CAS TPP: Policy Process
Next start in January 2025. Application window is open from 15 August 2024 until 15 November 2024
The CAS in Technology and Public Policy (TPP): Policy Process degree equips participants with essential skills in public policy analysis by focusing on how to systematically analyse, design and manage policy-making processes. As shown in the below figure, the CAS TPP: Policy Process focuses on the interface between politics (the input into the policy process) and policy (the output of the policy process, such as laws and regulations) in public policy analysis.
The learning objectives of the CAS TPP: Policy Process degree are to equip participants with skills that are essential for:
- analysing how public institutions function and how policy choices are made;
- managing policy-making processes and communicating effectively with policy-makers, stakeholders, and the public.
The programme combines general skills in policy analysis with opportunities to apply these skills to the policy issues that interest programme participants or to problems that are relevant in their professional settings (e.g., mobility, energy, public health, the digital space, urban planning, environment / sustainability, security).
The CAS TPP: Policy Process degree is only offered in the spring semester of uneven years (e.g., 2023, 2025). Its modules take place between the end of January and the middle of June.
It consists of three modules. These modules make up 15 ECTS and 21 days of in-person meetings in total. The credits reflect the total workload, including preparation and follow-up (for one hour of in-person meeting, two hours of preparation and follow-up are envisaged). 15 ECTS equal around 450 hours of workload in total.
Module 1: Technology, Society, Markets, and the State
Technological innovation is seldom entirely market-driven but often requires policy intervention. This module will introduce the participants into the literature that aims to understand technology and the underlying markets and its interaction with policy and its underlying politics. Besides an academic perspective, it will introduce practitioners working at the technology-policy interface.
Participants understand (1) what public policy and policy analysis are, (2) why policy analysis is important for evidence-based policy-making, (3) how policy analysis is undertaken in a consulting firm, and (4) they learn from each other for which current professional challenges policy analysis will be useful.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bernauer
Professor of Political Science and TPP Programme Director
Participants understand (1) what the key technological innovations in history have been, (2) how technological innovation unfolds and what factors drive it or slow it down, (3) what role the state (public policy, regulatory frameworks), markets (consumers, firms), and other stakeholders play in this regard.
Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidt
Professor of Energy and Technology Policy
TPP Programme Deputy Director
external pageProf. Dr. Bernhard Truffercall_made
Head of Department of Environmental Social Sciences at Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
Dr. Florian Egli
Senior Researcher and Lecturer at Energy and Technology Policy Group
Participants understand (1) the policy process and frameworks to analyse it, (2) how electoral systems, legislatures, government, public administrations, the judiciary, parties and interest groups function and shape policy choices, and (3) how the European Union and international organisations decide on and implement policies.
external pageProf. Dr. Daniel Küblercall_made
Professor of Democracy and Public Governance, University of Zurich
external pageProf. Dr. Daniele Caramanicall_made
Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Zurich
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bernauer
Professor of International Political Economy / Environmental Politics
TPP Programme Director
Prof. Dr. Frank Schimmelfennig
Professor of European Politics
Module 2: Public Sphere and Stakeholders in Policy-Making
Citizens, consumers, firms, and other stakeholders play an important role in designing and implementing policies that affect and/or are affected by technology. This module enables participants to understand what role public opinion and behavioural approaches play in policy design and implementation, and to systematically design and analyse citizen and stakeholder participation in policy-making.
Participants understand (1) what role public opinion plays in policy design and implementation processes, (2) how public opinion surveys are designed, (3) how public opinion data is collected, (4) how such data is analysed, (5) how social media data can be used to assess public opinion, (6) how behavioural (field) experiments can be used for policy analysis.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Bernauer
Professor of International Political Economy / Environmental Politics
TPP Programme Director
external pageDr. E. Keith Smithcall_made
Senior Researcher, International Political Economy / Environmental Politics Group
Franziska Quoss
PhD Candidate in the International Political Economy / Environmental Politics Group
Dr. Adina Rom
Executive Director of ETH for Development (ETH4D)
external pageDr. Deborah Kistlercall_made
Postdoctoral Researcher, Chair of Economics
Participants understand (1) what forms of citizen and stakeholder participation can be used when policy interventions are designed and implemented, (2) how such participation can influence decision processes, policy choices, and policy outcomes, (3) what the pitfalls of particular participation forms are and how they can be avoided.
Prof. Dr. Michael Stauffacher
Adjunct Professor at the Dep. of Environmental Systems Science
Prof. Dr. David Kaufmann
Assistant Professor of Spatial Development and Urban Policy
Module 3: Communication and Negotiation
This module enables participants to understand and assess political communication and information-processing techniques, strategies and activities. It also enables them to identify different negotiation situations and apply respective negotiation approaches. These are important skills in order to effectively co-design policies through collaboration between scientists and political practitioners.
Participants (1) understand key communication and information-processing principles and techniques, (2) are able to assess political communication strategies and activities, and (3) are able to identify appropriate creative solutions to political communication challenges.
external pageDr. Christoph Elhardtcall_made
Public Relations Consultant and Editor at ETH Zurich's Corporate Communications
Participants (1) understand and are able to identify different negotiation situations, (2) analyse specific cases, and discuss respective negotiation approaches based on important negotiation methods.
Prof. em. Dr. Michael Ambühl
Professor em. of Negotiation and Conflict Management
Course dates: The next CAS TPP: Policy Process will take place in the spring semester 2025 (January to June). The course dates will be published here in due course.
General information: For general information about the TPP programme, such as the participant profile and fees, please refer to the TPP Programme section.
Application window: 15 August 2024 until 15 November 2024. Applying early is recommended.
Study regulations: Study Regulations CAS TPP: Policy Process (in German).