Participation and Collaboration of the Policy Research Institute in the Public Policy Innovation Training Conducted by the Nepal Administrative Staff College
April 4, 2025
Nepal Administrative Staff College, Lalitpur
A seven-day professional training program titled “Innovating Public Policy: Use of Evidence (InnoPolE)” was recently concluded, organized by the Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC) in partnership with the Policy Research Institute. The training, held from March 27 to April 4, saw the participation of 29 mid-level government officials (second-class officers and equivalents) from various federal ministries and agencies of the Government of Nepal.
The program’s primary objective was to enhance mid-level officials’ capacity to apply innovative, evidence-based approaches to policymaking. The training consisted of two days of theoretical sessions, two days of field studies; two days focused on a policy brief preparation and a final day dedicated to presentation and feedback. The key topics covered included the Philosophy of Public Policy, Systemic Approaches to Policymaking, Theory of Change, the Role of Scientific Evidence in Policymaking, Evidence-Informed Policy Formulation, and Policy Advocacy through Policy Briefs.
Experts including Bishnu Prasad Lamsal, Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka, Trilochhan Pokharel, Tulsi Sharan Sigdel, and Trilochhan Paudyal led the sessions. Dr. Khadka conducted a session on “Systematic Approach to Policymaking and Theory of Change.”
During the training, participants worked in five groups to develop policy briefs focused on the potential development of Bhaktapur Municipality as a smart city. The topics of the policy briefs included:
- Smart Transportation Policy for Bhaktapur
- Smart Education Policy for Bhaktapur
- Transparent and Open Government
- IT Infrastructure for Smart Cities
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship for a Smart Economy
Researchers from the Policy Research Institute—Dr. Manita Kusi, Dr. Prabhat Raj Dahal, Dr. Maheshwar Giri, Gopal Acharya, and Rija Manandhar—facilitate group work, while subject experts such as Maniram Gelal, Dr. Tulsi Prasad Thapaliya, Umesh Kumar Gupta, Dipesh Bista, and Adesh Khadka mentored the participants.
The Staff College announced that the finalized policy briefs would be submitted to Bhaktapur Municipality for further consideration and action.
This training is part of an ongoing institutional collaboration between the Policy Research Institute and the Nepal Administrative Staff College, as per a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at fostering the professional development of under-secretary and joint-secretary level officials.
The closing ceremony, which included policy brief presentations, was attended by Dr. Rajan Khanal (Executive Director, NASC), Tulsi Sharan Sigdel (Senior Director), Trilochhan Paudyal (Director), and Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka (Senior Research Fellow, Policy Research Institute).
In his closing remarks, Dr. Rajan Khanal highlighted the increasing popularity and expansion of public policy innovation training and underscored the importance of continued collaboration with the Policy Research Institute in enhancing government officials’ capabilities.
Event note prepared by Gopal Acharya.