Tag Archives: memo

Week 6: Memo to the President

Every time a new president (or prime minister or CEO) assumes power he or she will receive many unsolicited memos from all quarters in an effort to try to influence them at an early stage.  This is a classic example of one of Kingdon’s policy windows opening — but usually that window will close quickly, Once policies have been set in motion, it is rare to have the same scope for influencing the trajectory of government policy and so there will be an inevitable rush to seek influence at the earliest stage possible.  In some cases, these are long memos, not intended for the President or CEO but for someone further down in the administration.

Please try to write a short memo (no more than a few paragraphs) to:

  1. President-elect Trump (his chief of staff or incoming cabinet member) on an issue dear to your heart (or more credibly, take on the role of a key stakeholder such as industry, NGOs, etc) and lay out what the priorities should be for the next four years in your sector (and why to pursue that policy!)
  2. The president or prime minister of your country (or your favourite country!) on how to deal with a new Trump administration on an issue or sector of importance to you.
  3. The CEO of your firm or organisation (e.g., environmental NGO, scientific body, trade association) to discuss how best you might try to influence the new Trump Administration on an issue of central importance to your organisation.

Week 3: How Will Countries Implement their INDCs on Climate Change?

This week, we are meant to be looking at institutions, so I thought that the national INDCs (shorthand for the unwieldy ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contribution’) for the upcoming COP-21 (short for the 21st conference of the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) to held in Paris in December would be a good… Continue Reading