Making Change: How to Design Public Policies that Work, 2024

Policy design is a powerful tool to create positive social change at scale. Let's examine how public policies are designed, implemented, and evaluated, so you can build a robust framework to create effective policies for your community. Enjoy in-depth discussion with Professor Alvarado during two live webinars, while also learning at your own pace and taking the time to build your skills in policymaking.

In this course, you will learn the key tools of policy design and learn how to think about key elements of the policy design process, from identifying problems and causes, to stakeholder engagement, developing evidence-based recommendations, and evaluating policy solutions to account for stakeholder diversity. 

We will then see these frameworks in action, as we examine real-world case studies of policies that tackled critical and urgent challenges: climate, health, technology, finance, and poverty. Professor Alvarado will share his experiences leading Costa Rica's national decarbonization initiative, as well as several cases of transformational policies from around the world. 

Instructor

Carlos Alvarado-Quesada
Professor of Practice in Diplomacy
Former President of the Republic of Costa Rica

Recipient of the 2022 Planetary Leadership Award by the National Geographic Society for his outstanding commitment and action toward protecting the ocean. Named one of TIME’s 100 Next emerging leaders around the world in 2019. Served as Minister of Labor and Social Security, Minister of Human Development and Social Inclusion and Executive President of the Joint Social Welfare Institute of the Republic of Costa Rica, before serving as the nation's president from 2018 to 2022. 

Key Dates

• May 6 - First Day of Course Access
• May 9, 8:30-10:00am EST - Live Webinar with Professor Alvarado
• June 6, 8:30-10:00am EST - Live Webinar with Professor Alvarado
• July 10 - Final Day of Course Access

Learning Outcomes

During this course, you will build the skills to:

• Effectively frame the values behind policy design decisions
• Examine the root causes of policy problems
  
• Understand and be able to effectively engage stakeholders
  
• Develop policy recommendations based on evidence and analysis
  
• Evaluate policy solutions from diverse stakeholder perspectives
  
• Master the different elements of public policy as well as the complexity around its design, analysis and practice