Producing policy relevant analysis & writing to influence decision making

Transcription

1 Producing policy relevant analysis & writing to influence decision making A workshop for RRPP Researchers on the Policy Bridging Initiative, Development Stream June 25-27, 2015 Belgrade, Serbia Facilitators: Lucian Ciolan & Katarina Staronova, International Centre for Policy Advocacy For over a decade, this workshop has been delivered hundreds of times to thousands of academics, government officials, policy researchers, think tankers and NGO advocates with the aim to enhance the policy engagement and writing skills of participants. In building the capacity of policy researchers and think tanks, we have worked with the Open Society Foundations, UNDP, OSCE, European Fund for the Balkans, RRPP, Internews, Eurasia Foundation, German Council on Foreign Relations and London School of Economics. As has been the case in many of the fellowship programmes we have worked on, this workshop is designed in the PBI to come at a time in the process where people have completed the research part and are doing the analysis and write up. In addition, the workshop will be followed up with an opportunity to get feedback on your draft policy study. Therefore, the goal of the workshop is: to equip participants with the knowledge, skills and resources to develop evidence-driven arguments and effective policy papers, which communicate a compelling and policy-relevant position and so provide a strong foundation for policy advocacy. Towards this end, workshop participants will: Understand how policy papers can support an evidence- based decision- making process; Gain insight into the public policy perspective central to framing policy research, analysis and writing; Analyse and reflect upon strategies for increasing the likelihood of achieving desired policy influence in the writing and using of policy papers; Build insight into the structure and advocacy purpose of the two main types of policy papers: the policy study and policy brief; Understand how the rational decision- making process of policy analysis feeds directly into building an effective policy argument; Build insight into the type of knowledge policy analysts and researchers are expected to provide to their clients; 1

2 Compare the differences between traditional academic writing and applied real world policy writing; Share policy- making and writing experience with other workshop participants and trainers; Promote autonomous skill development through the use of the LGI guidebook "Writing Effective Public Policy Papers 1 " as a resource. WORKSHOP OUTLINE The workshop consists of 3 days of training (July 25-27, 12 x 90mins). The 4 main components of the workshop are: 1. Context - The policy paper as a decision- making tool This section will examine the context in which policy papers are produced in order to advance understanding of the nature of policy papers as purposeful communication tools used in the policy- making process. There are 5 main elements in this section of the workshop: 1. Understanding the building blocks of public policy 2. Targeting policy communities & policy narratives 3. Purpose of the policy paper 4. Main types of policy papers study & brief 5. Targeting the policy making process We open this section by reflecting on the core concept of public policy. In this activity, we will look at the key concepts that go together towards a meaningful definition of the term public policy and illustrate them in an example. These ideas will frame and focus all aspects of policy writing and analysis that develop through the workshop. Starting with a role-play, we introduce the nature of policy communities in which there are multiple actors defending multiple interests and values and the challenge of bringing your policy position to a discussion driven by competing narratives/frames and power dynamics. This should help us understand the need to adopt an advocacy view of policy writing. Moving specifically on to the communication tool of the policy paper, we will then consider what the focus and aim of the writer should be in the production of a policy paper. We will then consider the defining characteristics of the 2 main types of policy papers a policy study and brief. We will reflect on these types in relation to the experience of participants. All advocacy and policy research efforts need to be informed about how policy is made on the government timetable. Understanding the legislative and budgetary cycles of target institutions will inform us when to act and also what to focus on in constructing our messages and communication tools. We will then reflect on the processes that will be targeted in your policy projects. 1 Young, Eóin and Lisa Quinn (2002) Writing Effective Public Policy Papers: A Guide for Policy Advisors in Central and Eastern Europe. Budapest: OSI/LGI. Available online: oung_quinn.pdf 2

3 2. Text - Structuring and developing a coherent policy paper This aim of this section is to build insight into the purpose and features of the common structural elements of both the policy study and policy brief. The main policy writing resource used in the workshop will be the LGI guidebook Writing Effective Public Policy Papers. There are 3 main elements in this section of the workshop: 1. Mapping the Structural s of a policy study 2. Academic papers vs policy paper 3. Detailed analysis and comparison of sample policy study and brief We open this section by mapping out the main elements of a policy paper. Emphasis will be placed on gaining in-depth insight into the key structural elements that are central to achieving the purpose of the policy paper, i.e. Problem description, Policy options and Conclusion and recommendations. This structural framework will be a resource for the rest for the workshop. We will next address a question that commonly arises for those in the field: the difference between academic papers and policy papers. The focus is to show both the overlap and the differences. Having examined the context in which policy papers are produced and mapped out the structural elements, we will close this section by doing a detailed analysis of a real sample policy study and brief. The idea is to see in reality how policy writers and advocates have approached the challenge. 3. Argument Evaluating options through the policy analysis process This aim of this section is to deepen the awareness of the key elements of a strong policy argument and the logic of the process commonly used by analysts to produce such an argument. In this section, we will examine role and client expectations of the policy analyst and a core tool used by analysts to meet those expectations. There are 3 main elements in this section of the workshop: 1. Role of the policy analyst 2. The outcomes matrix 3. Building an outcomes matrix for your policy analysis We open this section by examining the expectations that clients have of those that produce policy analysis. At the core of this is an examination of the strategic choices or options available. We will next focus on the key prediction tool used to generate the evidence needed to support the options section in the policy study/brief. The outcomes matrix is the core analytical tool that is used to produce rational and evidence based evaluation of the options available. In the 3 rd element of this section of the workshop, we will examine how to out together the elements of an outcomes matrix, i.e. evaluation criteria, options and then the challenge of doing prediction. We will close by reflecting on the challenges for your policy projects. 3

