- Aliaa Ibrahim Mohamad Shaaban
Introductory
Event Organizer(s)
Description
This self-paced online course introduces policy experimentation as a structured, evidence-informed approach to testing new policies, regulations, and emerging technologies, services, and business models, before they are scaled.
Across eight concise modules, learners explore what policy experimentation is and why it matters in contexts of uncertainty and rapid change. They build a foundational understanding of how it supports more adaptive, evidence-informed policymaking, while distinguishing it from traditional approaches and regulatory sandboxing. The course also unpacks the core principles, concepts, and stages that shape effective experimentation processes, and examines how these approaches can be applied to explore innovation, inform policy and regulatory choices, and advance public value.
Designed for policymakers, regulators, innovation agencies, development practitioners, and ecosystem actors, the course requires no prior experience and supports a shared understanding across sectors.
Target population
The course is designed for a broad audience of actors involved in shaping, supporting or engaging with innovation policy and governance. It is particularly relevant for stakeholders across the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development, including the ITU Acceleration Centres, as well as policymakers, regulators, innovation agencies, ecosystem enablers, development practitioners, and other public and private sector actors seeking a shared foundational understanding of policy experimentation. As a generic introductory course, it is intended to build common language and awareness across institutions and stakeholder groups, regardless of sector or level of prior familiarity with the topic.
Kindly note this course is restricted to users who meet the following criterial:
Entry requirements
Qualifications or experience needed to participate in this training course:
- No specific qualifications are required. The course is open to participants with an interest in innovation, public policy, regulation or digital development. Prior technical expertise or direct experience with policy experimentation is not required.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define policy experimentation and describe its role in supporting more adaptive, evidence-informed policymaking.
- Explain the relevance of policy experimentation in contexts marked by uncertainty, rapid change and evolving innovation dynamics.
- Differentiate policy experimentation and sandboxing from other policy and regulatory approaches.
- Identify the core concepts, principles and stages that shape policy experimentation processes, including sandbox approaches.
- Assess how policy experimentation can be applied to explore innovation, inform policy and regulatory choices, and advance broader public interest objectives.
Methodology
The course uses a self-paced methodology and includes post-module tasks such as knowledge checks, case studies, hands-on exercises, self-study materials, resources, and expert-led video recordings. Together, these components support practical application, analysis of real-world examples, interactive learning, reflective practice, and exposure to expert insights.
The Instructional methodology consists of 3 main components:
- Self-learning: The participants are required to read and watch the course materials uploaded on the platform.
- Forum: Participants and tutors will interact through the ITU Academy forum platform to discuss course topics and express their opinions and submit questions;
- Quizzes and Assignment: participants are required to take quizzes which will be organized at the end of each module to check their knowledge achievement. The assignment also needs to be submitted at the end of the training course to assess satisfactory understanding of the given topic.
Assessment and grading
Assessment in this course is based on knowledge checks embedded at the end of each module and a final quiz. Each module's assessments contribute to the overall understanding of the course material and participants' progress towards achieving the learning objectives.
End-of-module knowledge checks may be attempted at an unlimited number of times. Participants have up to three attempts for the final quiz. A total score of 80% is required to obtain the ITU Academy badge.
Activities and their weights:
- Final Quiz: 100%
- Total: 100%
Badge of completion
Upon completion, you will receive an ITU Academy badge recognizing that you have met the course requirements and achieved the learning outcomes
Training details and instructional approach
Course introduction:
Course overview and learning journey.
Module 1: The foundations of policy
- Lesson 1: Policy Throughout Time
- Lesson 2: Policy Mission and Goals
- Lesson 3: Good Governance
- Lesson 4: The Rule of Law
- Lesson 5: Stakeholders in the policy process
- Lesson 6: The Agile Policy Cycle
- Lesson 7: Policy Experimentation
- Knowledge check
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Describe the evolution, purpose and core functions of public policy.
- Explain the role of good governance, the rule of law and the policy cycle in shaping policy action.
- Differentiate the roles of stakeholders, regulation and governance within the broader policy process.
- Define policy experimentation and describe its relationship to agile policy approaches.
- Explain main features of the ITU approach to policy experimentation
- Distinguish policy experimentation from policy acceleration and other related approaches.
Activities:
- Narrated lesson content
- Self-paced reading
- Case study or practical example
- Reflection exercise
- Ungraded Knowledge check quiz
- Case Study Exercise to showcase crisis mitigation, balancing competing priorities, and nudge theory.
