Public Policy Analysis (PPG-710)

This course is about planning, designing, and analyzing the public policy. It is primarily based on analytical approaches and methods that are intended to guide policy design and structure policy choice: argumentation analysis to understand, evaluate, and construct policy arguments, including the consideration of values and other assumptions that are used and method to promote critical and creative thinking. It looks at different actors and institutions such as political and economic institutions, interest groups, and the media in designing public policy framework.

This course introduces the principles and practice of policy analysis with an emphasis on real-world application in Pakistan’s governance landscape. It trains students in tools for critically analyzing, designing, and evaluating public policy. Students will explore how institutions, interests, ideas, and evidence interact in shaping policy. The course also encourages creative thinking through real policy simulations, debates, and case studies.
This course addresses questions like: Why do we need a public policy? What determines the content and nature of public policies? Who decides public policy priorities? Does public policy ever accomplish anything worthwhile? The format of the course will be a mix of discussion and lectures. Besides, a debate will be organized among the students to discuss public policies in achieving economic development in Pakistan.