AZA2016 - Public policy-making - 2017

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Arts

Organisational Unit

South Africa School of Social Science

Coordinator(s)

Dr Victoria Graham

Unit guides

Offered

South Africa

  • Second semester 2017 (Day)

Synopsis

The unit examines the nature, sources, types, and characteristics of public policies and explains the complexity of public policy-making. It covers key areas such as the policy-making models, the policy environment and the intersection of policy with politics, as well as the institutional and structural dimensions of the national policy-making process.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the unit the student will be able to:

  1. describe and explain the policy-making process;
  2. understand the policy environment and how it affects policy outcomes;
  3. identify different actors and their role in any policy-making process;
  4. engage in independent research and reading and demonstrate understanding of subject matter in class and tutorial discussions and written assignments;
  5. successfully undertake a variety of research and written tasks;
  6. demonstrate improved oral and written communication skills in relation to the analysis and explanation of ideas and the development of an argument.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 60%

Exam: 40%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Prerequisites