Day 2 | Group Work Assignment: Building Sustainable Policy from the Ground Up

Day 2 of the School for Young Leaders 2025 continued with an interactive online session led by Filip Nelkovski, Stanford CDDRL Fellow and Western Balkans Program Officer at Helvetas.

Held under the umbrella topic “Group Work Assignment – Accountable policy-making process: How do decisions reflect sustainable development?”, the session marked the official kickoff of the group project work.

Policy Change Studio: From Problems to Sustainable Solutions

Through the Policy Change Studio format, participants were introduced to structured analytical tools and problem-solving frameworks aimed at understanding why capital and infrastructure projects often fail and why sustainability is frequently missing from public decision-making processes. The discussion emphasized the importance of evidence-based analysis, institutional accountability, and long-term thinking in policy design.

The session laid a strong foundation for teamwork, encouraging participants to critically examine real-world challenges and to approach public policy with responsibility, clarity, and impact.