A simulation for managers, public sector representatives and change leaders

Policy game: Verkhovna Rada vs Cabinet of Ministers

FORMAT
offline, Kyiv
10 Dobrovolchykh Batalioniv St.

TRAINER
Olga Babiy

‘Committee Hearings’ is a management simulation game that models the process of a complex bill passing through the public administration system and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The programme is structured as a role-play and parliamentary simulation, in which participants are immersed in the real-life process of drafting, presenting, debating and defending a bill that proposes systemic changes to the state’s rules, procedures or institutional architecture.

Participants go through the entire cycle:

  • forming a position;
  • preparing arguments;
  • engaging with stakeholders;
  • committee hearings;
  • political conflicts;
  • public defence;
  • negotiations;
  • attempting to secure the support of the committee and
  • the parliamentary chamber.

The main aim of the programme is to demonstrate that government decisions and reforms are the result not only of professional expertise, but also of the ability to:

  • build coalitions;
  • deal with opposition;
  • present arguments;
  • negotiate;
  • engage various parties in the process of change.
Book participation in the next course

A realistic simulation of government processes

The programme enables participants to see how the decision-making process actually works within the government:

  • why strong draft laws may fail to pass;
  • how support is built;
  • who influences decisions;
  • which groups can block change;
  • how political and institutional argumentation works.
  • The game as a model of a complex system

Within the game, participants see not only the formal procedure, but also:

  • conflicts of interest;
  • political dynamics;
  • the role of committees;
  • the government’s position;
  • the influence of business, the civil sector and the media;
  • the logic of interaction between stakeholders.
  • A practical understanding of reforms

The simulation demonstrates that any structural reform is not merely a ‘good idea’, but a complex process involving:

  • communication;
  • engagement;
  • negotiation;
  • building support;
  • and dealing with resistance.

Thematic modules

1. How the system of public decision-making works
the role of the Cabinet of Ministers;
committees of the Verkhovna Rada;
the political decision-making cycle;
stakeholders in the process.

2. The draft bill as a management process
the rationale behind reforms;
preparing arguments;
policy design;
dealing with resistance.

3. Committee hearings
publicly defending one’s position;
debates;
negotiations;
conflict management;
seeking support.

4. Political and social dynamics
the interests of various parties;
the role of the media;
interest groups;
public reaction.

5. Simulation of a vote
passage through committee;
formation of a coalition of support;
defending the bill in the ‘chamber’.

The programme is designed for

  1. civil servants;
  2. managers;
  3. representatives of ministries;
  4. reform teams;
  5. local and national elected representatives;
  6. representatives of the civil society sector;
  7. businesses involved in policy-related work;
  8. youth leaders;
  9. participants in public administration programmes

TRAINER

Olga Babiy

Policy game: Verkhovna Rada vs Cabinet of Ministers
Mentor at the KSPA on programmes in public administration, state-building, strategic planning and policy; member of the Kyiv Regional Council from 2015 to 2019; since late 2019, a member of the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NKREKP)

After completing the programme, participants

  • gain an understanding of the actual logic behind government processes;
  • gain insight into decision-making mechanisms;
  • learn to work with complex stakeholders;
  • develop negotiation and argumentation skills;
  • gain practical experience of steering reform through the political system;
  • and begin to view government decision-making as a complex management process, rather than merely a legal procedure.

PRICE FOR THE STUDY

Kyiv 10, Dobrovolchykh Batalioniv St.

APPLY NOW!