Regional cooperation and integration (RCI) is a process by which national economies become more interconnected regionally. RCI plays an important role in accelerating growth and reducing poverty.

Asian Development Bank's RCI Thematic Group (RCI TG) Skills Development Plan for 2017-2018 aims to support the implementation of the RCI Operational Plan 2016-2020 approved in September 2016. During these two years, the RCI TG will focus on enhancing the knowledge and skills of staff involved in RCI work in (i) the application of revised RCI project classification criteria; and (ii) innovative RCI areas, including subregional cooperation and integration; nascent sectors, subsectors, and multisectors; nonsovereign RCI operations, and collective action for cooperative multicountry mechanisms.

As first in the series of workshops, the RCI TG Secretariat organized a one-day training workshop on "Classification of Regional Projects" held in two repetitive batches (29 May 2017 & 30 May 2017) and a separate video conference session on 31 May 2017 for Resident Mission (RM) participants with three- to four-hour time difference. Target participants included staff from RCI divisions and country economists from ADB's RMs.