In an increasingly volatile and unequal world, the demand for sound, timely, and credible policymaking has never been greater. Countries and social partners are grappling with a complex web of global and national challenges: rising inequalities, inflationary pressures, food and energy insecurity, digital disruptions, climate shocks, and debt stress. These are not abstract trends, they are lived realities that strain institutions, fracture social contracts, and test the ability of decision-makers to deliver solutions that are inclusive, sustainable, and just.

Governments, workers’ organizations, and employers’ organizations are under mounting pressure to respond that shows results. In this context, the ability to generate and use evidence, relevant data, research, and analysis, has become a strategic asset. Evidence-based policymaking (EBPM) is not simply about better decisions; it is about building trust, ensuring legitimacy, and anchoring policy responses in the realities of people’s lives.

The ILO’s mission to advance social justice and promote decent work is central to this agenda. As highlighted by the ILO Director-General in his 2024 Report to the International Labour Conference, meaningful progress on social justice requires strengthening national capacities for evidence-based dialogue, negotiation, and reform. This includes empowering constituents to assess trade-offs, appraise policy options, and communicate evidence in ways that shape real outcomes.

Against this backdrop, the ILO Research Department and ITCILO are joining forces to deliver the “From Research to Policy: Policy Design and Labour Market Realities” course. This initiative will equip ILO constituents, as well as a broader community of policymakers and practitioners, with the tools, frameworks, and skills to transform data into action, embedding evidence at the heart of policymaking for decent work.

Effective policymaking in today’s labour markets requires more than understanding the value of evidence, it demands the ability to interpret complex employment challenges, work collaboratively with tripartite actors, and translate research findings and labour market dynamics into actionable and context-sensitive policy solutions. Governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and development actors are increasingly confronted with multifaceted challenges, from persistent informality and inequality to economic volatility, demographic transitions, and technological disruptions. Responding to these realities calls for advanced analytical skills and the capacity to design policies that are both evidence-informed and institutionally grounded.

To address these challenges, the ILO Research Department in collaboration with the ITCILO’s Employment Policy and Analysis Programme (EPAP) are offering this online Training Course on “From Research to Policy: Policy Design and Labour Market Realities”.

This course aims to deepen participants’ understanding of how to use evidence to inform complex policy decisions. This course equips participants with the competencies needed to navigate this complexity. It strengthens their ability to diagnose labour market challenges, translate evidence into viable policy options, engage constructively with tripartite stakeholders throughout the policy process, and design and develop interventions that are politically, institutionally, and technically feasible. Participants will learn to work with diverse sources of evidence, interpret labour market statistics with confidence, integrate research insights into concrete employment and labour market policy proposals, and effectively communicate them.

• Policymakers, government officials, and representatives from ministries in the fields of labour, employment, and the broader world of work.
• ILO and UN staff and development practitioners and consultants
• Representatives of Trade Unions and employers’ organisations
• Public investment, employment and labour market policy advisers
• Policy analysts working for national and global think tanks, financial institutions, research departments and foundations
• Individuals interested in or actively contributing to the provision of information, analysis, and recommendations crucial for policymaking and advocacy.

This course will be delivered both online through the ITCILO’s e-Campus Platform and

in person at ITCILO in Turin and ILO Geneva.

The schedule is as follows:

1. Online Phase: 14–18 September 2026
2. In-Person Phase (ITC Turin): 21–25 September 2026
3. Study Visit to the ILO (Geneva): 28 September 2026

The course will be divided into eight content modules, each accompanied by follow-up activities and assignments. It requires an overall commitment of 60 hours of active study/participation.

During the training, each of the 8 learning modules of the course has a fixed structure and includes the following components:

During the training, each of the 8 learning modules of the course has a fixed structure and includes the following components:

1. Online or in person sessions, with the group and ILO trainer and/or invited speakers (session of 120 min).
2. Individual self-learning, activities and assignments, as well as group activities.
3. Forum (Online) and group discussions (F2F), self-facilitated or facilitated by the ILO and ITCILO trainers.

To deepen participants’ capacity to design evidence-informed policies for decent work and social justice, the course explores the following interconnected themes and advanced analytical skills: 

The training course follows a dual-path learning approach.

Through the Path 1 “Evidence-informed policymaking for decent work”, participants will learn to

• Incorporate evidence-based policymaking processes into policy design
• Diagnose employment and labour market challenges using advanced analytical tools
• Enhance understanding of frontier issues impacting decent work
• Establish research–policy dialogues among social partners
• Work effectively with tripartite actors throughout the policy process
• Design responsive, feasible, and evidence-informed policy solutions
• Develop research and policy communities of practice for evidence-based policies

Through the Path 2 “Guiding policies through research and data”, participants will learn to

• Build advanced skills in research design and methodologies
• Improve understanding of labour market data and statistics
• Strengthen analytical skills for research interpretation and data-driven diagnosis
• Promote research utilisation in policymaking to enhance the quality of policy dialogue
• Communicate evidence persuasively to diverse audiences

Together, these two paths empower participants to contribute meaningfully to social justice and decent work through evidence-based policy action

At the end of the course, in order to evaluate the knowledge and skills learnt, participants will be required to submit an individual policy brief for review by the ILO/ITCILO specialists and trainers. Upon successful completion of this assignment, participants will receive an ITCILO Certificate of Achievement.

This course is part of the Diploma in Evidence-Based Public Policy, launched jointly by the ILO Research Department and the ITCILO’s Employment Policy and Analysis Programme.