Public Policy: A changemaker in the field of education

Dr Harini Santhanam & Dr Annapoorna Ravichander

Public Policy as an option for pursuing education or a degree was introduced in the 20^th century by institutions like the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), which offered both training and research in public administration and public policy. Soon, other key educational institutes introduced the course, considering the subject’s importance, which was clearly designed and delivered primarily for future political leaders.

The evolution of public policy education took a new shape when it was offered as an interdisciplinary approach to ensure that various subjects like economics, social sciences, political science and law to name a few would give a wholistic picture of what and how public policy is to be received, understood and can be used.

Later, it evolved as a transdisciplinary subject to address emerging challenges and opportunities. It adapted various topics that are not only dynamic and topical but also practical subject-wise about policy issues that are important for a nation’s development. This holistic approach helps students understand the multifaceted nature of policy-making and its impact on society.

Why is Public Policy Important?

Public Policy involves several stakeholders who not only play a significant role but are also important for the success of a policy and its implementation. Hence, nurturing young minds with the right information and encouraging analytical and critical thinking becomes even more relevant.

According to its definition, public policy is an overall framework that steers the decisions of a government and refers to guidelines and principles developed to address social, economic and political challenges. In India, Public Policy is deeply rooted in its Constitution which guides in developing a framework in Public Policy to include the principles of democracy, equality and justice. It also embodied the cultural, linguistic and regional diversity.

Read other articles on Public Policy:

• Need for best practices in implementing a policy
• Technology and Communication in the space of public policy
• Role of social media in public policy

Novel Approach to Impart Training on Public Policy

In recent years Public Policy courses have been adapted and introduced by various universities, training institutions and organisations/think tanks. However, delivering the same has not been one of the run-of-the-mill approaches. There have been several innovative initiatives to ensure that the classes are interesting, usable and most important see that theory does not overpower practicals.

The new genre of education system has kept in mind the importance of Public Policy education in India for the following reasons:

• Equips citizens to analyse, understand and practise (where applicable) public policies to ensure effective governance.
• Enhances public welfare by ensuring equitable access to resources, healthcare, education and social security.
• Helps in understanding and addressing complex issues.
• Opens doors to various professional career opportunities in government agencies, non-profit organisations, funding agencies advocacy group and private sector.
• Serves as a powerful tool for social change, promoting justice, equality and inclusivity.

The course in Public Policy also brings forth some exceptional skills which are honed by applying the best practices to include:

• Ability to think critically to recognise and disdain arguments to solve problems for far-reaching results
• Improve communication skills to engage with diverse stakeholders for quick discussions and to find out possible solutions for challenges
• Facilitate opportunities to work with diverse groups to understand different outlooks and experiences

Strategies and Use of Andragogical Tools

Use gamification to understand complex issues. For example, Economics as a subject is difficult for many students to understand especially since it involves mathematics to some extent. Students can be given challenges and asked to identify the pros and cons to understand a topic thoroughly and simply.

Provide assignments by asking students to read articles, current political news and reports and develop a small presentation to both, share knowledge and learn from others.

Organise field visits to see, understand and identify public policy programmes. This will also help them to engage with communities and measure the success or failure of a programme.

Provide on-ground internship opportunities in government departments, think tanks and non-profit organisations to understand the actual practice from their theoretical learning.

Simulate the minds of the students by giving them problems and asking them to solve those through discussions and debates to name a few.

Some innovative approaches such as on-site walking conferences can provide opportunities for real interactions between students and policymakers and understand ground-level challenges for implementation.

Making public policy education sustainable through continuous interaction with public administrators.

Conclusion

India has a complex system of government, with a federal structure that dissents powers between the central and state governments. This points to various models of public policy to include:

• A bottom-top approach involving participation from local governments and communities. It not only represents inclusiveness but also understands and addresses the needs of the communities.
• A top-down approach where the Central Government designs and implements policies and programmes where local governments are not involved many times.
• A collaborative model involves an understanding between various stakeholders such as governments, civil societies and private sectors who are involved in both the design and implementation aspects.

Thus Public Policy as a course plays a pivotal role and is crucial in understanding the policy-making process, seeing how it shapes the future of a country and impacting communities. Hence, teaching Public Policy has become a Game changer as far as pedagogy and delivery of training programmes/courses is concerned.

(Dr. Harini Santhanam is Head, Department of Public Policy, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Bengaluru Campus.

Dr. Annapoorna Ravichander is Professor of Practice, Department of Public Policy, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Bengaluru Campus, and a freelance consultant)