Fiker Think Tank Institute prepares policy research, strategic studies, and futures studies to examine public issues, assess institutional choices, and explore the implications of change.
Assignments begin with a defined question, an understanding of the institutional and societal context, and a review of available information. The scope reflects the decisions under consideration, the stakeholders affected, and the relevant timeframe.
Policy Research and Analysis
Examining a policy problem, its causes, the groups affected, and existing responses. Analysis considers how institutional arrangements, implementation practices, and social and economic conditions influence the issue.
Depending on the assignment, research may combine document review, analysis of available data, interviews, and consultation with stakeholders.
Policy Options and Recommendations
Developing and comparing possible responses, including maintaining or modifying existing arrangements where relevant. Options are assessed against explicit criteria, such as expected effectiveness, resource requirements, feasibility, distribution of benefits and burdens, and implementation risks.
Recommendations explain the rationale for a preferred option, the conditions required for implementation, and the uncertainties that remain.
Strategic Studies
Examining developments that may affect an institution, sector, or public programme over the medium and longer term. Studies consider the interaction of political, economic, social, and technological factors relevant to the assignment.
The analysis identifies strategic priorities, dependencies, opportunities, and risks, and considers how these affect available courses of action.
Futures Studies and Scenario Development
Exploring plausible future developments through the examination of trends, emerging signals, drivers of change, and critical uncertainties.
Scenarios describe alternative conditions under explicit assumptions. They help institutions examine how different developments could affect their objectives and test the suitability of proposed responses. They are not presented as certain predictions or assigned probabilities without a justified basis.
Research Approach
Defining the issue and intended use — Clarifying the question, geographical and institutional scope, time horizon, and the decisions the study is intended to support.
Reviewing information and perspectives — Assessing relevant research, policy documents, statistics, and stakeholder accounts. Sources are examined for credibility, currency, and relevance, with information gaps made explicit.
Comparing options and examining assumptions — Applying a transparent analytical framework to assess alternatives and their trade-offs. Where comparative experiences are used, the study considers whether the conditions that supported them exist in the local context.
Testing implications and developing recommendations — Examining how options may perform under different conditions. Recommendations specify practical considerations, responsibilities, and possible indicators for follow-up, where included in the scope.
Interpretation and Review
Reports distinguish established findings, analytical judgements, and assumptions about future developments. Differences in stakeholder perspectives are documented without treating consultation as proof of consensus.
Conclusions reflect the strength and limitations of the available information. Where uncertainty is substantial, the study identifies what should be monitored and what developments may warrant reconsidering the proposed approach.
Deliverables
Depending on the assignment, deliverables may include:
Reports may be prepared in English, Arabic, or both, as agreed. Publication and attribution arrangements are defined for each assignment.
- A policy study or concise policy brief.
- A comparison of options and their implications.
- A strategic assessment of relevant developments.
- A set of scenarios with documented assumptions.
- An implementation roadmap or monitoring framework.
- An executive summary and presentation for discussion.
Discuss a Study
Please share the issue you wish to examine, the intended use of the study, the institutions or groups concerned, and the relevant timeframe. Existing policy documents, previous studies, and terms of reference will help define the scope.
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