Thursday 31 August 2017

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Wednesday 30 August 2017

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LISTS - POLI 465: POLICY MONITORING AND EVALUATION



                                     University of Ghana
 Department of Political Science
 First Semester, 2017/2018 Academic Year
 Lecturer: Dr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah
 Email: iomensah@ug.edu.gh
 Office hours:  Tuesday 9:30-11:30 am


Course Title
                                               Policy Monitoring and Evaluation
Course Code
Poli 465
Purpose and Objectives
The course is intended to introduce students to policy monitoring and evaluation within the context of public policy analysis.
Consequently, students will be provided with the core skills in monitoring and evaluation that can be applied in any administrative and project management setting.

OBJECTIVES:
·         To provide students with options and different methods of monitoring governmental policies.
·         To understand the philosophy and logic underlying monitoring and evaluation.
·         To appreciate the principles that guides the public policy analysis
·         To be confident in applying appropriate monitoring tools to analyze public policies
Assessment
Students will undertake a group project work. This will constitute 30% of the overall assessment of the course.
Week No.
Date
Lecture Course
Tutorials
Venue
Assessment
1
23rd August 2017
 Introduction to public policy analysis

Lecture: NNB 1

2
30th August 2017
Public policy process

Lecture NNB1

3
6th  September 2017
 The philosophy of monitoring of public policy

Lecture NNB1

4
13th September 2017
Approaches to monitoring of public policy

Lecture NNB1

5
20th September 2017
The  public policy evaluation- key issues

Lecture NNB1

6
27th September, 2017
Public policy evaluation -standards and guiding principles

Lecture NNB1

7
4th October 2017
 Public policy Evaluation- the processes

Lecture NNB1

8
11th October, 2017
Public Policy Evaluation- the politics

Lecture NNB1

9
18th October, 2017
Relationship between monitoring and evaluation

Lecture NNB1

10
25th October, 2017
challenges of policy monitoring and evaluation

Lecture NNB1


11
1st November 2017
Case Studies

Lecture NNB1

12
8th  November, 2017
Case Studies

Lecture NNB1

13
15th November, 2017
Revision
Revision
Lecture NNB1

15 - 16
Exam (70%)

KEY Reference Texts: 
Aguinis, Herman (2008) Performance Management. Second Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

UNDP (2003) Measuring and Demonstrating Impact. UNDP/GEF Resource Kit. December.

UNDP (2003) Performance Measurement. Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluating for Results. www.developmentgateway.org/aideffectiveness.

Deshler, D. (1999) Evaluating Extension Programmes, Part 1. FAO Sustainable Development Department.

Hatry, Harry P. (2007) Performance Measurement, Second Edition, by Harry P. Hatry, is available from the Urban Institute Press (342 pages), ISBN 978-0-87766-734-6, $34.50).

HM Treasury, National Audit Office, (2001) Choosing the Right Fabric: A Framework for Performance Information. London, UK.

Hogwood, B.W. and Gunn, L. (1984) Policy Analysis for the Real World. Chp. 12.

Carlson, J., Kohlin, G. and Ekbom, A. (1994) The Political Economy of Evaluation:
International Aid Agencies and the Effectiveness of Aid. Basingstoke and New York:
Macmillan Press and St Martin’s Press. Chps 2 and 8.

Parsons, W. (1995) Public Policy. See Part 4.4 on Evaluation. Pp. 491-541.

Cracknell, B. E. (2000) Evaluating Development Aid: Issues, problems and solutions. Delhi, Thousand Oaks and London: Sage. Chapters 1, 2, 9, 20. Chapter 20 is important as it points us towards “Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation”, and tries to answer the question whether this is the ultimate destination.

Smith, Thomas B. (1989) Analysis of Policy Failure: A Three Dimensional Approach. The Indian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. XXXV, No. 1. Pp. 1-15.

Cabinet Office, Office of the Prime Minister (2001) The Jamaica Social Policy Evaluation (JASPEV) Report.

Davies, Philip (2004) Policy Evaluation in the United Kingdom. Paper presented to the KDI International Policy Evaluation Forum, Seoul, Korea. May 19-21, 2004.
                         
Hogwood, B. and Gunn, L. (1984) Policy Analysis for the Real World. Chp.13
           
Osei, P. D. (2000) Political Liberalisation and the Implementation of Value Added Tax in Ghana. The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 38, No. 2. UK: Cambridge University Press.
           
Osei, P. (2009) Managing Urban Regeneration in Jamaica: The Cluster Implementation Approach and Outcomes. Local Government Studies, Vol. 35, No. 3, 315-334, June.

Julnes, P. de Lancer, Berry, F. S., Aristigueta, Maria P. and Yang, Kaifeng (2007) International Handbook of Practice Performance.

