Building on a over 20 years of training experience, ICPA offers practical training modules focused on the development of core policy research, analysis, writing, and advocacy skills. These training modules can be delivered as a one off, but also have been a core part of 19 different year-long policy fellowship programmes, with partners ranging from Open Society Foundations, European Fund for the Balkans, Gulbenian Foundation, German Council on Foreign Relations, Internews & Swiss Development Agency.
Our training approach features:
- small groups (max. 15), allowing a truly interactive approach;
- adaptation of training modules to needs of individuals and group;
- analysis of real cases of policy research & advocacy in challenging environments;
- emphasis on connecting learning and doing to nurture skill development.
All trainings are conducted by ICPA certified trainers who bring professional skills and a firm commitment to putting adult learning principles into practice in our workshops. If you are interested to know more about our workshops, feel free to contact us.
We offer three core modules, but with flexible variations:
1. Policy Advocacy
| Title | “Developing effective strategies for policy advocacy” |
|---|---|
| Target Group | Researchers, analysts or advocates interested in developing evidence-informed policy advocacy campaigns |
| Standard Length | 2 days |
| Group size | Approx. 15 participants |
| Languages | English, French, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Slovak |
| Foundational resources | Our Policy Advocacy manual and Essential Guide to Writing Policy Briefs |
This workshop aims to build the strategic capacity of participants to effective plan advocacy campaigns supported by research evidence and focused on influencing policy decisions. Delivered to groups of researchers and advocates from NGO and government sectors, the workshop covers:
- The nature of the policy advocacy challenge and the roles of various actors in the process;
- Understanding and applying the Advocacy Planning Framework (APF) tool, which focuses on finding a way into the decision making process, the identification of suitable messenger, message and supporting advocacy tools to build the leverage needed to deliver a feasible advocacy goal (from starting a conversation to delivering a decision).
Variations:
- Advocacy & Policy Briefs – We can add an extra element where we focus on writing policy briefs as a support tool for your advocacy efforts.
- Advocacy & Policy Presentations – We can add an extra element where we focus on making oral presentations of your policy proposals to support your advocacy efforts.
2. Policy Paper Writing (PPW)
| Title | “Writing effective policy papers to influence decision-making” |
|---|---|
| Target Group | Researchers, analysts or advocates interested in developing evidence-informed policy papers |
| Standard Length | 2 days |
| Group size | Approx. 15 participants |
| Languages | English, French, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Slovak |
| Foundational resources | Our Policy Paper Writing manual and Essential Guide to Writing Policy Briefs |
This workshop aims to build the knowledge, skills and critical insight of those who produce policy papers, i.e. researchers and advocates from think tanks, NGOs, academia and government. The workshop covers the following:
- The nature of public policy, decision making processes, policy communities and the context in which policy papers are produced to influence decision making;
- The structural and textual elements of the two main type of policy papers: the policy study and policy brief.
We do not produce policy papers in this training, rather we give participants the confidence, knowledge and resources so that their next attempt at producing a policy paper is much more focused and targeted.
Variations:
- PPW & Analysis – We can add an extra element where we focus on the logic of policy analysis that underpins the approach to any policy argument.
- Policy Perspectives – We can also shorten the workshop to focus on building understanding the core elements and expectations of an applied, practical (as well as political) policy world.
3. Policy Research Design
| Title | “Designing applied policy research as the foundation for influence” |
|---|---|
| Target Group | Researchers, analysts or advocates interested in developing evidence-informed policy papers |
| Standard Length | 2 days |
| Group size | Approx. 15 participants |
| Languages | English |
| Foundational resources | Our Policy Research Design Resources |
This workshop builds on 20 years of ICPA experience of mentoring policy researchers and aims to build critical insight into the core elements that together constitute an effective applied or policy research design. Built around the analysis of real sample policy research proposals, the workshop covers:
- Policy research and its role in the decision making process;
- The key elements of designing focused and feasible policy research, given the challenges of data access and the common limitations of time and resources in such research projects;
- Writing a focused policy research proposal.
Through the workshop, participants get the insight and resources needed to develop a focused policy research design and works best when combined with an ongoing policy research design process.