Public governance, policies and institutional reforms

Public policy operates in environments characterised by the accelerating pace of economic, social, demographic, technological and environmental change. Expectations of public institutions are rising: citizens are demanding higher-quality services, greater transparency and tangible results.

The central issue often lies in the gap between public policy decisions and their effective implementation. A policy may be well-intentioned, but it can lose its effectiveness when responsibilities are fragmented, coordination is inadequate, resources are misaligned or monitoring mechanisms are too weak.

At the same time, the way the state operates is changing. Data is playing an increasingly important role in decision-making, budgeting is becoming more performance-oriented, public administrations are going digital, reforms are becoming more cross-cutting, and institutions are being called upon to demonstrate more clearly the value created by public action.

These developments require a new set of skills within the civil service: the ability to analyse, make judgements, plan, coordinate, implement, evaluate and make corrections.

The main challenges relate in particular to:

• Quality of public decision-making: basing trade-offs on robust analyses, credible scenarios and an accurate assessment of needs.
• Consistency between policies, budgets and outcomes: linking public priorities to the resources allocated and the expected performance.
• Implementation capacity: reducing the gap between decisions taken and the results actually achieved.
• Institutional coordination: organising action when several ministries, agencies or levels of government are involved in pursuing the same objective.
• Modernisation of the administration: simplifying procedures, improving processes and enhancing the quality of services provided.
• Data-driven management: utilising statistics, evaluations and management information to inform decisions and monitor progress.
• Evaluation and impact assessment: assessing the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and actual effects of public policies.
• Accountability and integrity: strengthening transparency, accountability and trust in institutions.
• Managing reforms: managing the institutional, human and organisational dimensions of large-scale transformations.

The challenge, therefore, is no longer simply to have well-designed policies, but to build a public sector capable of making judicious decisions, implementing them consistently and reporting on the results achieved.

The Area of Excellence ‘Governance and the Transformation of Public Policy’ covers the functions that underpin the design, implementation and evaluation of public policy.

• Design and management of public policies: transforming public issues into structured, manageable, fundable and operational policies.
• Strategic analysis and support for public decision-making: producing analyses, scenarios and recommendations designed to inform public authorities and decision-makers.
• Foresight and public planning: anticipating change and translating long-term strategic directions into priorities, programmes and monitoring mechanisms.
• Programme-based budgeting and public performance: linking priorities, budgetary resources, programmes, outcomes and performance obligations.
• Results-based management: structuring of objectives, indicators, responsibilities and monitoring mechanisms for public action.
• Inter-ministerial coordination and government steering: organising cooperation between institutions when a policy requires cross-cutting public action.
• Governance and performance of public institutions: strengthening the management capacity of ministries, agencies, offices, institutions and public bodies.
• Reform and modernisation of the civil service: identifying inefficiencies, simplifying procedures and transforming operating practices.
• Data governance and evidence-based decision-making: the use of data, statistics, research and evaluations as tools for public decision-making.
• Evaluation of public policies: measuring the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact of public interventions.
• Accountability, transparency and integrity: strengthening mechanisms for accountability, oversight and institutional trust.
• Crisis management and continuity of public action: organising decision-making, coordination and institutional continuity in crisis situations.

These areas of expertise enable a holistic approach to public policy: from problem analysis through to the measurement of outcomes and the improvement of institutions.

Programmes in this field develop the skills required to design, implement and evaluate public policy with greater rigour, consistency and control.

• Analysing a public policy issue: identifying its causes, effects, the stakeholders involved and possible courses of action.
• Designing public policy: translating a priority into objectives, instruments, responsibilities, resources and expected outcomes.
• Inform decision-making: develop robust analyses, scenarios and recommendations to support decision-making.
• Planning and anticipating: incorporating economic, social, demographic, technological and environmental developments into public policy decisions.
• Linking budget and performance: coordinating resources, programmes, indicators and outcomes within a framework of public accountability.
• Managing implementation: organising execution, clarifying responsibilities and monitoring progress until results are achieved.
• Coordinate institutional action: ensure alignment between multiple government departments, partners or levels of government around a common objective.
• Leading administrative reform: identifying shortcomings, structuring the transformation and supporting its roll-out.
• Using data to inform decision-making: transforming statistics, evaluations and management information into useful decision-making tools.
• Evaluating public policy: assessing its outcomes, efficiency, impacts and the lessons to be learnt for future action.
• Strengthening accountability: establishing monitoring, transparency and accountability mechanisms tailored to the requirements of public policy.
• Managing public policy in a crisis: organising decision-making, coordination and continuity when institutions are subject to major disruptions.

