Navigating Public Policy

An ability to competently navigate the complex systems of government, law and regulation is an often unspoken but ever-present requirement of jobs in every profession, from health care to criminal justice, financial services to education, human resources to technology.

But a comprehensive look at how the various regulatory entities work is not always a part of graduate or professional training. The University of Washington Tacoma KeyBank Professional Development Center offers a Public Policy certificate program to meet the needs of professionals who want a better understanding of how regulatory organizations operate in all levels of government.

Instructor Matt Temmel, Ph. D., has designed an in-depth study of state, local and national contexts for policymaking. Temmel is a performance audit coordinator for the Pierce County Council, and has served as a performance auditor for the Washington State Legislature, and taught history at the University of Washington and the University of Maryland.

Participants will explore the operation of the American political system, the process of policymaking, basic methods for analysis, and ways to become involved in policymaking through the Legislature, municipality or other government agency. The program will culminate in a simulated public testimony; students will assume an activist or analyst role and address a policy issue of personal interest before a mock-policymaking entity. They will gain rudimentary experience in bill drafting and testifying, and will draft an abbreviated version of a policy based on their research.

Key state and local officials will lecture in the program. Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma will give a lecture titled “Policymaking in the City of Tacoma: How it works and how it could work better.” Washington State Court of Appeals Judge Christine Quinn-Brintnall will speak about possible alternatives to the election of judges and how judges impact public policy. Peter Callaghan, political columnist for The News Tribune, will speak on the role of newspapers in public policymaking.

Students who successfully complete 10-week program will earn a certificate and four continuing education units. The program begins Oct. 6; classes will meet Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6–8 p.m., through Dec. 15.

For more information and to apply, visit the University of Washington Tacoma KeyBank Professional Development Center's website, or call 253-692-4618.