In a first, the Bharti Institute of Public Policy at the Indian School of Business (ISB), organised a unique leadership training programme in the form of ‘Public Policy Workshop for Legislators’, to strengthen the legislative institution and explore leadership challenges and solutions for policymakers.
The four-day workshop witnessed the participation of 28 MLAs, including three ministers in-charge of key portfolios of the state of Meghalaya, besides chief officials of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and state agencies.
The workshop has been organised in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya, wherein the institute is the exclusive knowledge and training partner for the Meghalaya Legislative Research Fellowship programme (MLRF). With sessions focusing on policy challenges for India in general and Meghalaya in particular, the workshop facilitated Meghalayan legislators with insights into research-oriented policy formulation and implementation, through case studies, group assignments and team-building activities.
Hands-on experience
“Programmes like these help refine the dynamics of legislative discussions, and strengthen the leadership at the helm,” said Prof Ashwini Chhatre, Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB. “For a country like ours, these workshops, when expanded to all state assemblies, can prove to be game-changer, in terms of top leadership development, evidence-based policies, and leveraging of contemporary management principles for implementation of policies,” he added.
In addition to class engagements, the MLAs also visited Punjab Vidhan Sabha to interact with state legislators today, while the Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit presided over the special dinner organised by the B-school for the Meghalayan guests, at its premises on Wednesday evening.
“Meghalaya is the first north-eastern state to start with a legislative fellowship programme, with young and highly motivated fellows assisting legislators in research and data analysis on issues of state importance and urgency. However, we noticed there exist gaps in terms of legislators’ understanding and perception of evidence-backed policy formulation. The workshop is a significant step towards filling such gaps,” said Aiban Swer, Director, Meghalaya Institute of Governance and Project Lead, MLRF.
The programme also helped build and improve rapport among the members, who despite their different political affiliations, were seen working, engaging, and learning together inside and outside the class through group projects and studies.