Decision Thinking

Overview of ADDIS

ADDIS is a Decision Thinking approach developed at i4Policy over the last 6 years through our work with governments and communities in more than 80 countries.

It is a mnemonic device for the main phases of a decision thinking process: Agenda Setting, Drafting, Decision-Making, Implementation, Sense-making.
The five phases can be broken down further into 12 steps.

Agenda Setting has three steps:

  • Care, to understand the people concerned by a decision area;
  • Initiate, to launch a process to address a particular issue along with collaborators;
  • Define, to identify and prioritize the specific issues, problems or opportunities, to be addressed

Drafting has three steps: 


  • Ideate, to explore, brainstorm, benchmark and evaluate potential solutions;
  • Develop, to transform potential solutions into draft decisions;
  • Consult, to share drafts for inputs and to then integrate feedback

Decision-Making has two steps:

  • Propose, is to suggest a decision be taken
  • Adopt, to consider and approve a decision through an appropriate process

Implementation consists of two steps:

  • Deliver, to communicate and execute the agreed 
    decision
  • Monitor, to track and assess implementation of a decision against desired results

Sense-Making consists of two steps:

  • Harvest, to gather insights from implementation and the overall process, and
  • Understand, to make sense of observations, to inform and inspire future decisions

ADDIS Resources

The ADDIS Template

This template provides an accessible framework, drawing inspiration from the ADDIS process, to guide you in designing your own unique policy process for a take-home assignment. It encourages you to apply your understanding by envisioning and outlining the various policy activities necessary for your specific policy reform.

The Entrepreneurship Policy Process (Short Course)

This course provides practical guidance and a clear framework to develop entrepreneurship policies through the ADDIS process.