Cer%ed

Course in Policy Analysis

Contents and Requirements


Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organiza%on

(APPRO)

In Collabora%on with Ghent University (Belgium)

Policy Analysis: Guiding Ques%ons

How are policy decisions made?

Who are the actors?
What are the factors?
What are the policy discourse mechanisms?
How involved are non-policymakers in policy decision
making processes?
What mechanisms are there for non-policymakers
involvement in policy decision making processes?
Most importantly: Why are we interested in the policy
process?

Policy Process Dynamics

Physical / Material
Conditions

Attributes of
Community

Institutional
Context

Patterns of
Interactions

Policy

Patterns of
Interactions

Policy

System of
Governance

Policy Process Dynamics

Physical / Material
Conditions

Attributes of
Community

System of
Governance

Institutional
Context

Problem(s)

Modern Policy Analysis: An Overview

Issue DeniAon
Context
OpAons
Assessment
Decision
Monitoring and EvaluaAon
Learning

Modern Policy Analysis: An Overview

Combines design / development with
implementaAon
Applies Social ScienAc techniques to social
issues / problems
Aims at creaAng and diusing knowledge to
devise strategies, decisions, and acAons in a never
ending process

Modern Policy Analysis: An Overview

Less emphasis on administraAve / technocraAc
aspects
Emphasis on process and learning
DemocraAc PragmaAsm and Economic RaAonalism
RecogniAon of the role of informal insAtuAons

More emphasis on the mode of governance

Modern Policy Analysis: An Overview

Conict ResoluAon
Partnership
ConsultaAon
ParAcipaAon
Engagement
More emphasis on good governance

Policy Analysis: Process

What is Governance?
What are InsAtuAons?
What are Values?
What is the link between Governance and
InsAtuAons?
What is the relaAonship between Scale and Policy
Analysis

Modern Policy Analysis

Problem Iden%ca%on: Who decides what the problem is,
the technocraAc decision maker, the actors whom the
soluAon aects, or both?
Policy Development: Who should be involved nding
soluAons?
Policy Implementa%on: How well are the policy objecAves
being met in pracAce and what can be learned from the
experience?

There should be a signicant element of documen5ng,
analysis, learning, knowledge accumula5on, and
knowledge diusion in the modern policy process.

Policy Process Dynamics

Physical / Material
Conditions

Attributes of
Community

Institutional
Context

System of
Governance

Patterns of
Interactions

Policy

Problem(s)

Accredita%on
Successful parAcipants:
A cerAcate of compleAon from APPRO
A cerAcate of compleAon from Ghent University
Ghent University transcripts indicaAng that the parAcipant
has received 4 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and
Accumula%on System) credits.
Membership of Policy Analysis Alumni Club
InvitaAon as priority guests to policy-related acAviAes
organized by:
APPRO
NAC-PP
Various NAC-PP subcommi\ees (Food Security, EducaAon, Rule of
Law [access to jusAce], CFAC [anA-corrupAon], NAP 1325])

Course Outcomes
By the end of this course the parAcipants will:
Learn how to apply analyAcal skills to fully grasp the full
range of perspecAves in a policy decision making situaAon
Learn about dierent pressures, limitaAons,
consideraAons, and prioriAes that collecAvely generate
specic policy decisions.
Understand various ways in which policy analysts (should)
frame policy problems
Be capable of applying a systemic perspecAve to policy
problem solving
Be capable of analyAc reasoning and eecAve
communicaAon to inuence policy making

Registra%on Requirements
Undergraduate degree in one of the social sciences and a
demonstrated interest in decision- and policy-making
issues OR professional experience in a decision or policy
making capacity in an organizaAonal seeng for at least 3
years
Scanned copy of the highest academic degree, a full CV,
and a statement of interest, no longer than a page
Successful comple,on of an English test

Addi%onal Informa%on
In-Class %me: Nine sessions (09:00-12:00), consisAng of a
lecture and a seminar.
ANendance: ParAcipants to a\end all lectures and
seminars. Sessions are held Sundays, Mondays, and
Thursdays(for 3 weeks).
Time commitment: EsAmated at between 70-100 hours in
total, including lecture/seminar contact Ame.
Assignment Week: Week 4 is allocated for compleAng the
open-book exam assignment.
Readings: A comprehensive reading list will be provided to
all parAcipants.