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Politics of the Policy Process: Implementation and Evaluation

Vak
2017-2018

Tags

GED

Admissions requirements

Institutions of Governance & Development.

Description

The political process is often deemed to be rational, goal-driven and pragmatic, while division of competences between bureaucrats and politicians are transparent and unambiguous. The course aims to show that such assumptions are not always correct. The course aims to explore the topics of implementation and evaluation across a variety of policy settings, ranging from major infrastructure projects to development and foreign policy. In addition, the course pays attention to how major societal changes, for example the introduction of Big Data as well as e-government, shape the policy process and –potentially – make it more effective. Last but not least, the issue of accountability is addressed as solutions to deal with, for example, the economic crisis are often contested, showing that even potentially effective policy solutions have to be legitimate.

The course also includes interventions by practitioners, for example from the International Research and Policy Evaluation Department of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (tbc) and other policy bodies (tbc).

Course objectives

  • Identify the complex patterns of relationships between bureaucracy and politicians

  • Grasp controversies related to the implementation & evaluation of policy programs

  • Assess how the introduction of new information technologies (Big Data, e-government) has shaped policy implementation and evaluation

  • Comprehend the trade-offs and practical stakes of choosing various indicators for assessing implementation of policy programs

Timetable

Once available, timetables will be published here.

Mode of instruction

Mix of mini-lectures, presentations and group discussion. Student presentation at the start of each class would be around 20 minutes, providing questions for the subsequent debate/discussion in class.

Assessment

  • Assignments (3 in total) – 15% of the total grade (5% per assignment)

  • Presentation – 10% of the total grade

  • Participation in class – 10% of the total grade

  • Final exam – 35% of the total grade

  • Case application – 30% of the total grade

Blackboard

There will be a Blackboard site available for this course. Students will be enrolled at least one week before the start of classes.

Reading list

Literature and articles will be provided to the students.

Registration

This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Curriculum Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.

Contact

a.a.strelkov@maastrichtuniversity.nl