Leaders of change: helping African policymakers develop their capacity to promote the use of knowledge in policy

Modules

Minimum contents

Module 1. The challenge of public policy processes. The paradigm of complexity.

This module reflects on the inherent complexity of public policy processes, with a strong focus on their inherently political nature, the incentives, interests and resources that move other players and configure what the object of the debate is, on what decisions are based and how those decisions are implemented, monitored and assessed or not. It explores different public policy models and their implications on the use of evidence, as well as it identifies factors that affect its use in public institutions.

Module 2. Focus on information. Detecting possible uses and available resources.

This module devotes to the possible uses of knowledge, according to the different needs and opportunities that arise from the policy decision making process. It also approached the needs for information according to the management level, since political, strategic and operational decisions open very different windows of opportunity to incorporate knowledge. Finally,
the module goes into the advantages and disadvantages of resorting to internally and externally-generated information.

Module 3. Focus on information. Generating information
for decision making and management.

This module focuses on the different types of research than may be useful in the decision-making process, together with a series of criteria that may be helpful for assessing their usefulness
and quality. The module also approaches internal information systems and focus on monitoring and evaluation processes as tools to generate relevant information for the decision making process, and explores experiences in the institutionalization of the use of knowledge in developing countries.

Module 4. Focus on stakeholders. Identifying and relating to potential research users and interpreters.

This module acknowledges the wide variety of players who,
in different ways and according to their own interests and paradigms, may affect the use of evidence in their fields of work. It also approaches the concept of epistemic communities. The module also studies the different decision-making styles that characterize public servants in order to identify the best strategies to provide them with evidence, and explores some approaches to recognize elements that may help promote a culture of a wider use of evidence in public organizations.

Module 5. Focus on stakeholders. Effective information communication.

The last module addresses the effective communication of information of knowledge. To do so, it approaches the creation of effective messages and dynamic formats. Besides, it reflects on public policy recommendations as a format to introduce research and evidence in decision-making environments.

Workshop: Case analysis.

The last week is devoted to read, analyze and reflect on cases involving the challenges and problems that arise when seeking to use knowledge in policymaking.