Please check the start date and application deadline on the online courses' main page
About this course
There is more and more need nowadays for relevant, evidence-based policymaking to achieve significant change in our world. In this course, you will be introduced to the fundamentals of public policy analysis in developed and developing settings. Monitoring and evaluation of policies and projects is endorsed by international organisations, NGOs, and national governments to produce meaningful and science-based recommendations on the success and shortfalls of implemented plans. It is therefore imperative for anyone interested in the realm of public policy to have a grasp of what it means to conduct rigorous evaluations.
In a world of information overload and "post truth", the need for rigorous policy analysis is more evident than ever. With this course you will learn the basis of public policy analysis and dig deep into the different methods used by researchers and experts worldwide to assess projects' and programmes' results. By taking our course, you will be making your first steps in acquiring a set of skills currently in high demand within governmental institutions, international organizations, and NGOs.
Learning Goals
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Understand the basis of public policy analysis and evidence-based public policy.
- Understand the distinction between monitoring and evaluation.
- Understand the different types of data used in policy evaluation and their sources.
- Understand the different types of monitoring and its evolution through time.
- Be able to critically assess when monitoring is preferable to impact evaluation.
- Understand the different analytical methods used to perform impact evaluation.
- Grasp the statistics behind experimental and quasi-experimental techniques.
- Overall, the students should be able to critically reflect on the literature provided and be able to distil this knowledge into their own country context.
Prerequisites
A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent). Candidates with any educational background are welcome to enrol.
The course instructions and all readings are given in English. Fluency in English, both reading and writing, is essential in both technical and common language.
Cost
600 EUR
Estimated Workload
The estimated workload is 60 hours including:
- 10-15 hours per week.
- 10-15 hours per assignment/oral exam.
Duration: 10 weeks
- 1 week to access the platform and become familiar with the material
- 4 weeks of coursework
- 1 week to submit the final assignment and
- 2 weeks for potential resits.
Certification
Participants that complete the course obtain an online educational certificate indicating the course has a 2 ECTS equivalence workload.
Application Process
You can apply for each course by using the online application form.
During the application process, you will need to upload the following documents:
- Curriculum Vitae (PDF)
- A copy of your (valid) passport (PDF or JPEG)
After completing the application, you will receive a confirmation email along with the payment information. Once we receive the payment, we will register you as a participant for the course, and the Online Courses Administration Team will contact you. The administrative process typically takes an average of 5-10 working days.
If you have any questions regarding the application documents or the application process or if there are any clarifications you need before applying, please feel free to reach out to the Capacity Development Office at the email address: onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu.
Payment
By credit card: https://www.aanmelder.nl/173049/subscribe.
In case you cannot pay by online transfer, please send an email to onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu including your name, your preferred course and starting date. We will send you bank transfer information, and we will only register you upon receiving a bank transfer. This process will take longer to complete.
Please note that we are unfortunately not able to provide scholarships or tuition fee waivers for the online courses.
Refund Policy for Course Withdrawal
Full refund before registration deadline: Participants who withdraw before the registration deadline and before official registration in the university system are eligible for a full refund of fees paid. Administration costs are not refunded (15 EUR).
Partial refund after registration, until one week before the course start date: If a participant withdraws after the registration deadline but before one week of the course start, 50% of the tuition will be refunded. Administration costs are not refunded (15 EUR).
No refunds once course has begun: No refunds will be issued in case withdrawal happens one week before the course starts.
If a participant completes the registration and payment but is deemed not eligible for the course, the full tuition fee minus the administration costs (15 EUR) will be refunded. If you have doubts about your eligibility, please email us at onlinecourses@merit.unu.edu