GSPP Courses

This course is designed to familiarize the executive student with the ways in which microeconomic analysis is brought to bear on public policy issues. You will learn (1) to identify the relevant economic questions concerning policy issues of interest to you, (2) to comprehend the economic arguments that bear on these issues, (3) to evaluate these arguments in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, and (4) when to utilize specific tools and methods from microeconomics to address the policy issues.

In this course, we are going to study the use of research methods, statistics, and probability theory in public decision making. We will begin with case studies of important public policy topics where key decisions depend on the interpretation of results from empirical research or on probabilistic assessments of the likelihood of various outcomes. We will then study the basics of probability theory, statistical sampling, hypothesis testing, and inferring causality.

An effective nonprofit leader must be able to analyze and act upon financial information as part of an overall approach to strategic decision making. This course will focus on the core financial management issues faced by board members and by senior and executive managers in large and small nonprofit organizations. Students will learn the tools and techniques for effective financial management, including pricing, program analyses, budgeting, forecasting and overall business model sustainability. The course will address current regulations and issues…

Demystifying Legislative Drafting is a skills-based experiential course that introduces public policy students to the process of identifying, researching, analyzing, and drafting legislative measures. Because legislative drafting often addresses complex public policy challenges, the process can feel daunting. This course breaks that process down, equipping students with the tools and confidence to navigate it effectively. Students will strengthen their research, writing, and analytical skills; learn to incorporate stakeholder input; and practice drafting and revising legislative language. Emphasis will also be…

This course focuses on creating and implementing change within public organizations through the application of strategic management, innovation, and leadership. We will discuss where new ideas come from and how they can be generated, evaluated and implemented. We will explore, through case studies and real world examples, how leaders (both formal and informal) at various levels within a public organization can make change happen. This course is hybrid.

Want to change the world? Tired of talk of the climate apocalypse and want to work for a sustainable and just clean energy future? This course will provide you with the tools to understand and analyze advocacy campaigns, private sector innovation and public policy to help make the change you want to see in the world a reality. Throughout history, social change campaigns have had a profound impact on the lives of millions - helping to pass child labor laws,…

Inspirational and authentic leaders understand that in order to inspire and earn the trust of others, they must first be willing to reveal who they are and what they truly believe in. Through their leadership stories, they are able to share their life experiences, illustrate their beliefs and values, and inspire the people around them. A compelling story provides narratives, clear images, and even emotions. It helps us relate, understand, and connect with one another in a way that facts…

The importance of the public budget cannot be overstated. It is the essential distillation of the public policy process, democratic governance, and the government entity. It expresses the financial condition of the entity; it allocates scarce resources and therefore serves as the ultimate expression of the government's priorities; and it distributes the burden of paying for public goods and services. The budget is, all at once, a political reconciliation, a snapshot, a forward plan, a management tool, a redistribution manifesto,…

Public policy implementation operates at the intersection of program design, agency structure, and social complexity. This course will apply principles of innovation and public management to help students chart their own leadership roles in advancing government excellence, public trust, and agility. Students will generate their own insights on these fronts, stimulated via prompts from subject-matter experts and immersive predicaments from policy-implementation cases. Each week's session will combine case-experience with lessons from management and implementation scholars. The course's learning objective is…

Energy and Environmental Transitions in Emerging Economies examines how rapidly growing economies are navigating the intertwined challenges of development, energy supply, environmental degradation, and climate change. Unlike industrialized countries, emerging economies are building much of their future energy, industrial, and urban infrastructure for the first time, fundamentally altering the economics, politics, and institutional pathways of the energy transition. This course adopts a development-centric lens to analyze how falling costs of clean energy technologies, evolving power-sector institutions, transmission and market reforms,…