Overview
This two and a half hour workshop aims to enable participants to better understand the political dimensions associated with policy change and to consider how to develop political strategies for policy change in their realm of concern. The workshop will cover the meaning of policy and the crucial determinants of policy change (or stasis), an introduction to some tools to map the policy context, an introduction to strategies concerned with influencing policy change, and sources of further information of these and other tools to understand and engage in the stakeholder politics of policy reform.

Objectives
Following the workshop, participants will:

• Have a better understanding of the policy process;
  
• Be able to use a range of tools to better understand the political dimensions of specific policy changes (for example, identify policy actors, assess their political resources, and current positions on a give policy;
  
• Be able to develop successful political strategies to influence decision-makers and alter the political calculus associated with policy change;
  
• Be able to locate further information on the above topics.

Process
The workshop will be facilitated by Kent Buse and John Young of the Overseas Development Institute, London. The format will consist of a mixture of lecture, small group work, and plenary discussion.

Preparatory work by Participants
Participants are requested to identify a key (evidence-based) policy reform which they are familiar with (before attending the work shop). If they have a colleague working on the same issue it would be good to pair up with him/her for the group work.