Why choose ISPP’s One year programme in Public Policy?

Critical thinking is the ability to evaluate an argument. An argument attempts to persuade someone that a claim is true by giving reasons. Arguments proliferate in scholarly, civic, and personal discourse. Participants of this course will learn the tools and language that philosophers, lawyers, and rhetoricians use to reflect on such questions. What makes for a good argument? Should I be persuaded? Will others be persuaded?

Design has been defined variously as a ‘User-led problem-solving process’ or a ‘Human-centred opportunity-resolution journey’. Design goes beyond aesthetics and is about evolution and progress; the underlying force behind creating compelling new things, new policies, new services, new brands, and even new business models. Design is about discovering what people really want or need and translating insights into great solutions. Design Thinking or User-Centered Innovation, is not the exclusive preserve of Designers. It is an approach that deploys a high degree of empathy and collaborative spirit to solve complex challenges and create ideas with enduring value. During the course, we will also select a public policy challenge and learn how to empathise with users, generate ideas to solve the problem, prioritise and select, and develop a prototype for the new solution.

This course explores the intricacies of governmental structure. It has been designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of how public systems are organised and function. Through engaging and interactive sessions, participants will delve into the various roles and the critical importance of government, the different forms it can take, and its organisational staffing. The course also covers the operational aspects of government in discharging its diverse functions, provides insights into key government personnel, and explores the roles of several significant government organisations. This course is essential for anyone looking to gain a deep and practical understanding of the mechanisms that drive public governance.

This course delves into the complex interplay between business and government. It has been designed to unravel the motivations behind government actions and offers a dual perspective on critical issues such as trade, environment, food security, and health from economic and political viewpoints. Scholars will learn to formulate and integrate an organisation’s market and non-market strategies, understanding how these can be influenced by and how they can influence government policymaking. The curriculum covers various essential topics, including market failure, the problem of collective action, the roles of various governance systems, and the distinct dynamics of economic and political analyses. Participants will also examine the influence of interest groups like producers, consumers, associations, and unions, and understand how issues such as tariffs, environmental regulations, corporate bailouts, poverty, and education emerge and evolve in public discourse. This course equips scholars with the tools to anticipate policy changes and effectively shape policy outcomes, aligning organisational strategies with current and anticipated government policies.

Economics is the study of decision making under scarce resources, i.e., how economic entities decide on spending their resources to attain their economic objectives. Given scarce resources, these entities are limited in how much they can spend on any one activity, as whatever they spend on an activity is not available to be spent on another activity. This course will focus entirely on decisions made by individual entities like consumers and producers, both when faced with uncertainty and when not.

This course explores the profound impact of public policy on economic systems The objective is to familiarise scholars with the essentials of an economic system and how various public policy instruments influence it. Participants will delve into the basic concepts and analytical frameworks of Macroeconomics and Public Finance, providing a robust foundation for understanding fiscal and monetary policies. The course critically examines specific policy measures implemented in India, assessed through the conceptual lens introduced in the sessions. Additionally, scholars will engage with case studies that explore specific objectives and the practical application of public policies. This comprehensive approach ensures a deep and practical understanding of the economic implications of public policy, making it an essential course for those looking to navigate and influence economic policy effectively.

This course explores the strategic intricacies of human interaction. It has been designed to apply rigorous analytical techniques to various economic, social, political, business, and legal issues. Scholars will delve into key concepts such as backward induction, Nash equilibrium, the dynamic between self-interest and collective interest, the mechanisms of credible commitments, and both simultaneous and sequential games of complete and incomplete information. The course also covers repeated games and the application of game theory to economic development. Highlighting the work of several Nobel Laureates in Economics, the course showcases the profound impact of game theory from 1994 to 2017. By understanding games—defined by their players, rules, strategies, information, and payoffs—students will learn to predict outcomes and devise optimal strategies in scenarios ranging from cooperation and bargaining to auctions, pricing, and political competition, all crucial for navigating complex modern challenges in a variety of settings.

The Law and Economics course is designed to make scholars understand the role of law in public policy for achieving social goals from an economist’s viewpoint. Through the course, the scholars will understand the normative aspects of law and economics and the interplay between legal and economic principles. The course will also cover the law's role in generating social value through market-driven transactions. The course would look at various laws from an economic perspective, such as the economics of Private Property Law, Intellectual Property Law, Contract Law, and Tort Law. Along with this, the course will also cover the economic relevance of legal compensations, punishments, and regulations.

