.
Policy Planning and Assessment
Study Course Description
Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:5.00
Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:25:59
| Study Course Information | |||||||||
| Course Code: | KSK_246 | LQF level: | Level 7 | ||||||
| Credit Points: | 2.00 | ECTS: | 3.00 | ||||||
| Branch of Science: | Sociology; Sociology of Organisations and Social Governance | Target Audience: | Communication Science | ||||||
| Study Course Supervisor | |||||||||
| Course Supervisor: | Anda Laķe | ||||||||
| Study Course Implementer | |||||||||
| Structural Unit: | Faculty of Social Sciences | ||||||||
| The Head of Structural Unit: | |||||||||
| Contacts: | Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf rsu[pnkts]lv | ||||||||
| Study Course Planning | |||||||||
| Full-Time - Semester No.1 | |||||||||
| Lectures (count) | 6 | Lecture Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Lectures | 12 | ||||
| Classes (count) | 4 | Class Length (academic hours) | 2 | Total Contact Hours of Classes | 8 | ||||
| Total Contact Hours | 20 | ||||||||
| Study course description | |||||||||
| Preliminary Knowledge: | Sociology, basics of politics. | ||||||||
| Objective: | To familiarise students with the role of policy making in strategic management processes, its significant components – policy planning and impact assessment process and the tradition of use of the concept in academic and administrative environment, with the role of impact assessment in policy making and development planning; to characterise logical models, methodology and methods of initial, interim and final impact assessment; as well as regulation and practices of assessment of development planning documents in Latvia. | ||||||||
| Topic Layout (Full-Time) | |||||||||
| No. | Topic | Type of Implementation | Number | Venue | |||||
| 1 | Policy assessment as a type of policy analysis, its place in the policy cycle and in the development planning system. The need to assess policy impact, existing practice and possibilities in drafting state and local government level development planning, including policy planning documents. | Lectures | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 2 | Development planning regulation in Latvia. Types of development planning documents and their assessment requirements. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 3 | Preconditions for the implementation of an initial impact assessment and detailed characteristics of its performance methodology and plan (step by step). Problem analysis and structuring methods, probability for it to appear on the policy agenda. Description of the current situation (in policy). | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 4 | Policy instruments available to policy makers and types of policy alternatives. Analysis of policy alternatives to do successful forecasting. Modelling of policy alternatives/scenarios. | Lectures | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 5 | Implementation of the final and interim policy impact assessment step by step. Planning of final impact assessment, restoration of policy goals and establishment of their hierarchy. Final impact assessment criteria. Identification of necessary data and their collection methods. | Lectures | 2.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 6 | Initial/ex-ante and final/ex-post impact assessment implementation practice – case analysis. Sample assessment analysis of planning documents. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 7 | Sample assessment analysis of planning documents. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| 8 | Impact assessment ordering/research procurement preparation problems. | Classes | 1.00 | auditorium | |||||
| Assessment | |||||||||
| Unaided Work: | The model of the initial assessment carried out within a group for the selected problem, which has appeared on the policy agenda. Individually conducted final assessment of the selected policy planning document based on the sample assessment plan. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal. | ||||||||
| Assessment Criteria: | Participation and group work (20%). The model of the initial assessment carried out within a group for the selected problem, which appeared on the policy agenda (20%). Individually conducted final assessment of the selected policy planning document based on the sample assessment plan (30%). Final examination: examination in the form of test (30%). | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Full-Time): | Exam (Written) | ||||||||
| Final Examination (Part-Time): | |||||||||
| Learning Outcomes | |||||||||
| Knowledge: | To develop profound knowledge in the policy making area about possibilities, the need for, basic principles and methodology of using the initial (ex-ante), interim and final (ex-post) impact assessment. To form a detailed idea of logical progress of an initial (ex-ante) policy impact assessment, its usage possibilities in the policy making practice; of the logical progress of a final (ex-post) impact assessment, its usage possibilities; on the planning procedure and conditions of carrying out of a final impact assessment, necessary data collection methods and making conclusions in the form of political decisions/recommendations. | ||||||||
| Skills: | To conduct an analysis of a policy problem and needs of target groups; to select the most appropriate assessment methodology for the specific policy making process stage, to carry out the initial assessment analysis and the final assessment based on the sample assessment scheme. | ||||||||
| Competencies: | To perform planning and assessment activities for the specific action policy segment. | ||||||||
| Bibliography | |||||||||
| No. | Reference | ||||||||
| Required Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | McDavid, J., Huse, I.,. Hawthorn, L. (2019) Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement: An Introduction to Practice. Sage Publications. | ||||||||
| 2 | Evaluation policy and guidelines for evaluations. | ||||||||
| 3 | Brigsa, S., Laķe, A. Metodiskais materiāls. Rokasgrāmata. | ||||||||
| 4 | GALA ZIŅOJUMS atbilstoši 2013.gada 24.aprīļa līgumam Nr.39 „Politikas plānošanas sistēmas attīstības pamatnostādņu un attīstības plānošanas sistēmas ietekmes novērtējums”. | ||||||||
| 5 | Politikas veidošanas rokasgrāmata. | ||||||||
| Additional Reading | |||||||||
| 1 | Planning and proposing law | ||||||||
| Other Information Sources | |||||||||
| 1 | Kimberlee, L. (2018) Importance of Policy Evaluation | ||||||||
