Stakeholder analysis in a policy game process in Tunisia

Abstract This paper discusses the policy game methodology and design that will be used in a simulation that aims to assess and understand the public health policy making in Tunisia. The policy game aims to analyzes the interactions, alliances and networks formed by the institutions and stakeholders during a policy game intervention that will be organized in Tunis, in which policy makers, civil servants, researchers and practitioners will simulate the use of evidence in real life policy making. The simulation has been realized within the Erasmus+ CONFIDE project focused on enhancing transnational partnerships and building capacity to inform evidence-based policies in Tunisia. This capacity building project and policy game is built on the collaboration of four Tunisian universities, from Tunis, Sfax, Sousse and Monastir, and three universities from the European Union, from Romania, Denmark and Slovakia. The policy game will focus on the drafting and implementation of a national strategy for fighting the increase of drug consumption among the Tunisian youth, a phenomenon which is rather new in Tunisia and spreading rapidly. The policy game will be followed by an analysis aiming to explore the impact of the intervention in enhancing cross-sector collaboration and the use of local stakeholder network regarding drug policy making. The preliminary results showed that the stakeholders approached this problem in a collaborative way and were willing to up-take evidence-based measures in the creation of a national strategy to fight drug consumption. This exercise has also shown that the policy game can be an effective tool in enhancing the use of scientific arguments in policy making and encourage stakeholders to approach policy making in a cross-sector way. Key messages Policy game can be an effective tool in enhancing the use of scientific arguments in policy making and encourage stakeholders to approach policy making in an interdisciplinary way. Stakeholders approached this problem in a collaborative way and were willing to up-take evidence-based measures in the creation of a national strategy to fight drug consumption.