Courses

Contact: Carl Koopmans

Transport policy is discussed from different perspectives. Factors that play an important role here are accessibility, bottlenecks, the economy and the environment.

Key topics included in the course are:

• Demand, supply and willingness to pay
• Generalised transport costs and the halving rule
• Aviation, road traffic and public transport: similarities and differences
• Building, utilisation and pricing from an economic perspective
• Indirect economic effects
• Labour market and employment
• Social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA)

The course is taught by lecturers with extensive experience in transport economics research and teaching. The set-up is engaging and interactive: combining presentations by lecturers  with plenty of  opportunities for discussion and exercises, supported by a variety of examples.

Lecturers: Carl Koopmans, Christiaan Behrens, Gerben de Jong

Target group: civil servants, consultants, and researchers without an economics background

Group size: 10 – 20 participants

Duration: 4 days (not necessarily consecutive)

Location: online, at the client’s site, at SEO, or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact Person: Erik Brouwer

Broad Prosperity looks beyond economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and includes aspects of well-being such as health, education, environment and social cohesion. As broad prosperity becomes increasingly important, it is essential to expand our focus beyond solely considering economic indicators. This course provides an understanding of the methods and policy tools needed to effectively measure and promote broad prosperity.

Purpose and Content:

The course provides participants with knowledge of the theories and measurement methods used to analyse and promote broad prosperity. It explores how broad prosperity is defined and measured, and examines the balance between economic growth, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability.

Key topics of the course include:

• The definition and dimensions of broad prosperity, with emphasis on the “here and now,” “later,” and “elsewhere” framework developed by Statistics Netherlands (CBS, 2023)
• Methodologies for measuring broad prosperity, including the application of broad prosperity indicators and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• The role of policy and business in promoting broad prosperity and the sustainable earning capacity of the Netherlands
• Research on the impact of sustainable innovations and how businesses and policymakers can optimise them

Customisation and Interaction:

The course can be adjusted to the specific needs of participants through close consultation with the client. The lecturers combine extensive theoretical knowledge with practical experience. In addition to interactive presentations, there are opportunities for discussion and hands-on exercises to support participants in applying broad prosperity principles within their own work context.

Lecturers: Erik Brouwer and Christiaan Behrens

Target group: Companies, industry associations, civil servants, regulators and planning agencies

Group size: 10 – 20 participants

Duration: approx. 4 days (can be scheduled on a customised basis)

Location: online, at the client’s site, at SEO or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact: Wouter Vermeulen

Health is our greatest good, yet rising healthcare spending and staff shortages require challenging policy decisions. To navigate these complexities, it is crucial to understand the social benefits of care and prevention. How much value added does a certain treatment or medicine provide, or social intervention offer? Who benefits from this value, and how does it compare to the associated social costs? This course provides tools to identify and weigh the costs and benefits of care and prevention. It is particularly relevant for policymakers faced with the choice of whether to invest in a particular form of care or prevention. Additionally, it allows professionals in the field to effectively demonstrate the value added of their product.

Key topics of the course are:

– The starting point of any analysis: establishing a Theory of Change

– Methods for empirical research: how do we assess the effectiveness of interventions?

– Valuation: how do we measure the outcomes of these interventions in euro terms?

– Trade-off frameworks: cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA)

The course is customised: topics are chosen in consultation with the client.

The course is taught by lecturers with extensive experience in both policy research and education. The set-up is engaging and interactive: in addition to presentations by lecturers and many examples from policy practice, there are many opportunities for discussion and exercises.

Lecturers: Wouter Vermeulen, Remco van Eijkel, Carl Koopmans

Target group: policy officials and professionals from the field of care and prevention

Group size: 10 – 20 persons

Duration: approx. 4 days (not necessarily consecutive)

Location: online, at the client’s site, at SEO or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact: Bas ter Weel

The Dutch economy is shaped by a variety of European and global conditions. High inflation is confronted in Frankfurt, trade policy is shaped in Brussels and the functioning of the European internal market, from which the Netherlands greatly benefits, is determined outside The Hague. How does macroeconomic policy function in the Netherlands? This question becomes even more complex in the context of an ageing society.

