Workshop – Designing Policy Lab: Theory, Methodology, and Case Examples – IFSD – Institute for Study and Development Worldwide

About the workshop:

You may be a great researcher delivering crucial evidence and analysis on a policy problem but remember ‘research excellence’ alone will not lead to action. You may be a veteran problem solver on the ground – but again, your experience does not automatically inform policy. Policy makers have their own worldviews, and they operate in specific political economy contexts that shape whether certain kinds of knowledge are used or rejected in policy processes. In an ideal democratic system, policy making should be informed by all kinds of knowledge and voices, and the policy process should itself be a learning process. But we live in a world with all kinds of imperfections. Hence, we always confront a question: how can policy actors — decision makers as well as all sorts of stakeholders — engage in a process of policy learning and constructive negotiation, in a way that is also informed by research? No easy answer, but no alternative to engaging in the practice of co-learning and co-production, to figure out what could work in different policy contexts. Hence the Policy Lab Workshop explores this approach. It is designed for those who are committed to foster change through a process of co-learning, adaptative governance, and political empowerment.

Policy Lab is name given to a family of collaborative methods and strategies used to foster co-design, co-experimentation, and co-development of innovative solutions to complex policy problems. It brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts who employ user-centric approaches, and engage in research, policy design, analysis, experimenting, and testing to inform policy decisions. As such, Policy Lab is a space where all forms of knowledge and stakes are brought together in an open, inquiry-oriented, and problem-solving approach.

In this first Policy Lab Workshop, participants will learn the idea and approach that underpins Policy Lab and learn some practical strategies on how to design and implement an effective Policy Lab. Participants will appreciate the need to engage deeply with the theory and methodology underpinning Policy Labs and to take a creative and inquisitive approach to designing and testing Policy Labs in their respective contexts. They will also recognize Policy Lab’s limitations and challenges that a facilitator of Policy Lab needs to be aware of.

Through some examples, participants will learn about the key success factors for policy lab design, including effective stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and iterative design processes.

Who should attend:

This workshop is designed for a wide range of stakeholders involved in the policy-making process. This is especially helpful to you if you are one of the following:

A final year graduate student looking to step into the real world to affect some change in any aspects of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
A researcher at an NGO or other types of Think Tanks
A University based researcher keen to engage with policy and the wider community for impact
A program officer in a donor organisation looking for new ways of policy support programming
A policy advocacy coalition member looking to learn new ways to foster policy change
A government official responsible to engage with wider stakeholder on policy development and implementation
Leaders of local governments interested in designing and implementing local scale policies

Why is it beneficial?

Policy labs play a crucial role in providing a structured and collaborative approach to solving complex policy challenges by fostering collaboration among experts to develop innovative and evidence-based solutions for policy challenges They also facilitate experimentation and testing of policy ideas in a controlled and iterative manner, allowing policymakers to identify and address potential issues before implementing policies at scale. They also emphasize stakeholder engagement and participation, ensuring that the perspectives of those affected by policies are heard and incorporated into the policymaking process. By engaging with stakeholders and forging partnerships across different sectors and disciplines, policy labs foster a more comprehensive and effective policymaking process.

Learning outcomes from the workshop:

After attending the workshop, participants can be expect the following learning outcomes:

Gain an understanding of the theory and methodology that underpins Policy Labs.
Learn how to apply Policy Lab principles effectively to real-world policy design challenges.
Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities of policy lab design.
Learn key success factors for policy lab design.
Network with other stakeholders involved in the policy-making process.

Workshop process:

Conceptual and methodological underpinnings of Policy Lab plus clarifying questions
Case study examples and discussion
Mentimeter based interactive session
Conclusion and key take aways

Resource Person:

Dr. Hemant Ojha, an environmental social scientist and Principal Advisor for Institute for Study and Development Worldwide (IFSD), Sydney, will lead the workshop. With extensive experience conceptualizing the links between local communities and local governance in areas of community based natural resources management, water policy, development, and climate change adaptation Dr. Ojha is advancing a policy lab method for tackling knowledge-power nexus in these areas of environment and development. Using insights and lessons learned from his own experiences, he will provide conceptual guidance to participants in policy lab design as a creative process of learning and adaptive social change.