4 POLICY BRIDGING INITIATIVE -DEVELOPMENT STREAM This workshop is the third event/stage in the Policy Bridging Initiative 2 for those on the Development Stream 3. In addition, other RRPP researchers who have answered an open call, but are not on the Development Stream of PBI will also participate. For all participants, there is an opportunity to attend the workshop and also, to get written and Skype feedback on your draft policy study. So the proposed timeline for the feedback process following the workshop will be as follows: 1. Submit your draft policy study (to Ana) Friday, July Receive written feedback on your proposal from ICPA by Friday, Aug 1 3. Schedule and do a Skype call with ICPA to discuss the feedback by Friday, Sep 11 We will discuss the suitability of the timeline for each of the dev teams during the workshop. WORKSHOP METHODOLOGY This workshop is practical in nature and targets the policy writing needs of workshop participants. Active participation is the cornerstone of the methodology employed with emphasis placed on the analysis of authentic sample policy papers, case studies and products of the policy analysis process (outcomes matrices), as well as the application of knowledge and skills to participants' own policy research and writing needs. Other main aspects of the methodological approach adopted in the workshop are: a learner- centred, interactive environment; learning by doing; pair and small group work to facilitate peer interaction; role of participants as informed and responsible adult learners and the role of the trainer as facilitator; Individual project feedback and consolidation through tutorials. TIMETABLE FOR TRAINING DAYS The training workshop will be run over 3 days from Thursday, June 25 th to Saturday, June 27 th. The daily workshop timetable of four 90- minute sessions is as follows: Daily Session 1 workshop timetable Coffee break Session Lunch Session Coffee break Session

5 WORKSHOP FACILITATORS Lucian Ciolan is a Senior Trainer with International Centre for Policy Advocacy. In addition, Lucian is Associate Professor at University of Bucharest, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, where he currently acts as dean. In the last years he was extensively involved in training and consultancy activities, especially in Central and South- Eastern Europe. His expertise is mainly related to education and training, public policy, project and performance management, training of trainers. Katarina Staronova (katka@icpolicyadvocacy.org) is Senior Trainer with ICPA. Katarina is Lecturer at Institute of Public Policy & Economics, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences (Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia) where she is teaching Policy Instruments, Policy Analysis and Qualitative Research Methods. She is also working as an independent consultant and trainer in the field of administrative capacity and governance, policy making processes and impact assessment. In this capacity she has worked for international organizations like World Bank, UNDP and EU or national governments of Slovakia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Moldova and assignments in other CEE countries. INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR POLICY ADVOCACY ( The International Centre for Policy Advocacy (ICPA) is a non- governmental organisation which supports the development of effective advocacy skills for those who work on improving policy choices in democracies in transition. We are a newly established organisation registered in Berlin, but not a new initiative; ICPA is the continuation of a programme that existed for a decade as part of the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative, a programme of Open Society Foundations, Budapest. ICPA has grown out of a conviction that policy- making processes informed by more voices, evidence and analysis are more likely to lead to outcomes serving the public interest. We provide capacity development to those who produce policy research (e.g. think tanks, research centres, universities) and those who wish to use evidence in their advocacy campaigns (e.g. NGOs, associations, watchdogs, governmental bodies) to ensure research results are communicated and used effectively in policy decision- making. To support this capacity development, the ICPA team provides a combination of: skill- focused training modules on policy advocacy, policy perspectives, policy paper writing, policy analysis and policy research proposal writing; hands- on process facilitation or mentoring with individuals and organisations in their research, writing and advocacy work; sets of widely available guidebooks, practical resources and tools for independent skill development; insight and case studies from research into regional advocacy practices and decision making processes. Our training modules have been delivered to more than 4000 policy actors from 60 countries, especially throughout the regions of CEE, fsu, Central Asia, Mongolia and West Africa and have become integral training elements for many policy fellowship programmes. ICPA has an established team of 10 core and 14 further certified trainers who can deliver training in 8 languages. In addition to our multiple level partnerships with various Open Society Foundations programmes, partners and national foundations, ICPA has also been a partner with many other institutions, e.g. EC/EU, CoE, UNDP, WB, OSCE, USAID, Transparency International and Internews. 5