Strengthening legal policy development capabilities in the Pacific

The Legal Policy Development course has been designed by the Australian Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) to assist regional partner countries to build capability in developing rigorous public policy proposals for government.

This work is Australian aid funded under the Pacific Police Development Program (PPDP), through which AGD and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) work with partner countries to strengthen crime and policing laws to promote community safety and economic growth.

Through its Twinning and Policy Champions programs, AGD is training a network of Pacific Policy Champions to deliver the course and contribute to institutional strengthening at home and in the region.

The Legal Policy Development course has been delivered to more than 250 policy makers, drafters, police and other government officials across the Pacific, including from the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Contact AGD to find out who is your local Policy Champion and what they can do for you.

Legal Policy Development courseDelivered by your local Policy Champion

Learn the 7 policy steps for successful policy development

Telephone: +61 2 6141 6666

Email: pacific@agd.gov.au

Website: www.ag.gov.au

Facebook: facebook.com/attorneygeneralsdepartment

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE COURSE, CONTACT:

Pacific Section, International Legal Assistance Attorney-General’s Department

Postal Address: Robert Garran Offices 3-5 National Circuit BARTON ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA

The Legal Policy Development course helps you understand:

n What is ‘policy development’

n The role of the public service in developing policy

n How to develop policy and what tools can assist

n Why stakeholders are important

n The importance of implementation and evaluation

n Why record keeping matters

This training has equipped me with essential tools for effective policy development. I was encouraged to find innovative ways, combining what I already know and this new knowledge, to strengthen policy development processes.

This two day Legal Policy Development course will teach you 7 steps for successful policy development to help you achieve effective outcomes at work.

Government develops policies to use its resources and take action to meet community objectives and needs.

Public servants play an integral role in helping government formulate well considered and effective policies.

This course helps public servants better understand how they can support ministers develop robust policy solutions. Participants learn new tools to improve their capacity to work together to develop, consult on and assess the relative merits of alternative policy approaches, and test their ideas with the community.

This course can be used to promote cross agency discussion of current policy issues as well as those on the horizon, or as a foundation for developing specific law reform projects.

The course includes interactive group exercises based around a hypothetical policy issue and covers the key steps officials need to undertake in order to develop robust, evidence based policy proposals for government.

Examples of scenarios which may be used include measures to address sexual and gender based violence, cybercrime, illicit drugs and illegal fishing. We can also develop scenarios on any topic of interest to participants.

The 7 policy steps:

You will learn how to:

n Brainstorm a legal policy issue

relevant to your agency

n Engage with ministers and

stakeholders on the issue

n Develop a strategy to implement

and evaluate policy reforms

n Strengthen networks with your

colleagues and across agencies