BUP Economics Club Hosting a Competition ‘POMAC 1.0’ 2019, Dhaka

Policy Making Competition (POMAC), as the name suggests, is a new idea hit upon by the organizers of the club to bring out creative thinking capability among the participants. As the future of the nation, welfare of the mass is their mantra, but a platform to groom up the students in the art of making welfare policies is still missing. By keeping the participants involved in different interactive rounds, POMAC aims to achieve just that. In line with this aim, the event rounds have been designed in such a way that it stands out from the rest of the competitions.

Registration Fee: BDT 1225

Workshop 1
Date: 13/10/2019 (Tentative)
Venue: BUP Premises
A preliminary workshop will be conducted by the concerned authority of BIDS on the ideas and procedures about the first round. The instructions and hints for the policy making competition will be included too.

1st Round
Date: 14/10/2019 – 16/10/19 (Tentative)
The round will begin with identification problem. This will be an online round. A context or theme will be the base of this problem & submission (i.e. Migration, Decentralization, Education etc). 3/5 cases will be provided to the participants. This cases may be represented by data or some case study or even list of information that will provide the participant with clues to the problem. Competitors will have to find out the acts/laws formulated related to the context, considering the timeline since the independence of Bangladesh. The particular focus should be on the policy implementation after the establishment of democracy. The basic task is to determine the flaws in all the policies ever taken in Bangladesh in accordance with the case provided on a specific theme (i.e. education, transportation etc.). Participants must choose the major flaws and avoid the minor ones but they must jot it down with proper rationale (data, report, published paper result etc.) The accuracy and proper rationale will be the primary concern in this round. 20 teams from the pool will head towards the next stage of the competition (may change according to the participation rate). Each team may consist of 3/4 members.

Workshop 2
Date: 23/10/19 (Tentative)
Venue: BUP Premises
A final workshop will again be conducted by the associated authorities of BIDS about the elaborate analysis in the 2nd round and a brief session on policy making procedures.

2nd Round
Date: 25/10/19 – 28/10/19 (Tentative)
The most delicate round where competitors will have to analyze & present a solution to the flaws they identified earlier in the 1st round. Each team will only analyze the case they have chosen in the 1st round. The focus will be on modelling the policy solution of the identified flaws. Their analysis must contain cross country comparison (nations on the extremes & nations comparable to BD) & the applicability of their solution. Point to be noted that, a positive analysis is more desired than a normative one. Each solution must contain the references required with proper rationale. 5 selected teams will approach to the final stage. A defense session will take place for their constructed solutions in front of a remarkable panel of judges.

3rd round
Date: 07/11/19 (Tentative)
Venue: Bijoy Auditorium, BUP
A mixed context with the linked inclusion of fiscal budget 2019-20 will be provided which will consist of the all the contexts provided in the 1st round. The strength, uniqueness, applicability, cost-benefit analysis of the policy solution according to the new context & national budget will be the issue of analysis. The policy must be feasible and completely unique proving the supremacy over other policies depicted with proper references. While a house will be formed including all the other finalists, judges & audience, defending criticisms from other teams & also questioning their solutions will be highly important in the evaluation process.

Prize Pool-

Champion – BDT 100,000
1st-Runner Up – BDT 70,000
2nd-Runner Up – BDT 50,000