| Unit name | Development Skills in Practice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM2037 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Fornes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The unit is designed to study, develop, and apply some personal skills increasingly demanded by development organisations. It attempts to link theoretical understandings with real practice, and focuses on the development of abilities in a range of interdisciplinary skills. In addition, the unit presents tools and techniques commonly used to understand non-familiar situations in non-familiar environments, such as working with different cultures or different beliefs. It also reviews good practices and real experiences about building strong relations with international development organizations or local governmental agencies, gathering data, analysing information, managing projects, as well as diagnosing problems. The unit is intensive in the use of case studies as well as in the development of tasks in groups. It also includes the development of a consultancy project at the end.
Aims:
This unit aims to develop personal skills needed to work with international development organisations. These skills range from data gathering and collection to project management and effective presentations, as well as take place within the framework of development. In this context, the unit takes a hands-on approach, which means that participants face real management situations. As a result, students completing this unit will have had the opportunity of applying the newly acquired personal skills in real circumstances.
At the end of the course, it is expected that the participants will acquire:
" An understanding of tools and techniques commonly used when working in consultancy projects,
" A comprehension of how these tools can be used in a development context,
" The personal skills increasingly demanded from development workers, such as teamwork, efficient communication, problem solving, and project management.
" The experience of having applied these skills and tools in a consultancy project.
" The ability to define key factors and issues relevant to a consulting engagement and to examine their inter-relationship.
There are ten seminars in the unit, attendance is compulsory. Every session is based on both the readings and the case studies assigned for this day. Each session will be divided into two parts: first, a discussion on the issues assigned for this day; second, the presentation and analysis of a case study. The objective of this is linking concepts with practice. The unit's material/case studies are posted on Blackboard and all the communication will be handled using this system. Participants should visit Blackboard for new information and updates on a regular basis. The class is divided into groups of 3 or 4 students. These groups work together during the semester to carry out the project as well as to analyse the case studies every week. The latter means that every group should bring to each session its own analysis of the case studies.
(i) 1500 word essay (45%)
(ii) final project in teams (40%)
(iii) team-mates assessment (15%).
The changes try to incorporate the nature of the course, the development of personal skills, in the assessment process. The rationale for this assessment follows:
(i) The aim of the short essay is to provide an opportunity for students to understand, use, and apply one of the management tools studied during the unit with the idea that this practice will help them in the final project in groups. The essay is due on week 20, as it falls in the middle of the term, it also aims at developing the skill of working under pressure.
(ii) The final project in groups is an opportunity to test and practice what students have learned working as part of a team throughout the unit, mainly in terms of transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, etc, This project is due on week 22.
(iii) Assessment by team-mates attempts to minimise free-rider behaviours during the work in groups.
UNICEF, Visualisation in Participatory Programmes. Games and Exercises, (New York, UNICEF, 1998)
