Course Summary:

The programme is aimed those who have work experience in developing countries and wish to acquire professional skills in the expanding field of social policy and planning. The course aims to develop an understanding of the theory and methodology of social policy and planning, to allow deeper study in specialist development areas of particular interest to individual students and to strengthen analytical and organisational skills. Course members typically include professionals working in a wide variety of institutions including national and local government, non-governmental organisations, international bilateral and multilateral aid donors and the private sector.

Course Objectives:

• Help delegates learn apply the tools of economic analysis to problems of growth, poverty, and environmental sustainability in developing countries.
• Help delegates understand: (1) why some poor countries have been successful in catching up with the industrialized countries in per capita income, while others are increasingly lagging behind, (2) why half of humanity remains poor, and (3) why environmental degradation and resource exhaustion are commonly associated with income growth, and what are the implications of degradation and exhaustion on growth and poverty.
• Help delegates understand what can be done to promote development through policies and investment projects, and learn to analyze the economic, social, and environmental impacts of specific initiatives.
• Teach delegates to use data to conduct development analyses such as growth diagnostics, poverty assessments, impact analysis of development projects, and environmental impact assessments. Learn to prepare the corresponding reports for international development agencies and policy makers.

Course Outline

• Policy issues in development
• Poverty assessment: methods
• Poverty assessment: policies and programs
• Inequality and vulnerability assessment
• Human development and social protection programs
• Targeting of social programs
• Microfinance institutions
• Impact analysis of development projects: methods
• Impact analysis of development projects: cases
• Development strategies and macro-policies
• Agriculture for development
• Environment and development policy
• Policy debate on foreign aid
• Crises and policy responses