This course addresses:

– The budget cycle and macroeconomic projections.

– The functioning of the internal market, monetary policy and the contribution of international trade to Dutch prosperity.

– How should EU regulations on budget deficits and debt be managed in light of an aging society?

The course is taught by lecturers with extensive experience in policy, science and research. Drawing from their experience with macroeconomic policy, they offer the unique ability to interpret and explain internal dynamics through an external lens.

Lecturers: Bas ter Weel and Daniël van Vuuren

Target group: policy officials and professionals interested in deepening their knowledge on the functioning of the Dutch economy

Group size: 10-20 participants

Duration: approx. 4 days

Location: online, at the client’s site, at SEO or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact Person: Erik Brouwer

Market forces and competition are an essential topic for companies, industry associations, governments and regulators. This course offers participants an understanding of essential economic theories and tools necessary for analysing competition policy and regulatory issues.

Key topics in the course:

A. Objective

The course aims to grant in-depth knowledge of the economic theories and tools important in competition analysis and regulatory issues.

B. Core Topics

The course covers such topics as:

• Different market forms, from perfect competition to monopoly
• Game theory and strategic behaviour of market participants
• Market definition and delineation
• Market regulation, such as scarce permits and tendering procedures

Externalities and public interest in public policy

C. Extensions

The course also offers additional topics that can be customised to meet  specific needs:

• Quantitative methods for market definition, measuring consumer and producer behaviour, and damage calculation for market failure
• Opportunities for horizontal and vertical collaboration towards sustainability goals
• Applications of algorithms, big data and artificial intelligence within competition policy

Customisation and Interaction

The course is tailored in consultation with the client to ensure the content aligns closely with the needs and requirements of the participants. Delivered by experienced experts with in-depth knowledge, the course is designed to be both engaging and interactive: in addition to presentations by the lecturers, there are many opportunities for discussion and hands-on exercises.

Lecturers: Erik Brouwer, Christiaan Behrens and Michiel Bijlsma

Target group: companies, sector organisations, civil servants and supervisors

Group size: 10 – 20 participants

Duration: approx. 4 days (not necessarily consecutive)

Location: online, at the client’s site, at SEO or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact person: Robbert Rademakers

Key topics of this course are:

• The role of monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) in results-based management of development programmes
• Development of Theories of Change
• Development of short-term, medium-term and long-term indicators
• Quantitative evaluation methods, including quasi-experimental methods (e.g. Randomised Controlled Trials, Propensity Score Matching)
• Qualitative evaluation methods, including Contribution Analysis, Outcome Mapping, Outcome Harvesting
• Triangulation and synthesis of mixed evaluation methods

The exact curriculum and focus of the course can be tailored to the needs and interests of participants. The course is taught by instructors who are highly experienced in designing MEL systems and applying various impact evaluation methods. The format is interactive: in addition to presentations, there is plenty of room for discussion and group exercises. We use concrete examples from projects conducted by SEO or participants, including in the areas of development cooperation and climate.

Lecturers: Nienke Oomes, Robbert Rademakers, Debbie Keijser, Thierry Belt

Target group: investment funds, development organisations, NGOs, government staff, consultants

Group size: 10 to 20 persons

Duration: 2-4 days (not necessarily consecutive)

Location: online, at the client’s office, at SEO, or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact: Bas ter Weel

Monitoring and evaluating policies and policy instruments is crucial for solving social problems. There is often a significant gap between developing a policy and effectively implementing it, particularly when the focus is placed on longer term objectives. Successful policy implementation requires adherence to several key principles. This course centers on understanding both the “game” and the “rules of the game.”

The main topics of the course are:

– The role of government intervention in markets

– Establishing a Theory of Change to determine legitimacy

– Evaluation methods to monitor and evaluate different types of policies (from economic methods to transition methods)

The course is taught by lecturers with extensive experience in policy, academics, and applied research. Their backgrounds include macroeconomic policy roles within the Dutch government and at international organisations such as the IMF. Drawing from this experience, they offer the unique ability to interpret and explain internal dynamics through an external lens.