Van de Walle, Steven and Bovaird, Tony (2007) Making Better use of Information to drive Improvement in Local Public Services. A Report for the Audit Commission. INLOGOV, University of Birmingham, UK.

Martin, L. L. and Kettner, P. M. (1996) Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programmes. Thousand Oaks. London. New Delhi: Sage Publications.

Jackson, P. M. (1993) Public Service Performance Evaluation: A Strategic Perspective. Public Money & management, Oct-Dec.

Pollitt, C. and Bouckaert, G. (200?) Evaluating Public Management Reforms: An International Perspective. In Evaluating in Public Sector Reform: Concepts and International Practice in International Perspective, Edited by Hellmut Wollmann. Chektenham, UK. Northhampton, MA, USA.


COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LISTS - POLI 343: INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL RESEARCH



                                     University of Ghana
 Department of Political Science
First Semester, 2017/2018 Academic Year
Lecturer: Dr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah
Office Hours:  Tuesday 9:30-11:30


Course Title
Introduction to Political Research
Course Code
Poli 343
Purpose and Objectives
The course is intended to introduce students to philosophies underpinning social science research. The purpose of this course is to give students a firm grounding in the fundamentals of political research and to familiarize students with a range of typical research designs and processes in political science. Consequently, students will be provided with the core foundation of research and skills that can be applied in an academic setting or work.

OBJECTIVES:
·         To provide an introduction to different theories of and approaches to carrying out social research with specific emphasis on political research methodology.
·         To understand the philosophy and logic underlying social science research.
·         To appreciate the principles that guide design and evaluation of social science research.
·         To be confident in applying appropriate research methods to answer social and political issues.

Week No.
Date
Lecture Course
Tutorials
Venue
Assessment
1
22 August, 2017
Introduction to course
a.       Administrative elements of the course/Course structure
b.      What is and what is not a research.

Lecture: JQB 22


2
29th  August, 2017
Political Research
Types and features of good research


Lecture:  JQB 22


3
5th September, 2017
a.       Purpose and use of research
b.      Tools of research

Lecture: JQB 22

4
12 September, 2017
Sources of Knowledge

Lecture:  JQB 22

5
19th  September, 2017
Scientific Knowledge Process


Lecture:  JQB 22


6
26th September, 2017
Methods and Methodologies
Qualitative Research

Lecture:  JQB 22


7
3rd October 2017
Methods and Methodologies
Quantitative Research

Lecture: JQB 22
Interim Assessment (30%)
8
10th October, 2017
Methods and Methodologies
Mixed Methods

Lecture:  JQB 22


9
17th  October, 2017
Introduction
The significance and use in various research designs:
a.       Quantitative
b.      Qualitative
c.       Mixed Methods

Lecture: JQB 22


10
24th October, 2017
Statement of the Problem in Research
Designing and defining a research question

Lecture:  JQB 22




11
31st October, 2017
Hypotheses
The significance and use of hypothesis in various research designs:
d.      Quantitative
e.      Qualitative
f.        Mixed Methods

Lecture:  JQB 22


12
7th Nov.  2017
Theory
The significance and use of theory in various research designs:
a.       Quantitative
b.      Qualitative
c.       Mixed Methods
Types of theories
Levels of theory

Lecture:  JQB 22


13
14th November, 2017
Revision
Revision
Lecture:  JQB 22

15 - 16
Exam (70%)



KEY Reference Texts: 
1.       Leedy, P.D and Ormrod, J. E. ( 2010).  Practical Research: Planning and Design. Ninth Edition.  New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. pp: 1-7.
2.       Kreuger L. W and Lawrence Neuman, W (2003).  Social Work Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Applications.  Boston: Pearson Education Inc. pp. 11-16 (Steps of the Research Process)
3.       Creswell, J.W (2009).  Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. Third Edition.  London: Sage Publishing Inc. Chapter One: The Selection of Research Design pp 1-20
4.       Dawson, C (2011).  Introduction to Research Methods: A practical guide to anyone undertaking a research project.  Oxford: How To Books Ltd pp. 1-8
5.       May, T (2010).  Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process.  New York: Open University Press. Chapter One: Perspective on Social scientific research pp. 7-27.
6.       Wolfer, L (2007).  Real Research: Conducting and Evaluating Research in the Social Sciences.  Boston: Pearson Education Inc.  pp 13-18.
7.       Blaikie, Norman (2010).  Designing Social Research: The Logic of Anticipation. Second Edition.  Cambridge: Polity Press. pp. 124-147
8.       Punch, K.F (2005).  Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches.  Second Edition.  London: Sage Publications Ltd.   pp. 37-39