Module 2: Understanding the Policy Environment
- Lesson 1: The Policy Landscape
- Lesson 2: Policy Environment Assessment
- Lesson 3: Problem Identification
- Lesson 4: Research Framing
- Lesson 5: Understanding Stakeholder Dynamics
- Lesson 6: Ecosystem Maturity Assessment
- Lesson 7: Governance Review
- Lesson 8: Findings Analysis
- Lesson 9: Problem Prioritization
- Lesson 10: Putting Policy Environment Assessment into Practice
- Knowledge Check
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Describe the main areas involved in assessing a policy environment.
- Identify key issues, stakeholders, and ecosystem factors relevant to a policy challenge.
- Explain how evidence and findings can help inform policy priorities.
Activities:
- Narrated lesson content
- Reflection exercise
- Ungraded Knowledge check quiz
Module 3: Exploring Policy Opportunities
- Lesson 1: Prioritizing Opportunities
- Lesson 2: Good practices and benchmarking
- Lesson 3: Institutional Transformation and Adaptation
- Lesson 4; Solving and Priority Setting
- Knowledge Check
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Describe how good practices and benchmarking can inform policy thinking.
- Recognize the role of institutional adaptation in creating policy opportunities.
- Identify factors that can help shape policy priorities and responses.
Activities:
- Narrated lesson content
- Self-paced reading
- Links to external resources/real life examples
- Ungraded Knowledge check quiz
Module 4: Forming Policy Responses
- Lesson 1: Introducing Policy Formation
- Lesson 2: Strategic Framing
- Lesson 3: Policy and Strategy Formation
- Lesson 4: Institutional Design
- Knowledge Check
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Explain the purpose of strategic framing in policy formation
- Describe the main elements of policy and strategy formation
- Identify the role of institutional design in supporting policy implementation.
Activities:
- Narrated lesson content
- Self-paced reading
- Ungraded Knowledge check quiz
Module 5: Building the experimentation framework
- Lesson 1: Policy Experimentation Spaces
- Lesson 2: Building the Experimentation Framework
- Lesson 3: Setting up an Experiment Space
- Knowledge Check
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Describe different types of experimentation spaces, including sandbox approaches.
- Identify the main elements involved in setting the purpose, scope and partnerships for an experimentation space.
- Explain the importance of collaboration, governance and community in supporting policy experimentation.
Activities:
- Narrated lesson content
- Self-paced reading
- Ungraded scenario exercise on building a policy experimentation framework
- Ungraded Knowledge check quiz
Module 6: Designing the experiment
- Lesson 1: From Framework to Experiment Design
- Lesson 2: Define the Experiment
- Lesson 3: Design of the Experiment
- Lesson 4: Prepare for Running the Experiment
- Lesson 5: Run the Experiment
- Lesson 6: Evaluate the Experiment
- Knowledge Check
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Describe how an experiment is designed, prepared, and run.
- Explain how an individual experiment moves from the wider experimentation framework to a defined and testable use case.
- Explain how experiment results inform decisions to continue, adjust, retest, stop.
Activities:
- Narrated lesson content
- Self-paced reading
- Case study on experiment design
- Ungraded Knowledge check quiz
Module 7: Implementing, monitoring and learning
- Lesson 1: Ecosystem Engagement and Partnership.
- Lesson 2: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
- Codifying and Communicating Good Practices
- Knowledge Check
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Describe the role of partnerships and ecosystem engagement in supporting implementation.
- Explain the purpose of monitoring, evaluation and learning in policy experimentation.
- Identify ways in which lessons and good practices can be captured and communicated.
Activities:
- Narrated lesson content
- Self-paced reading
- Scenario exercise on communication best practices
- Case study or practical example
- Ungraded Knowledge check quiz
Course conclusion
- Final reflections and lessons learned.
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Summarize the main concepts and lessons covered in the course.
- Reflect on the relevance of policy experimentation in different policy contexts.
- Identify possible next steps for further learning and application.
Activities:
- Summary presentation
- Course wrap-up content
- Graded Final Quiz.
Instructors
Registration information
Unless specified otherwise, all ITU Academy training courses are open to all interested professionals, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, economic status and other diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage registrations from female participants, and participants from developing countries. This includes least developed countries, small island developing states and landlocked developing countries.
