Designing and implementing strategic policy is challenging. Government approaches often change direction, public policy development is highly contestable, policy problems are complex and multi-faceted, requiring linkages across numerous portfolios or layers of governance, and there is a growing emphasis on involving stakeholders and citizens in public policy design. Contemporary public policy makers need to be well informed, responsive, collaborative and innovative to deliver effective, evidence-based policy. This requires a strategic approach to policy design, development and implementation.
This course will step through a framework for strategic policy development, focusing on the latest research and information on systems thinking, behavioural insights and implementation science with engaging practical activities exploring real-world policy problems, to translate knowledge into understanding and action. This two-day program is designed to equip current and aspiring public policy makers with a range of tools essential for strategic policy design, development and implementation.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand key conceptual frameworks required for strategic policy development
- Understand the role of systems thinking in policy design and apply systems thinking techniques in policy problem definition and solution design
- Demonstrate a knowledge of systems maps, stakeholder analysis tools and generic behaviour change tools and how they can be applied in the workplace
- Demonstrate the ability to articulate common behaviours and behaviour influences and how to design behaviour change programs to improve policy outcomes
- Apply co-design and consumer engagement techniques for policy development,
- Develop Theory of Change and high-level evaluation frameworks and implementation approaches that can be applied in the workplace
Indicative Assessment
- An in-class quiz based on prescribed reading material and course content. The quiz would be undertaken at the end of the two days of course delivery (40) [LO 1,2,3]
- An individual assignment based on the hypothetical development of a policy proposal for consideration and approval by government. Students will be required to attend a follow-up day to present their policy proposal to the rest of the cohort for questions and discussion (2000 words) (60) [LO 4,5,6]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
There will be 15 contact hours and 40-50 hours of pre-reading and assessment work.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
None
Preliminary Reading
Excerpts/chapters or case studies from amongst the following:
· Successful Public Policy: Lessons from Australia and New Zealand, ANZSOG Series, Edited by: Joannah Luetjens, Michael Mintrom, Paul `t Hart, 2019 https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/series/anzsog/successful-public-policy
· The Art of Public Strategy: Mobilising power and knowledge for the common good, Geoff Mulgan, Oxford University Press, 2009
· The Behavioural Foundations of Public Policy, edited by Eldar Shafir, Princeton University Press, 2013
· Behavioural Insights and Public Policy: Lessons from around the world, OECD publishing, 2017
· Multi-Stakeholder Decision Making for Complex Problems: A systems thinking approach with cases, Kambiz Maani, World Scientific publishing, 2017
· Implementation in Action, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Commonwealth of Australia, 2019
· Relevant reports from the UK Behavioural Insights Team
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 3 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 3.00 | 0.06250 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $2055 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $2940 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
