Writing Policy Briefs

An opportunity to learn the process of transforming an idea into a policy brief

Azim Premji University by Ankit Kumar Mangal

This weekend workshop is designed for junior to mid-career professionals working in Public Policy and Governance across all domains, and in social policy consulting, NGOs and other organisations with a public purpose.

Introduction

Good writing is necessary because it can persuade attention and resources to underspecified problems. Professionals often fall short of larger goals when they find it difficult to organise and interpret evidence, to recommend actionable decisions. 

This weekend workshop is for Public Policy professionals whose job interfaces with governments, to provide them advice and offer their expertise on Policy matters. The workshop will comprise sessions where the participants will learn technical skills to articulate issues as problems, garner evidence to structure an argument, and fully script a policy brief, by the end of the weekend. 

The workshop is intended for junior to mid-level professionals, working, or also aspiring to work in the policy and consulting spaces, who feel the need to become better professional policy writers. Such professionals could be working in strategic advisory, project management, social impact, policy consulting roles and other areas.

The one and a half weekend workshop will comprise concept- based lectures, skill-based sessions to access resources and conduct rapid research, interactive and practical sessions on writing, review and feedback, and expert insights from the policy world on good writing.

The first day will comprise sessions around identifying and articulating issues into problems, learning about data and other research resources to conduct gap analysis and outcome measurement, and understanding the structure and requirements of a policy brief. Participants will be encouraged to actively and concurrently think of the policy problems that they are familiar with, identify gaps, outcomes, develop a writing structure and submit the first draft of their brief for review. 

The second day will comprise sessions where participants will be given individual feedback on their drafts, incorporate revisions and finalise drafts and, if desired, an opportunity to showcase them as presentations. One or two additional sessions will be held by experts on what comprises good policy writing and policy communication during the workshop.

This unique weekend workshop will offer:

  • A step-by-step guided learning process to transform an idea into a policy brief
  • An exposure to academic and data resources to conduct rapid results research 
  • A method to design and structure policy briefs in the future
  • An opportunity to learn to write and communicate well
  • Professionals with 2 and up to 7 years of work experience in the policy, governance and social impact consulting organisations
  • Professionals, with 2 and up to 7 years of work experience in NGOs and other policy organisations with a public purpose seeking to do policy advocacy 
  • Junior to mid-level government officials involved in planning, monitoring, evaluation and programme implementation.
  • Working knowledge of English is required.

Azim Premji University is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we encourage participants with different genders, disabilities and social backgrounds to apply.

Certificate of Participation will be issued after successful completion of all modules of the workshop.

Course Faculty