Welcome
We have systematised and compiled information and resources in order to help policy entrepreneurs to think-plan-start and adapt their nascent think tanks.
This website aims to offer readers guidance and examples to develop their organisations along the models that best fit their circumstances and objectives. It does not prescribe what should be done; rather it helps policy entrepreneurs reflect on different key think tank issues and offers suggestions and guidance on how to address each of these.
Introduction
The reasons for creating this companion guide
- This companion guide systematises and compiles information and resources that will help policy entrepreneurs to think-plan-start and adapt their nascent think tanks.
- Its aim is to offer readers guidance and examples to develop their organisations along the models that best fit their circumstances and objectives.
Why?
These questions will help you:
- Reflect on your motivations to set up a think tank.
- Learn from the motivations of other think tank founders.
- Understand what a think tank is and what its most common functions are.
- Decide whether what you want to establish a think tank or take another direction.
What?
These questions will help you:
- Understand the context your think tank will be born into and how this context will affect your think tank’s activities, research areas, communications, access to funding and organisational set up (among other aspects).
- Understand the concept of mission, vision and values, and reflect on what these will be for your organisation.
- Reflect on the issues that your think tank will focus on.
- Reflect on the impact it aims to achieve.
- Clarify your organisation’s business model: the way in which your organisation will go about achieving its goals.
Who?
These questions will help you:
- Understand the different roles that a board can play for a think tank and the different types that exist.
- Know the challenges that a think tank leader faces and the different skills he or she needs to deal with.
- Reflect on how the think tank will engage with its audience and begin mapping the best ways to do so.
- Appreciate the skills that think tank’s researchers need to have, how to define the staff you will need, and how you will hire them.
- Know that there are different types of funding streams available and begin a reflection of what would be the best for your organisation based on what you want to achieve.
- Identify who can support your organisation with access to different resources.
How?
These questions will help you:
- Understand the different options for the way to carry out research, the importance of policy-relevant research, and options to ensure its quality.
- Reflect on office locations, the approach that best suits your needs.
- Acknowledge the importance of communications for a think tank and reflect on the different channels and tools available for ir. What will be the best mix for your organisation.
- Think about a monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) process to monitor your organisation’s progress.
- Understand the concept of credibility, and the different factor that you should cultivate, besides research quality.
- Acknowledge the relevance of adaptation to changes that influence your organisation’s operations and relationships
- Understand the importance of engaging with evolving technology.
When?
These questions will help you:
- Understand that there is no right moment to start your think tank and know the challenges that other leaders have faced at the beginning.
- Acknowledge that leaders need to change at some point and how to manage this transition process with the organisation.
Checklist
- Here is a summary to help you bring it all together. When thinking about setting up your own think tank.