Lecturers: Bas ter Weel, Arjan Heyma, Daniël van Vuuren and Nienke Oomes

Target group: policy officials and researchers interested in learning evaluation techniques

Group size: 10-20 participants

Duration: approx. 4 days

Location: online, at the client’s office, at SEO, or elsewhere

Planning: Customised

Contact person: Bas ter Weel

Policy evaluation is becoming increasingly important. The Ministry of Finance, the House of Representatives and interest groups demand policy audits, cost-benefit analyses and measurable results. This course provides a solid knowledge base.

Key topics of the course are:

• The role of evaluation in different phases of policy formulation and implementation
• Methods to assess policies: cost-effectiveness, multi-criteria analysis, cost-benefit analysis
• Policy audits and the Strategic Evaluation Agena
• The importance of an explicit policy theory
• Social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA): opening the black box
• The role of government: public interests and market failures
• Research methods: what is and is not justified?

The course is customised: topics are chosen in consultation with the client.

The course is taught by highly experienced lecturers in both policy research and education. The set-up is engaging and interactive: in addition to presentations by lecturers including many example from policy practice, there are also many opportunities for discussion and exercises.

Lecturers: Bas ter Weel, Carl Koopmans, Arjan Heyma and Daniël van Vuuren

Target group: policy officials

Group size: 10 – 20 persons

Duration: approx. 4 days (not necessarily consecutive)

Location: online, at the client’s site, at SEO or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact person: Carl Koopmans

Since 2000, governments have increasingly conducted social cost-benefit analyses to assess new policy proposals. Evaluations indicate that this has successfully prevented numerous costly and ineffective plans. At the same time, there is much debate about the completeness and correctness and SCBAs, with many people perceiving SCBAs as a black box. In this course, the black box is unpacked, allowing participants to explore both the possibilities and limitations of MBAs.

Key topics of the course are:

• Costs and benefits from a societal perspective
• Willingness to pay
• Direct, indirect and external effects
• Discounting future costs and benefits
• The policy impact of SCBA
• Limitations of SCBA and strategies to address them
• Conducting a basic SCBA independently

The course is taught by lecturers who have extensive experience with SCBA in a variety of policy areas and education programmes. The set-up is engaging and interactive: in addition to presentations by lecturers and many examples, there will be many  opportunities  for discussion and exercises.

Lecturers: Carl Koopmans, Erik Brouwer

Target group: policy officers dealing with SCBAs

Group size: 10 – 20 participants

Duration: 3 days (not necessarily consecutive)

Location: online, at the client’s site, at SEO, or elsewhere

Planning: customised

Contact person: Daniël van Vuuren

Internationally, the Dutch social security system is highly developed: income security and labour participation are relatively high, while poverty is low. Yet, given the many social debates, there still seems to be significant room for improvement. Poverty rates in households with young children are rising, the occupational disability insurance system has become overly complex, the benefits system often fails to function effectively in practice, and for many groups, working longer to accommodate the higher state pension age is easier said than done.

This course brings together in-depth knowledge of:

1. Dutch institutions;
2. International academic literature;
3. Dutch policy research.

Topics that may be covered in the course are:

– Demographics (ageing and migration) and social security;

– Occupational disability;

– Working longer in good health;

– Economic crises and social policy;

– Reintegration policy;

– International lessons for Dutch social security;

– Poverty;

– Purchasing power: targeting, timeliness or efficiency?

The course is customised: topics are chosen in consultation with the client.

The course is taught by lecturers with extensive experience in both policy research and education. The set-up is engaging and interactive: in addition to presentations by lecturers including many examples from policy practice, there are many opportunities for discussion and exercises.

Lecturers: Daniël van Vuuren, Bas ter Weel and Wouter Vermeulen

Target group: policy officials

Group size: 10 – 20 persons

Duration: approx. 4 days (not necessarily consecutive)

Location: online, at the client’s sites, at SEO or elsewhere

Planning: customised