| Unit name | Understanding Public Policy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL20026 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Sweeting |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
This unit covers core material on Social Policy and International Social and Public Policy programmes and enables you to better understand how different ideas pertaining to social policy are translated into public policy action. It also considers how public services through which public policies are delivered are organised, financed, and have been reformed. The unit provides you with an overview of the policy making process, of how ideas do (and don’t) get on the agenda, of how evidence is used, and how policy is implemented. It also considers how public services have been reformed away from traditional bureaucratic and hierarchical governing modes towards network and market forms of governance. The unit considers different theoretical models of and approaches to understanding public service reform, including the economic ideas in this area.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
Understanding Public Policy is a mandatory unit for all Social Policy and International Social and Public Policy Students. This unit provides you with foundational knowledge in relation to policy formation and implementation, and an understanding of public service modes and reform trajectories. The unit provides understanding of the use of reforms used in many social policy domains related to evidence, networks, choice, competition, targets and league tables, and explores how economic ideas have influenced thinking in this area.
An overview of content
The unit considers the nature of policy and models of the policy process as a starting point. It goes on to consider the role of evidence and the importance of implementation before considering how policies do and don’t change. It then shifts to understanding how public services are organised, financed, and reformed, and considers governance-related reforms, the recognition of policy networks, and the role of economic ideas underpinning the organisation and finance of public services.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will be able to apply your insights from the discipline of public policy to specific policy areas which will be of use both during your degree and in a variety of future careers. The unit develops report writing skills and critical analysis skills that you will be able to make use of after graduation.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Teaching will consist of lectures, independent learning activities, and interactive seminars. Independent activities will involve structured reading, engagement with audio/visual resources, and analysis of various written data sources. Seminars will include discussion, debate, and the sharing of learning. You will be encouraged to engage with policy areas that are of interest to you.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative learning will take place in seminars which will help prepare you for the summative assessment tasks.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Critical review of policy (1000 words) (25%)
This assessment covers intended learning outcomes 1 & 2
Essay (2000 words) (75%)
This assessment covers intended learning outcomes 2 & 3
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, you may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. This will comprise a task of the same format as the original assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL20026).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
