Writing for Ministers and Senior Leaders
Build the key skills and knowledge required across the policy development cycle to deliver quality advice, every time
Description
This course is our flagship course. It develops the key skills and knowledge required across the policy development cycle and supports teams to create a shared view of how they can deliver quality advice. The course comprises 28 hours of learning over six weeks.
Testimonial 2
"This course got to the heart of concepts I had heard of and learned about previously, and showed me how to practically apply them. I took a lot out of this course and expect I'll use my learnings for a long time into the future"
- Policy Analyst | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Who should attend
This course is best suited for graduates, subject matter experts who are new to government advisory roles, policy analysts, and whole teams who wish to establish a shared view of quality advice.
Testimonial 1
"An excellent and accessible course that is broad enough to be comprehensive and filled with relevant and recent NZ practice"
- Policy Advisor | Ministry of Transport
Course format
This course combines facilitator-led, live-learning sessions with self-led content that learners complete online at their own pace. Learners are encouraged to complete all the coursework and collaborate and learn from each other.
Each week of the six-week course consists of:
- a two-hour facilitator-led, live-learning session
- approximately three hours of self-led learning and coursework.
What is covered in the course
Session one: Module one – Crafting Great Analysis
- Introduction to analytical frameworks.
- A framework to conduct a multi-criteria analysis.
- Define the problem.
- Identify types of evidence and data that are useful for policy.
- Coursework: write a problem definition, create an evidence plan.
Session two: Module one – Crafting Great Analysis
- Develop criteria.
- Develop solution options.
- Understand trade-offs.
- Understand how to identify, minimise and mitigate risk.
- Identify a preferred solution option to recommend to your decision maker.
- Coursework: complete a decision to arrive at a preferred solution.
Session three: Module two – Narrative for Better Decisions
- Narrative fundamentals.
- The essential elements of narrative.
- The five-step narrative process.
- Coursework: practise steps one and two of the narrative process.
Session four: Module two – Narrative for Better Decisions
- Steps three, four and five of the narrative process.
- Language, tone, and style.
- Executive summary.
- Recommendations.
- Coursework: practise steps three, four and five of the narrative process.
Session five: Module three – Practise Leads to Mastery
- Practise applying an analytical framework to a realistic policy issue.
Session six: Module three – Practise Leads to Mastery
- Practise developing analysis into a compelling narrative for decision-making purposes.
What you will learn
By attending this course, you will:
- understand how to apply an analytical framework to issues of different complexity
- understand how to integrate analysis into advice for senior leaders to support decision making
- practise applying these skills to an issue
- understand the essential elements of an effective narrative
- practise a process for developing a compelling narrative for decision-making purposes
- understand how to apply these skills to written communications in a polished, plain English style
- bring it all together - practise applying analysis and narrative skills to a realistic issue.