LEAP – Policy Development Initiative is a training program that aims to improve the ability of professionals from academia, Public Administration and civil society organizations (including think-tanks) to contribute to public policy-making, and to enable a wider discussion on evidence-based policy making in Portugal. LEAP is promoted by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, in collaboration with ICPA – International Centre for Policy Advocacy and IES – Social Business School.

Entirely in English, the program targets professionals with 5 to 20 years of experience. It will last 10 months (September 2019 – June 2020), during which participants will attend 3 workshops and will have to prepare a policy research proposal, policy paper, policy brief, and advocacy plan. Soft skills training will also be embedded in the program, to help participants have greater impact in their life, career and organization. The first workshop will be attended by 20-22 candidates, of which 12-15 submitting the best policy research proposals will be invited to continue. This first edition will be focused on themes related to Sustainable Production and Consumption, one of the work areas of the Gulbenkian Sustainability Program (GSP), and will conclude with a public conference in July 2020.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation believes that, by providing the possibility of these professionals to improve their ability to contribute to public policy debates and decision-making processes, the latter will be better informed, more robust and, ultimately, will contribute to improve environmental quality, economic performance and social outcomes. The Foundation is also confident that “by promoting a cadre of professionals with practical training in policy research and in evidence-based public policy-making, it will be contributing to improve the way public policies are designed, implemented and assessed, and to promote greater opened in decision-making processes to external inputs”, said Catarina Grilo, from the GSP.

The launch event of LEAP – Policy Development Initiative will take place on June 17, from 4.50-6.30 pm, in Room 2 of the Foundation. Registration is free, and mandatory through this application form.