As countries seek to fulfil their responsibilities under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, many are looking to develop national climate change policies that set out their long-term vision and provide a coherent response to climate change across all levels and sectors. The Government of Myanmar, having previously sought IIED’s support to develop a climate change strategy and action plan, invited IIED to provide technical expertise to develop a national policy. Working with The Myanmar Climate Change Alliance — an EU-funded, government-led partnership involving national government, local authorities, development partners, civil society and the private sector, implemented by UN Environment and UN-Habitat — three members of IIED’s global climate law, policy and governance team travelled to Myanmar in December 2016. Extensive consultations had already taken place to develop the national climate change strategy and action plan, so government officials had already considered many of the issues and identified priorities. Parallel work on a National Environmental Policy and a National Urban Policy provided opportunities to coordinate and harmonise efforts. Some of the approaches used and lessons from the project are highlighted below. Consultation, consultation, consultation The initial December visit allowed the team to understand the priorities and expectations of different parts of the government. This provided the basis for a draft outline for the policy, which was refined and developed through an iterative process of consultation, review and comment. The team made a second visit in February 2017 when they presented a fleshed-out version of the draft at a full-day workshop with the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, regional ministers and officials, and representatives from government partner agencies, civil society and the media, ensuring input from different sectors. The team was particularly keen to consult with government officials at the regional level and received support from the Director General of the Environmental Conservation Department to do this. Regional officials would be responsible for much of the policy implementation and would also understand the realities on the ground. This resulted in a more informed approach for the team and helped ensure understanding and support for the policy at regional level. Following further review and comment, the full policy text was presented at a validation workshop with ministers and other stakeholders in April 2017..."