Leading Change in Tunisia 2018

Formulating and communicating policy objectives and recommendations for action are essential components of political planning, decision, and legitimating processes. The program “Political Advice and Strategy Development” offers them training in the areas of policy advice, strategy formulation, and implementation. In annually two subsequent workshops the participants engage in discussions and trainings covering the following topics: strategy development, drafting and communication of policy recommendations through policy papers and outreach activities.

In 2018, a group of selected Tunisian experts is supported to implement conceptualized outreach activities to topics which are considered particularly relevant to the political and socio-economic development in Tunisia. The participants are going to organize and prepare (semi-) public activities or events that should take place in the month of September 2018 in Tunisia, and aim at problem analysis and solution, discussion and implementation of policy recommendations, and public awareness building for problems and solution-finding mechanisms. By nature, the activities should resemble kick-off events or pilot projects, and thus ensure, by including decision-makers and stakeholders, effects of middle- and long-range effectivity and sustainability.

The first workshop of the third project year of the "Political Advice and Strategy Development" program of the Bavarian-Tunisian Action Plan 2015-2018, supported by the Bavarian Government, gathered participants of the first and the second year of the program, when, separately for each year, Tunisian researchers from universities and young professionals were trained to write policy papers. The workshop, which took place at the new UTIL premises in Tunis – Menzah 6, brought together the former participants, policy paper authors and professional experts Mayssa Zerzri (Tunisian Ministry of Relations with Constitutional, Civil Society and Human Rights), Mohamed Haroun Ouanes (Entrepreneur, Business Center of Monastir), Dr. Tarek Ghazel (Universities of Médenine and of Gabès), Dr. Omar Fassatoui (UN-OHCHR Tunis), Dhekra ElHidri (Cooperation for the Development of Emerging Countries (COSPE)) and Dr. Riadh Béchir (Laboratory of Economy and Rural Societies (LESOR) of the Arid Land Institute in Médenine). The 2018 program centers around the goals of

• transferring competences in applied policy research, political advice and public awareness building via fixing a practicable, feasible idea of action to implement some of the recommendations from the individual policy papers;

• organizing, preparing and implementing a conference / seminar / public event on a specific topic of public policy interest;

• disposing policy recommendations via raising decision-makers’ awareness and including stakeholders;

• applying a communication or media strategy / shaping public debates; creating sustainability via networks

• developing skills as professional experts and independent political advisors.

List of experts and projects (and policy papers)

1. Dr. Omar Fassatoui:
La prise en charge des femmes victimes de violence : Bonnes pratiques allemandes et contexte tunisien (Workshop)
C·A·Perspectives on Tunisia Nr. 1-2016, Women’s rights in Tunisia. The remaining legal inequalities by Omar Fassatoui

2. Dr. Riadh Béchir & Dr. Tarek Ghazel:
Les défis socioéconomiques au gouvernorat de Médenine : L’extrémisme violent et la contrebande comme exemples (Workshop)
C·A·Perspectives on Tunisia Nr. 01-2017, La contrebande, le secteur informel et le défi du développement au gouvernorat de Médenine by Riadh Béchir, C·A·Perspectives on Tunisia Nr. 06-2017, Une Politique Régionale pour Prévenir l’Extrémisme Violent au Gouvernorat de Médenine by Tarke Ghazel

3. Dhekra El Hidri & Mohamed Haroun Ouanes:
Economie Social et Solidaire / Entreprenariat social (Conference; publication)
C·A·Perspectives on Tunisia Nr. 03-2017, L‘Economie Sociale et Solidaire : Un Levier pour une Révolution Economique by Dhekra El Hidri; C·A·Perspectives on Tunisia Nr. 3-2016, Entrepreneuriat en Tunisie. Recommandations pour relever les défis économiques by Mohamed Haroun Ouanes

4. Mayssa Zerzri:
Cyber Security (Launch of website)
C·A·Perspectives on Tunisia Nr. 04-2017, The Threat of Cyber Terrorism and Recommendations for Countermeasures by Mayssa Zerzri