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SP50329: Management of international development

[Page last updated: 04 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Credits: 12 [equivalent to 24 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 240
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CW 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Seminar Briefing Paper (CW 25%)
  • Essay (CW 75%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites: Before taking this module you must take SP50325
Aims: Management of international development is defined broadly to include activities that set out to improve human wellbeing in the short-term and/or long-term through projects, public programmes and policies undertaken by public, not-for-profit and for-profit actors and organisations. It encompasses a wide range of management practices, policies and perspectives on how positive social change is planned, implemented and turns out. This unit aims to introduce and to critically review these ideas and practices These include the following:
* Identification of actors, organisations, and financial flows involved in the implementation of development and humanitarian policies and programmes in differing institutional contexts.
* Presentation and examination of the dominant approaches to understanding how these are conceptualised and managed, including their evolution and contestation. Presentation and examination of critical theories and approaches.
* Tools, techniques and frameworks widely used by international development and humanitarian agencies to plan, implement, monitor, evaluate and manage development activities, particularly in complex contexts.
* Personal attributes and skills associated with effective management and leadership of international development and humanitarian action.
It also aims to strengthen the management and leadership capabilities of students themselves, as well as their awareness of the limitations of these.

Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge and understanding of actors, organisations, and financial flows involved in the implementation of development policies and programmes in differing institutional contexts (T/F/A).
2. Knowledge, critical understanding and an ability to apply a range of tools, techniques and frameworks for managing international development and humanitarian actions (T/F/A), particularly in complex contexts.
3. Knowledge, and critical understanding of the personal attributes and skills associated with effective management and leadership,
4. Enhanced ability to identify and critically assess management and leadership skills in self and others (T/F/A).

Skills: 1. Intellectual: an ability to identify and reflect critically on a range of the frameworks, theories and models of management in international development.
2. Professional: an ability to engage effectively with others in the fields of international development practice and humanitarian action through shared (including critical) understanding of frameworks, theories, models, techniques and tools of management and leadership in contemporary use.
3. Practical: an ability to contribute to effective international development and humanitarian action through selection and use of appropriate frameworks, theories, models, techniques and tools of management and leadership.
4. Personal: enhanced self-awareness, confidence and capacity to play an effective role in management and leadership of international development.

Content: A critical review of the following:
* Frameworks and theories of management and leadership, particularly those drawn from the international development and humanitarian action literature.
* The distinction between management in development, of development and for development, and its historical evolution in relation to globalised management thinking, with reference to both mainstream and critical perspectives.
* Intervention models, tools and techniques, including traditional and modified project and policy cycles, participatory learning and needs assessment, logical framework analysis, theories of change, stakeholder analysis, and different approaches to monitoring, evaluation, learning, accountability and assessing cost-effectiveness or value for money.
* Theories of leadership, change management, capacity building and social entrepreneurship, with particular reference to power relations and complex contexts.
This review to incorporate a range of extended case studies drawn from the fields of international development and humanitarian practice, and to draw upon students' own field experiences.
As assessed work, students will first prepare a briefing on a specific framework, model, tool or technique used in development practice. They will then build on this work to produce a fuller case study as a second and longer piece of assessed work.

Programme availability:

SP50329 is a Designated Essential Unit on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

SP50329 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences
  • THXX-AFM12 : MRes International Development
  • THXX-AFM22 : MRes International Development (Leading to PhD)
  • THXX-APM06 : MRes International Development
  • THSP-AFM22 : MSc International Development, Social Justice and Sustainability
  • THSP-AWM22 : MSc International Development, Social Justice and Sustainability
  • THSP-APM22 : MSc International Development, Social Justice and Sustainability
  • THSP-AFM20 : MSc International Development with Conflict and Humanitarian Action
  • THSP-AWM20 : MSc International Development with Conflict and Humanitarian Action
  • THSP-APM20 : MSc International Development with Conflict and Humanitarian Action
  • THSP-AFM21 : MSc International Development with Economics
  • THSP-AWM21 : MSc International Development with Economics
  • THSP-APM21 : MSc International Development with Economics

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.