This day is designed to demystify the intricate world of policy development, introducing delegates to the essential skills during the design processes and setting up the foundations for advancement in the policy world.
Delegates will map out the development process, in doing so they will imbed the overarching timescales and objectives essential to keeping policies on time and within budget. They will begin amassing the evidence required to make policy decisions, assessing their reliability and usefulness to the policy aims and laying the groundwork to creating a strong policy.
Consider the various approaches required during the policy development process. Identify the different policy options and appraise each one on its suitability to solving the problem, put the policy into practice and pre-empt what the consequences may be, and consider the policy’s reception upon implementation (the media, the public, and those impacted by it).
An essential course for anyone working in roles that require an understanding of policy creation. Civil servants and public sector departments can grapple with the development process itself, honing their skills to create even more effective policy, whilst businesses and the third sector will be able to use this knowledge to influence the design process with pin-point accuracy.
Objectives:
- Have a clear understanding of what policy is – why it is needed, when it is best applied, and what problems it can tackle
- Identify the main players in policy formulation
- Create the critical frameworks and techniques for policy development
- Use reliable sources of evidence when developing policy – ensure it is based on thoroughly analysed information
- Design and propose impartial and objective policy options
- Appraise and evaluate policy proposals
- Understand the complexity of policy formulation and the hurdles to successful implementation
Training Consultant: Zoe McNeill-Ritchie
Zoe is a highly experienced professional trainer and consultant, specialising in policy development, Ministerial briefing and support, and policy communications. She has been working in these areas across Government and internationally since 2000.
Her portfolio has included design and delivery of the civil service fast stream’s briefing courses; policy development training for a wide variety of organisations in the UK and internationally; design and delivery of international policy skills training for the FCO; managing a “writing to persuade” programme for the European Space Agency; and designing, developing and delivering briefing skills training for a number of the Offices of newly-appointed Police and Crime Commissioners.
Zoe’s previous background was in providing policy and strategic advice and private office support for ministers in HM Treasury, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as well as experience in the private sector as Director of a top-6 public relations company.