Good policy depends on managers who can ask the right questions of their analysts. Budgets are under pressure, subsidies and taxes have uneven effects, and donors and legislators increasingly ask for evidence that a programme or reform will deliver value before money is committed. Teams that cannot manage applied economic work tend to commission studies that arrive late, answer the wrong question or sit unread.

The Management of Applied Economics & Policy Analysis Training Course treats applied economics as a managed process. It begins with problem framing and the policy cycle, then moves through market and demand analysis, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness appraisal, the logic of impact evaluation, and the interpretation of econometric results. Participants study how to specify data requirements, quality-assure models, test sensitivity and communicate findings to non-specialists. The closing sessions deal with the organisation of an analytical unit, working with external consultants and embedding evidence in planning and budgeting.

Learning is built around worked policy problems. Participants review real-style datasets and model outputs, critique draft studies, and prepare terms of reference and a policy brief. They leave with a clear method for scoping, commissioning and using economic analysis in their own institution.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Frame a policy or investment question so that it can be answered with economic evidence.
• Select the right analytical tool, such as cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness or impact evaluation, for a given decision.
• Apply demand, supply and market structure analysis to practical policy problems.
• Interpret regression output and judge whether a causal claim is credible.
• Review the assumptions, discounting choices and sensitivity tests in a cost-benefit model.
• Assess the distributional and fiscal effects of taxes, subsidies and regulation.
• Write terms of reference and manage analysts and consultants to deliver on time.
• Communicate findings and uncertainty in concise policy briefs for decision makers.

The course is aimed at those who lead, commission or rely on economic analysis, including:

• Policy analysts and economists in ministries and agencies
• Planning and budget officers in national and county government
• Research and analytics managers in think tanks and universities
• Programme managers and advisers in development partner organisations
• Regulators of utilities, competition and financial markets
• Strategy and business analysis managers in large companies
• Monitoring and evaluation specialists working with economic data
• Parliamentary and legislative research staff

Participants leave the course with:

• A step-by-step method for scoping an economic analysis from question to dissemination.
• A checklist for reviewing the quality of a cost-benefit study or econometric report.
• A draft set of terms of reference for an analytical assignment.
• A completed two-page policy brief using their own sector example.
• Greater confidence in questioning model assumptions and data sources.
• A plan for strengthening evidence use in their unit.

The programme emphasises judgement and management, not formula work. It uses:

• Short lectures that explain each method in plain terms
• Worked policy cases from tax, subsidy, trade and infrastructure choices
• Critique sessions where groups review draft studies and model outputs
• Guided interpretation of regression results using sample data sets
• Writing clinics for terms of reference and policy briefs

On completing the programme, participants receive a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion from Vision Reach Global Consultancy. It is awarded for full attendance and for finishing the practical exercises, including the policy brief.