Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Agricultural Policy

• The role of policy in agricultural development: market failures, public goods, and equity

• Overview of the agricultural policy cycle: Agenda Setting, Formulation, Adoption, Implementation, Evaluation

• Global and regional policy frameworks influencing national agendas (e.g., CAADP, UNFSS)

• Key historical trends and paradigms in agricultural policy

• Exercise: Identifying the primary objectives and challenges of a national agricultural policy

Module 2: Political Economy & Institutions in Policy-Making

• Understanding the political economy of agricultural policy: actors, interests, and power dynamics

• The role of institutions: formal rules, informal norms, and organizational structures

• Stakeholder analysis and engagement strategies for inclusive policy processes

• Case Study: Analyzing the successes and failures of a major policy reform (e.g., input subsidy program, land tenure reform)

Module 3: Policy Design & Analysis

• Tools for policy analysis: cost-benefit analysis, multi-criteria analysis, and scenario planning

• Designing policy instruments: regulations, subsidies, taxes, public investments, and information campaigns

• Assessing trade-offs and synergies between economic, social, and environmental objectives

• Practical Exercise: Designing a policy package to address a specific challenge (e.g., post-harvest losses, soil degradation)

Module 4: Policy Implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation

• From paper to practice: implementation planning, budgeting, and coordination

• Developing results frameworks and indicators for policy M&E

• Tools for tracking implementation fidelity, outcomes, and impact

• Adaptive management and learning from policy implementation

• Workshop: Developing an M&E framework for a selected agricultural policy

Module 5: Contemporary Issues & Future Directions

• Mainstreaming cross-cutting issues: climate change, gender, youth, and nutrition

• Policies for sustainable food systems transformation and agro-ecology

• Digitalization and data-driven policy-making

• Ensuring policy coherence across sectors (trade, environment, water, energy)

• Final Scenario Exercise: Synthesizing learning to formulate a policy brief on a current "hot topic" for senior decision-makers