies, and global corporations. Its mandate is to ensure that SIP‑ALPHA is not only visionary in conception but also exemplary in execution, setting a new benchmark for international development programming.
Core Mandate and Responsibilities
As UNESCO REF’s Strategic Advisory and Diplomatic Implementation Partner, The Lichfield Partners & Associates is mandated to:
- Strategic Leadership – shaping SIP‑ALPHA’s long‑term direction, aligning interventions with UNESCO REF’s frameworks, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
- Diplomatic Engagement – cultivating high‑level partnerships with governments, UN agencies, regional organizations, and global institutions, thereby strengthening SIP‑ALPHA’s legitimacy and expanding its international footprint.
- Implementation Excellence – embedding rigorous systems of governance, quality assurance, monitoring, and accountability to guarantee results‑based management and measurable impact.
- Global Partnership Development – mobilizing cross‑sectoral collaborations that bring together public institutions, private enterprises, and civil society to amplify SIP‑ALPHA’s transformative reach.
- Thought Leadership – producing policy insights, knowledge products, and innovative approaches that position SIP‑ALPHA as a model of international cooperation.
Fiduciary Custodianship
In addition to its strategic and diplomatic mandate, The Lichfield Foundation has been entrusted as the Fiduciary Custodian of SIP‑ALPHA. This fiduciary role elevates Lichfield as the guardian of the programme’s fiscal integrity and accountability framework, ensuring that all resources mobilized from governments, UN agencies, development partners, and private sector contributors are managed with the highest standards of international fiduciary practice.
As Fiduciary Custodian, The Lichfield Foundation guarantees:
- Transparent financial governance systems embedded across the programme, reinforcing donor confidence and institutional credibility.
- Rigorous compliance, audit, and risk management mechanisms, aligned with UN financial governance principles and international best practice.
- Value‑for‑money assurance, ensuring that every contribution is channelled directly into transformative outcomes.
- Alignment of financial flows with strategic objectives, guaranteeing that investments translate into measurable, sustainable impact.
This custodianship positions Lichfield as a trusted custodian of global development finance, providing assurance to governments, UN agencies, and institutional donors that SIP‑ALPHA is governed with the same discipline, transparency, and accountability expected of the world’s most respected international institutions.
About SIP‑ALPHA
Launched in 2022, the Strategic Intervention Programme – Alpha (SIP‑ALPHA) is UNESCO REF’s flagship initiative, conceived as a comprehensive response to society’s pressing challenges in education, youth advancement, and sustainable development. Structured into 15 categories of intervention, SIP‑ALPHA functions as a living engine of transformation, designed to deliver measurable, scalable, and sustainable outcomes.
The programme strengthens coherence across governments, UN agencies, private sector actors, and civil society, ensuring that diverse projects are integrated into a single, coordinated framework. Its ambition is not only to transform societies but also to contribute to global best practice in development programming.
Principal Director
The programme is under the leadership of Prince Ladigbolu – Oranmiyan, Senior Fellow of the United Kingdom Association of Business Executives (ABE). As the Principal Director of SIP‑ALPHA, he provides vision, strategic direction, and oversight, ensuring that the programme remains coherent with UNESCO REF’s mandates and aligned with international standards of excellence.
Why Engage with Lichfield
- Institutional Credibility– A globally recognised advisory institution embedded within UNESCO REF’s flagship governance structure.
- Strategic and Fiduciary Assurance – Dual mandate as both Strategic Partner and Fiduciary Custodian, meeting UN‑grade expectations for governance and finance.
- Scalable Impact– Multi‑country, multi‑sector capacity with disciplined delivery and pathways to replication and scale.
- Transparent Accountability – Robust governance, audits, and value‑for‑money safeguards that inspire confidence among governments, UN agencies, and donors.
- Global Appeal – A partner of choice for ministries, multilateral agencies, and institutions seeking to align with a programme of international prestige and transformative ambition.