Course Overview

The Public Policy Development programme provides participants with a practical understanding of how public policies are designed, influenced, implemented, and evaluated within complex political and social environments.

The course explores the full policy-making cycle, stakeholder engagement, governance structures, policy analysis tools, communication strategies, and performance monitoring techniques. Participants will gain practical insights into improving policy outcomes and contributing effectively to policy development and decision-making processes.

Agenda

Day — 1 Understanding Public Policy and the Policy Environment

• Understanding the meaning, purpose, and scope of public policy
• Exploring the complete policy-making cycle, including:
  • Agenda Setting
  • Policy Formulation
  • Decision Making
  • Implementation
  • Evaluation
• Identifying the key characteristics and attributes of effective public policy
• Exploring a range of policy instruments available to governments and public authorities
• Understanding methods for cooperating with policymakers to influence policy directions
• Introducing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) concepts for improving policy quality and effectiveness
• Practical Exercise: Reviewing a policy scenario and identifying weaknesses within a policy proposal

Day — 2 Policy Domains and Influencing Factors

• Exploring major sector-specific policy domains, including:
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Economy
  • Social Development
• Identifying and analysing the different factors that influence policy choices and priorities
• Understanding the impact of legal and constitutional frameworks on public policy development
• Exploring the interaction between politics, public opinion, and policymaking
• Assessing how national context, culture, and societal values shape policy decisions
• Identifying cross-sector challenges where multiple policy fields and governance areas intersect
• Case Study: Comparing sectoral policy examples and identifying the contextual factors influencing each policy approach

Day — 3 Contributing to and Influencing Public Policy

• Understanding the impact of public policy on organisations, communities, and industries
• Exploring communication strategies and engagement plans for influencing policy decisions
• Mapping decision-making pathways within government institutions and associated public bodies
• Learning the steps involved in preparing policy proposals aligned with government priorities and objectives
• Developing strategies for building alliances, partnerships, and networks to support policy adoption
• Practical Exercise: Drafting a concise policy brief presenting an organisational policy recommendation

Day — 4 Stakeholder Engagement for Effective Policy Development

• Understanding methods for identifying and prioritising policy-relevant issues
• Exploring tools used to identify, analyse, and understand audiences and stakeholders
• Developing strategies to spark, strengthen, and sustain long-term stakeholder interest and participation
• Learning guidelines for creating structured and effective stakeholder engagement programmes
• Exploring methods for improving organisational visibility, credibility, and public trust
• Understanding techniques for presenting ideas, evidence, and policy recommendations to decision-makers
• Practical Exercise: Building a stakeholder map and developing an engagement plan for a selected policy topic

Day — 5 Multi-Level Public Policy and Integrated Approaches

• Understanding local, regional, and national policy structures, responsibilities, and mandates
• Exploring how policies interact and influence one another across different governance levels
• Identifying opportunities for alignment and coordination between multiple policy tiers
• Learning guidelines for developing integrated and multi-layered policy strategies to achieve policy coherence
• Exploring tools and methods for evaluating policy effectiveness across different governance layers
• Practical Exercise: Developing an outline for a multi-level public policy strategy addressing a real or hypothetical policy challenge

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Public Policy Development course, participants will be able to:

• Understand public policy concepts, purposes, and scope, and explain how policy problems are identified, prioritised, and transformed into policy agendas
• Apply the full policy-making cycle to assess policy options and identify weaknesses in policy proposals
• Analyse major policy domains and the legal, political, economic, and social factors influencing policy choices
• Evaluate how public opinion, stakeholder expectations, and cross-sector issues shape policy outcomes across different sectors
• Understand policy decision-making pathways and develop strategies to contribute to and influence policy processes while aligning with government priorities
• Design and implement stakeholder engagement strategies using audience mapping and communication tools
• Assess how policy operates across local, regional, and national governance levels and propose strategies for policy coherence
• Apply analytical, planning, monitoring, and evaluation tools to improve policy quality and support continuous improvement

Who Should Attend

The Public Policy Development programme is designed for professionals involved in policymaking, governance, regulation, and public affairs, including:

• Government and Public Sector Professionals
• Policy Advisors and Analysts
• NGO and International Organisation Staff
• Professionals involved in Public Affairs and Regulation