Dive into the dynamic interplay of management, laws, and institutions in our course on the evolution of societal structures. This course starts by exploring how societies manage diverse interests through a mix of centralisation and decentralisation, which is crucial for thriving and defending against threats. We trace the historical ascent of legal systems and governance structures, from ancient kingships to modern democracies, focusing on case studies including the Maurya Empire, ancient Athens, and modern India. Leveraging game-theoretic reasoning and political philosophy, the course analyses the creation and evolution of laws and institutions based on the power dynamics of their proponents and opponents. Highlighting influential texts from Aristotle's Politics to Chanakya's Arthashastra and modern political analysis, the curriculum underscores the enduring relevance of the Great Books, providing a deep understanding of how democratic systems and institutional frameworks influence societal outcomes. This comprehensive approach fosters independent thinking and equips scholars with the analytical tools to evaluate and influence contemporary governance and policy issues.

This course delves into the dynamics of policy tools focusing on "Samaaj, Sarkaar, and Bazaar" (Society, Government, and Market), where we explore the advantages and limitations of each. This course critically examines the common reliance on markets to address societal problems and the frequent occurrences of market failures. When markets falter, the typical shift is towards societal or governmental interventions. This course will teach you how these failures can be reinterpreted and markets redesigned to better fulfil their potential, particularly in serving marginalised communities and regions. We will investigate the "Markets for the Poor" (M4P) approach, demonstrating how markets can enhance or replace government services (M4G), sustainable management of natural resources (M4N), address market failures (M4F), and operate in traditionally non-market areas like organ transplants (M4U). Prepare to challenge conventional perspectives on markets, exploring concepts of missing, failing, undefendable, and empowering markets, and designing effective market-based solutions using the M4PUFNG approach (Markets for the Poor, Undefendables, (market) Failures, Natural Resources, and Government Goods and Services). This course promises to introduce radical ideas that will both shock and enlighten.

Public Policy is any action that affects the lives of citizens. However, the process is a complicated one which begins by developing an understanding of the context under which the situation emerged. Next, one needs to understand the reasons behind the issue gaining prominence and understanding the sources, tools, institutions, and people behind it. Thus, an interaction of various events, variables, resources, and other socio-economic and political factors follows. This is where the politics of public policy comes into play. It is both an art and a science that requires an astute understanding of the motivations of each actor and their possible actions and reactions. By navigating these complexities, policymakers can ensure that public policy decisions are informed and effective in improving the lives of citizens.

This course on Statistical Analysis for Policy Research is designed for scholars of public policy to develop an understanding of the importance of data and data analysis in policy formulation and research. It aims to develop statistical thinking among the learners and essential skills such as data summarisation, data presentation and visualisation, and model fitting for establishing causal relationships. The course aims to equip the learners with essential skills for sampling techniques, statistical inference, and hypothesis testing. It covers the practical tools of linear regression analysis by explaining the concepts of dependent, explanatory, and control variables. The course aims to develop a working knowledge of Microsoft Excel for day-to-day statistical policy research analysis.

This course on Statistical Analysis for Policy Research -II is designed for public policy scholars to understand the essential tools of statistical inference and establish causal relationships among the policy research variables. It begins with a discussion of one and two-way ANOVA, then moves on to explain the concept of multiple regression with emphasis on the essential condition of ‘Cetris Paribas’ with regard to multiple regression. It provides functional knowledge of three ways of conducting multiple regression analysis: simultaneous, sequential, and step-wise. It uses qualitative information such as ‘Gender’ in regression analysis, and qualitative dependent variables using a binary logistic regression model. It also introduces the concepts of path analysis and panel data modelling.

Through a policy evaluation exercise, this mini-course will review the relevant concepts of probability and statistics (specifically, random sample, random variable, probability distribution function, conditional probability, and the expectation operator). The course will then study the statistical models often used to test theoretical economic relationships, analyse historical economic events, and evaluate policy. Simple and multiple regression using ordinary least squares will be covered in detail. The course will cover basic statistical inference and diagnostic tools for these models. Maximum likelihood and generalised least squares estimation techniques will be introduced. Time-allowing, the course will cover an introduction to the logistic regression model to handle discrete or qualitative choice variables (e.g., Yes/No choice scenarios) and basic time-series analyses.

Explore the fundamentals of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) in this mini-course, which is designed to enhance understanding of its role in complex development and policy-making environments. This course introduces participants to the entire M&E planning cycle, starting from the basics of monitoring and evaluation, their differences, and their significance in policy implementation, illustrated through case studies like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the Bangladesh Second Urban Primary Health Care Project. Dive into the Theory of Change, Logical Framework, and SMART indicators, learning how to create robust M&E frameworks using government tools like India's Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework (OOMF). The course also covers advanced topics in data analysis, visualisation, and the use of the Data Governance and Quality Index, equipping students with practical skills in handling and interpreting data for insightful M&E. Sessions on evaluation delve into various methods—qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods—and introduce essential concepts such as sampling, questionnaire development, and error types. Through hands-on exercises, participants will apply their learning to evaluate real-world programmes, gaining a deep, actionable understanding of M&E's pivotal role in effective governance and policy outcomes.