These skills enable participants to gain a better grasp of the public policy cycle, from the formulation of policy choices through to their implementation, evaluation and improvement.

In this Area of Excellence, the IIRCF offers programmes dedicated to public policy design, institutional governance, performance and the implementation of reforms.

• Executive Certificate in Public Policy Design and Management: transforming a public issue into a structured, enforceable, fundable and operational policy.
• Executive Certificate in Strategic Analysis and Public Decision-Making Support: producing robust analyses, scenarios and recommendations to inform decision-making.
• Executive Certificate in Foresight, Anticipation and Public Policy Planning: preparing institutions for economic, social, demographic, technological and environmental changes.
• Executive Certificate in Programme-Based Budgeting and Public Performance: linking public priorities, budgetary resources, programmes and outcomes.
• Executive Certificate in Public Policy Implementation and Performance: bridging the gap between adopted decisions and outcomes achieved on the ground.
• Executive Certificate in Results-Based Management in Public Administration: structuring objectives, indicators, expected outcomes and monitoring mechanisms.
• Executive Certificate in Inter-ministerial Coordination and the Steering of Government Action: organising the delivery of policies requiring the coordinated intervention of several institutions.
• Executive Certificate in Strategic Management of Ministries and Central Government Departments: strengthening the capacity of senior officials to lead, coordinate and monitor the performance of a government department.
• Executive Certificate in Governance and Performance of Public Institutions: to improve the management, accountability and results-orientation of public bodies.
• Executive Certificate in Public Administration Reform and Modernisation: to identify shortcomings and design structured modernisation programmes.
• Executive Certificate in Reform Governance and Public Change Management: to steer the institutional, human and organisational aspects of major reforms.
• Executive Certificate in Administrative Simplification and the Transformation of Public Services: reducing red tape, improving processing times and enhancing the experience of citizens and businesses.
• Executive Certificate in Data Governance and Evidence-Based Public Decision-Making: transforming data, statistics and evaluations into decision-making tools.
• Executive Certificate in Public Policy Evaluation and Impact Measurement: measuring the actual effects, relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of policies.
• Executive Certificate in Accountability, Transparency and Integrity in Public Action: strengthening mechanisms for accountability, oversight and trust.
• Executive Certificate in Crisis Management and Coordination of Public Action: organising decision-making, government coordination and continuity of action in times of crisis.

This programme supports professionals throughout the entire public policy cycle, from policy design through to implementation, evaluation and reform.

The IIRCF supports government departments, public institutions and partner organisations seeking to strengthen their capacity to design, manage, implement and evaluate public policy.

• Institutional and functional assessment: analysis of responsibilities, processes, coordination mechanisms and management capacities to identify priorities for capacity-building.
• Tailor-made public policy programmes: training for teams responsible for policy formulation, planning, implementation and monitoring.
• Capacity building in the management of ministries and public bodies: development of skills in leadership, coordination, performance and accountability.
• Support for results-based management: structuring of objectives, results chains, indicators and monitoring mechanisms tailored to public programmes.
• Support for administrative reforms: strengthening the teams responsible for designing, leading and monitoring institutional transformations.
• Modernising and simplifying public services: developing the capacity to review processes, reduce red tape and improve service quality.
• Strengthening inter-ministerial coordination: establishing methods and mechanisms to promote consistency of action across multiple institutions.
• Data governance and evidence-based management: developing the capacity to use data, statistics and evaluations in policy-making and monitoring.
• Policy evaluation and performance measurement: strengthening methods for analysing results, efficiency, impact and lessons to be learnt.
• Accountability, transparency and integrity programmes: developing the skills and mechanisms necessary for more responsible and credible public action.
• Crisis preparedness and institutional management: strengthening decision-making, coordination and service continuity capacities in the event of major disruption.

These solutions make it possible to simultaneously strengthen both the skills of professionals and the institutional mechanisms on which the quality of public action depends.