Executive Certificate Programme in Public Policy Leadership and Strategy
IIM Ahmedabad - Executive Education
Others
About Programme
The JSW School of Public Policy is offering an Executive Certificate Programme in Public Policy Leadership & Strategy. The Programme will be offered in IIMA (five days), and New Delhi (eight full-weekends).
Public policy challenges navigate across disciplines all the time. Questions of regulation in infrastructure, health, energy, technology, urbanisation for example, cut across institutions, sectors, and levels of government; often exposing silos, coordination gaps, and limits of narrow expertise. Responding to them requires a wider policy imagination: the ability to understand systems, read institutional incentives, and design interventions that are analytically sound, politically aware, and implementable.
The Executive Certificate Programme in Public Policy Leadership & Strategy is designed for those who seek to develop this capability in an accelerated format. It is especially relevant for professionals whose work already intersects with public systems, and for those looking to switch more directly into policy roles. The programme helps participants move beyond issue-based thinking towards a more system-level understanding of how policy is framed, negotiated, coordinated, and delivered.
Anchored in rigorous classroom learning, case-based discussion, and practice-oriented engagement, the programme builds an integrated view of public systems and their interdependencies. Participants engage with core frameworks across economics, law, regulation, public finance, technology, governance, and sectoral policy to develop the judgment required for policy leadership.
Structured over five months, the programme combines a five-day immersion at the IIM Ahmedabad campus with eight full weekends in New Delhi. This format enables deep engagement with policy frameworks while remaining closely connected to the institutional and practical context in which public policy is shaped.
Indicative Schedule:
IIMA Campus Module:
9th - 13th September 2026 (Wednesday to Sunday)
New Delhi Modules (weekends):
26th - 27th September 2026
10th - 11th October 2026
24th - 25th October 2026
14th - 15th November 2026
28th - 29th November 2026
12th - 13th December 2026
2nd - 3rd January 2027
16th - 17th January 2027.
Alumni Status
Participants who successfully complete the programme will be granted IIMA alumni status.
Programme Content
Foundations:
Economics for Public Policy
Data Science and Decision Making
Institutions, Markets, and State
Policy Processes and Frameworks
Perspectives:
Designing Policy: Mechanisms, Behaviour, and Choice
Technology, Data, and Digital Governance
Geopolitics and the Global Policy Environment
Legal Frameworks for Public Policy and Governance
Public Programme Design and Evaluation
Fiscal Systems: Public Finance and Budgeting
Leadership and Negotiation in Public Systems
Regulation, Lobbying, and Public Procurement
Sectors:
Climate and Environmental Policy
Public Health and Healthcare Systems
Food Systems and Agribusiness Policy
Energy Systems and Policy
Infrastructure and Urbanisation
Note: These contents are indicative and subject to change.
Programme Objective
Mechanism Design with Strategic Foresight: Apply structured, systems-level thinking to understand complex policy environments and make informed decisions under uncertainty.
Navigate Institutions and Governance Structures: Understand how public institutions, regulatory frameworks, and fiscal systems operate, and work effectively within them.
Design and Evaluate Public Policy: Develop, assess, and refine public programmes using mechanism design, structured frameworks and evidence-based evaluative approaches.
Engage, Communicate, and Negotiate: Articulate policy ideas clearly, engage diverse stakeholders, and navigate negotiation processes in complex settings.
Connect Global Perspectives with Local Context: Draw on comparative policy systems, geopolitical dynamics, and global experiences to inform decisions which are contextually intelligent.
Pedagogy
The programme is designed to emphasise case-based, practice-oriented learning. Participants engage with structured frameworks and apply them to real policy contexts through a combination of classroom discussions, case-based learning, and practitioner insights.
Rigorous Classroom Engagement: Sessions are designed to build analytical depth through frameworks in global policy literature, through faculty-led discussions.
Case-Based Learning: The programme draws on IIMA’s case method to examine real policy challenges, enabling participants to analyse decisions, evaluate trade-offs, and consider implementation contexts.
Breadth of Policy Exposure: The programme covers a wide range of policy domains and sectors, enabling participants to develop a system-level understanding of public systems and their interconnections across sectors in an accelerated manner.
Interdisciplinary Approach: The curriculum integrates perspectives from economics, design, data science, law, management, and political economy to provide a comprehensive understanding of public systems.
Networking & Peer Learning: A necessary part of the programme is a strong element of networking, both at IIMA and Delhi, and learning from diverse professional and academic backgrounds.
Programme Audience
The programme is designed for individuals seeking to build or advance their capacity in public policy and governance. The idea is to inspire public policy as a craft, and not just science. It is ideally suited for:
Professionals working in government, public institutions, policy think tanks, consulting, and development organisations
Individuals in the private sector, industry and civil society engaging with public systems and regulatory action
Those looking to transition into policy-oriented roles from other allied disciplines.
Motivated, early-career applicants and recent graduates with a demonstrated interest in public policy are also encouraged to apply.
Admissions will be offered on a rolling basis.
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