Policy Model

Rigorous. Impactful. Tailored.

Global Shield has a unique process designed specifically for producing policies that our country offices around the world use for their advocacy. Led by the policy team, this process – called the Policy Research, Development and Diffusion (RD&D) model – ensures that our policy proposals are high-quality, rigorous, impactful and tailored for the relevant country contexts.

Our

Policy model

Policy Research

Databases

Research papers

Newsletter

Policy directory

Policy Development

Case studies

Policy deep-dives

High-level proposals

Policy Diffusion

Policy landscape review

Tailored proposals

Briefing materials

Policy priorities

Global Shield will focus its policy research, development and diffusion on all-hazards global catastrophic riskGCR. There are four categories for all-hazard GCR that Global Shield consider:

  1. Strategic policy: Strategic policy research relates to the policy-making processes and structures that might relate to GCR, such as policy levers and instruments, engagement and influence, agenda-setting, institutions, decision-making, and framing and messaging. Understanding how GCR relates to strategic policy making will help inform how we should engage policy and help prioritize our policy efforts.
  2. Overarching policy: Overarching policy research to approaches for reducing GCR address the entire set of GCR. This type of policy sits above GCR, providing top-down support or guidance to identifying, managing, or reducing specific threats that have potential global catastrophic or existential consequences. Governments can take seven types of overarching policy for GCR: govern, understand, prevent, prepare, respond, communicate and collaborate.
  3. Cross-cutting policy: Certain policy issues can impact or shape global catastrophic risk. These issues ‘cut across’ GCR. In some cases, cross-cutting issues drive or exacerbate the risks, such as the negative impact of geopolitical competition. In other cases, cross-cutting issues could be subject to, or impacted by, the risks, such as the resilience of food systems. We use the following taxonomy of cross-cutting issues: geopolitics and strategic competition; politics and governance; economics and finance; natural resources and the environment; infrastructure and built environment; health and healthcare; and knowledge and information.
  4. Multi-hazard: While all-hazard covers all threats and hazards, there is a level below that can relate to multiple, whether treating them as a subset or combination. Some of the global catastrophic threats can be brought together to treat them as a category of risk needing policy. The categories are: Technological development; natural hazards; weapons of mass destruction (WMD); space; and environment. Multi-hazard approaches can also look at how the nexus or cascade of two specific threats creates its own unique risk. The key combinations are: AI + biological weapons; AI + totalitarianism; AI + chemical weapons; AI + nuclear weapons; AI + autonomous systems; AI + WMD; Climate change + biological risks; Cyber + nuclear; Natural hazards + human-driven environment damage; Space + biological risks.
Policy research

The Policy team identifies key policy questions relating to GCR, conducts in-depth research on priority questions to form the foundation for rigorous policy analysis and development, and gains insights into the implications of GCR on policy and the potential policy ideas for reducing GCR.

The Policy research function includes:

  1. Develop and maintain research agenda: We will identify key policy questions or issues that require research and analysis. These questions will be prioritized based on the organization’s needs, including the criticality to our mission, need for policy research in the field, ease of research and utility to policy development and diffusion.
  2. Conduct research: We will conduct research into the high priority questions. We will use a variety of techniques and sources – structured analytical technical, a thorough review of existing literature, our own databases – to identify and analyze policy implications and options.
  3. Build and maintain databases: We will establish and maintain databases to organize and store relevant research data, including research and policy ideas. Regular updates and maintenance ensure the availability and accessibility of information for future reference and analysis.
  4. Publication of research: We will publish our research in various formats for internal and external consumption. This could include academic papers, research reports, policy briefs and newsletters.
Policy development function

Based on the combination of our own research insights, existing set of policy ideas and engagement with other organizations, the Policy team selects the most promising policy ideas and designs detailed policy proposals. Where policy windows might be available, we conduct a policy development process to build policy proposals. These policy proposals will continue to be iterated and refined based on the latest research and feedback from stakeholders. This will form a library of policy proposals accessible to country offices and strategic partners.

The Policy development function includes:

  1. Prioritize the agenda: We will assess and prioritize policy ideas based on their relevance, urgency, potential impact, and alignment with the organization’s mission and goals.
  2. Design policy proposals: We will develop high-quality, detailed and feasible policy proposals. We will conduct research and analysis to identify the underlying problems or challenges that the policy proposals aim to address and recommend the appropriate policy mechanism. (These proposals will be country-agnostic)
  3. Develop supporting products: We will develop further products in support of the policy proposals, including explainers, talking points, case studies, framing documents and any off-the-shelf materials that can support diffusion.
  4. Refine materials: We will refine and iterate on the policy proposals based on the insights gained from the feasibility and viability assessment and stakeholder feedback. This may involve revising the policy design, exploring alternative options, or incorporating additional evidence and data.
Policy diffusion

The Policy team works with country offices to develop tailored policy proposals, building off the country-agnostic policy library. Insights and perspectives gained from these tailored proposals would be incorporated into the master, for the benefit of all country offices. We support the development or tailoring of any further policy products.


The Policy diffusion includes:

  1. Tailor policy proposals: We will work with country offices to tailor policy proposals for their jurisdictions, including framing, implementation, risks and sensitivities and costing.
  2. Develop and tailor supporting products: We will work with country offices to develop or tailor other products that might be needed. In addition to those listed above, we might support products such as drafting legislation, speeches and op-eds.
  3. Knowledge exchange and collaboration: We will foster knowledge exchange and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to facilitate policy diffusion. This involves engaging in partnerships, networks, or forums where policy experiences, best practices, and lessons learned can be shared and discussed.
  4. Monitoring: We would help develop mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness and value of policy proposals, including conducting surveys or interviews, and actively seeking input from stakeholders. We would also promote learning and knowledge management by documenting experiences, success stories, and lessons learned from the policy diffusion process.
Policy Database
Research Database
Newsletter
Case Studies