Policy Solutions has developed two Advanced Level Policy Skills Workshops to build on the skills, concepts and strategies learned in the Essential Policy Skills Workshop and other introductory policy courses.
The Advanced Policy Training Program is conducted as a 2-day program but can be done as a 3-day in-house workshop tailored to your organisation's needs.
Who will benefit most from this Advanced Policy Program?
Public sector officers and managers who want to upgrade their skills and be a more effective policy player for their departments and who are involved in:
projects, programs and policy development
operationalising and implementing government decisions
working with stakeholders to achieve outcomes
strategic policy development
improving and reviewing programs and policies
Workshop Activities
Facilitators will lead discussion, providing key concepts, outlining relevant issues and providing 'core' information for participants to discuss and analyse. The approach is interactive with role-plays, case studies and hypothetical scenarios being used. Guest speakers and panel discussions will focuss on real world case studies and practical problem solving.
A case study is introduced in Workshop 1 that provides the basis for applying key concepts in a realistic public sector setting.
Workshop 1 - UNDERSTANDING POLICY, POLICY ENVIRONMENT AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS
This initial day clarifies the different meanings of policy, key frameworks for analysing policy, the international, domestic and internal government drivers for policy and gives particular attention to practitioners' own policy environments so that they can appreciate the key factors affecting their own policy actions
Key issues for discussion in this workshop include:
The meaning of policy
Frameworks for policy development
Drivers for policy
Understanding your policy environment
Getting a handle on being an effective policy player
Workshop 2 - DOING POLICY: Delivering Real Policy Programs and Solving Problems
This workshop provides skill development in the application of policy analys8s to deliver a policy program and solve a realistic practitioner focussed policy problem. It covers issue prediction, managing the issues, marketing and implementing policies, effective project management and developing appropriate evidence based arguments for policy action.
Key issues for discussion in this workshop includes:
How issues emerge on the agenda
Defining issues and problems in different ways
Assessing policy options
Considering 'good' policy and 'good' politics
Thinking about implementation
Evaluation and policy design
Consultation issues
Marketing policies and briefing ministers and stakeholders
