KATHMANDU, MAY 4
The Nepal Policy Leadership Program (NPLP) 2024, an eight-month training initiative aimed at enhancing the policy skills of government officials, concluded with a formal ceremony in Kathmandu.
Organized by the Nepal Policy Institute (NPI) in partnership with the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) and Kathmandu University, the program trained 25 officials from 16 ministries through a three-phase curriculum-pre-residency, residency, and post-residency.
The closing ceremony was chaired by NPI President Dr. Khagendra Raj Dhakal, with Prof. Dr. Achyut Wagle, Vice-Chancellor of Kathmandu University, as Chief Guest, and Secretary Chudamani Paudel of the OPMCM as Special Guest.
Dr. Dhakal described the program as a "highly impactful" initiative and explained that it was designed to foster experiential learning based on real-world case studies, providing participants with essential analytical tools and policy frameworks to support critical decision-making processes. He also emphasized that the program aimed to build critical thinking skills among policy professionals.
Former Secretary and NPI Executive Member Gopinath Mainali credited the program's success to strong collaboration among the three institutions and shared hopes for continued partnerships.
Facilitated by nine experts-including national and international professionals-the NPLP featured modules on political economy analysis, risk frameworks, and strategic planning. Dr. Gambhir Bhatta, the lead facilitator, coordinated the sessions, while international expert Sally Washington led a session on global perspectives in policy leadership.
Chief Guest Dr. Wagle praised the program as a creative solution to the policy implementation gap caused by political bottlenecks, reaffirming Kathmandu University's commitment to ongoing policy training and research.
Secretary Paudel conveyed a message from Chief Secretary Eaknarayan Aryal, expressing confidence that the training would contribute meaningfully to policy reforms in Nepal.
Certificates were jointly distributed by Dr. Wagle, Secretary Paudel, Dr. Dhakal, and KU Dean Prof. Dr. Bijaya K.C.
Speaking on behalf of participants, Sangita Ojha, Executive Director of NATHM, shared how she applied the training in her institution and highlighted the need to address the outflow of students post-Grade 12.
The event was moderated by NPI Executive Member Sharu Joshi Shrestha, who thanked government partners and emphasized the importance of sustained collaboration for policy innovation in Nepal.
The graduation was attended by representatives from civil society, think tanks, academia, media, and ministries, including NPC Member Secretary Sumanraj Aryal.