Explore the complexities of global markets in this mini-course on International Trade and Finance. This course delves into the foundational theories of international trade, beginning with the Ricardian model of Comparative Advantage and expanding to encompass a broader understanding of trade dynamics and their welfare implications. We will examine trade policy instruments, including the economics of tariffs, quotas, and trade remedies, and the motivations behind protectionism within the political economy of trade policy. Additionally, the course covers essential aspects of International Finance, focusing on exchange rate determination and related financial topics. Through this comprehensive curriculum, participants will gain a nuanced understanding of how trade policies and international financial mechanisms influence global economic interactions and national welfare, preparing them to navigate and shape international economic relations effectively.

This course introduces the complexities of democratic processes and its implications for democracy. It explores how democratic outcomes are shaped not only by voter preferences but also by the voting systems used, challenging the notion that democracy operates solely by the people's will. We examine scenarios where traditional majority rules fail to produce consistent results with more than two options, as Arrow's theorem states that no voting system is perfect. The course also considers the practical applications of voting in power distribution, checks and balances, and information aggregation, as seen in various global and local contexts, such as the European Union and jury decisions. Delve into the debate between liberalism and populism, guided by thinkers like James Madison and Rousseau, and explore how different interpretations affect the perceived legitimacy of electoral outcomes. We discuss how decision-making rules, strategic voting, and agenda control affect public policies and laws through a thorough analysis of electoral systems like plurality and proportional representation, as seen in the UK's electoral outcomes. This course extends foundational concepts like Condorcet's winner and Arrow’s theorem to current debates on governance and public policy, offering a critical perspective on the democratic system’s ability to reflect the people's true will and its societal implications.

The Antarang Leadership Lab (ALL) offers an immersive, experiential learning environment designed to cultivate intimate and impactful leadership skills among scholars. Named 'Antarang' for 'intimate,' the lab creates a nurturing space for personal development through hands-on experiences and meaningful conversations. ALL workshops begin with self-awareness exercises, progressing through diverse topics such as networking, handling cultural diversity, teamwork, effective presentations, defining success, and building resilience, culminating in a three-day leadership retreat in the hills. Additionally, the lab organises scholars into small, informal squads led by a Squad Facilitator, fostering close academic and non-academic exchanges. Each scholar also benefits from the guidance of a mentor—senior professionals from various sectors—who act as sounding boards for personal and career development throughout the year. This comprehensive approach ensures that scholars are well-prepared to lead confidently during their time at ISPP and in their future professional environments.

This workshop will provide scholars with the knowledge and skills to examine and solve complicated policy dilemmas in a fast-paced setting. Scholars will be trained in various analytical frameworks and problem-solving strategies, using hands-on practice on policy case studies. The workshop will include academic lectures and practice, emphasising increasing the scholar’s ability to swiftly and effectively assess policy challenges and generate answers. By the end, scholars will have gained significant experience using analytical methods to tackle real-world policy challenges, sharpened their critical thinking abilities, and developed a deeper grasp of the policymaking process.

Public policy governs every action one takes and the outcomes of these actions. The Policy Praxis Lab will train one to understand why and how to make public policy work for the public. The lab explores various policy-related questions: How should markets be organised? What is health policy? How does public policy handle the diverse interests of people? How do we find out about these diverse interests? How do we make people agree on a common set of choices, allowing them to choose differently from the same set? Through a series of policy exercises characterised by curiosity and empathy, thought experiments, and real-life experiences of successful and unsuccessful policy interventions, scholars will be trained to master the science and art of ethical policy objectives.

The Quant Lab is a pivotal component designed to enhance scholars' proficiency in handling and interpreting data, crucial for addressing public policy challenges. Focused on empowering scholars with advanced data-handling tools in Excel, the lab covers comprehensive data analysis and visualisation aspects. Participants will learn the intricacies of cleaning data, presenting it effectively, managing qualitative and quantitative variables, creating samples, testing hypotheses, and conducting regression analyses. Through practical exercises and guided learning, the lab ensures that scholars are equipped to translate raw data into actionable insights, fostering a deep understanding of data's role in developing effective public policy solutions.

The Writing and Communication Lab at ISPP is designed to refine scholars' abilities to engage public policy stakeholders effectively. It provides apprentice-style training that enhances verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills, tailored for use in development, corporate, and academic settings. The lab offers a robust curriculum that includes public policy communication, academic writing, and business communication. Through regular lectures and personalised one-on-one sessions, the lab improves essential communication skills and collaborates closely with the Careers team to support scholars' professional development. This integrated approach ensures that scholars are well-prepared to navigate the complex policy landscape, conduct research, transform scientific writing to suit various stakeholder needs, and advance their careers effectively.