Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Charlotte Overgaard
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MPASR or MPASRMDevStud or GradCertPASR or GradDipPASR or MAppAnth or MIntPubDip or MPPP or GradCertPP or GradDipPP or MPlan or MPPPMDevStud or MIntell or MCTerrorism or MSecStrategicStud or MCrim or MPPPMPASR or MDevStud or GradDipSIA or GradCertSIA
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces students to policy evaluation and accounts for its place in the policy process and social sciences respectively. Students will acquire a knowledge of different approaches to evaluation as well as the ethical and political issues surrounding this process. The unit also focuses on how trends informing public sector management have an influence on the evaluation process and the actual implemenation of evaluations.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Assignment Submission
All written assignments are to be submitted via the turnitin links set up for each assignment on the unit iLearn page.
Quizzes must be completed online within the set time frames.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
Online quiz 1 | 5% | No | Any time during week 4 |
Research task | 40% | No | 22 April |
Online quiz 2 | 5% | No | Any time during week 11 |
Evaluation Proposal | 35% | No | 7 June |
Workshop participation | 15% | No | Ongoing |
Due: Any time during week 4
Weighting: 5%
This online quiz will consist of 10 multiple choice questions. It is worth 5 per cent of your total mark. You will be asked to read each question and select the BEST response from the available options. It is designed to provide you with an early insight into how you are going in the course and will draw on both the course readings and lecture materials from weeks 1 to 3.
The online quiz will become available via the iLearn page.
The quiz can only be taken once.
You will have up to 15 minutes to complete it.
Marks will become available online after the quiz has closed.
If you have questions about this information, we advise you to ask them before taking the quiz.
N.B. In the event of technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to contact course staff before the due date.
Due: 22 April
Weighting: 40%
This assignment includes two separate tasks: Key Issues Review (1a) AND Program Logic (1b).
Your overall mark reflects on a separate assessment of the two tasks in which the Key Issues review counts 25% and the Program Logic counts 15% of your overall mark in the unit.
2a: Key Issues Review
Word limit: 1500 words.
For the Key Issues Review task you have to write a concise review of eight (8) readings pertaining to one or two of the topics listed below. The purpose of the assessment task is to ensure that you understand the key principles of and discussions relating to evaluations for your chosen topic. You are required to demonstrate a critical understanding of the readings and the issues they raise. It is intended to be an exercise that provides you with a clear overview of the field and the issues and discussions that take place.
The aim is to allow you to choose a topic that you have an interest in. It is therefore essential to identify you own learning objectives for this assignment and frame your review around those learning objectives.
For the review you can choose one or two of the following topics:
1. The nature of social science and what it means for evaluations
2. The role of evidence in the policy cycle/process
3. The nature of social problems and what it means for evaluators
4. The role of stakeholders in evaluations
5. Utilisation of evaluation research
6. Values and evaluations
If you have another wish for a topic, please consult teaching staff prior to writing your assignment.
The readings can be a mix of readings provided in this unit and readings you find through a literature search in the library, or similar. You can choose (say) 3 readings from the list of mandatory readings as well as (say) 3 readings from the list of elective readings in addition to (say) 2 readings found through a literature search.
The reference list is not included in the word limit.
2b: Program Logic Task
Word Limit: 750 words
The Program Logic task requires you to develop a program logic for a (ONE) program or policy.
You are encouraged to choose a program or policy that you have an interest in. Please consult teaching staff to discuss suitability.
Program logic models are one of the most widely used tools in evaluation research. This assignment is designed to allow you to develop skills associated with using this tool.
You should present the program logic in diagrammatic form or a table and draw on suitable resources, such as “Does your project make a difference?”, or similar. You should also describe the logic in the text of your paper and how to make sense of your diagram or table. And, you should briefly discuss the assumptions and limitations of the program logic model presented.
The word count does not include diagrams or tables.
Due: Any time during week 11
Weighting: 5%
This online quiz will consist of 10 multiple choice and/or short answer questions. It is designed to provide you with ongoing insight into how you are going in the unit. It will draw on course readings, workshop materials and the lectures from weeks 1 to 10.
The online quiz will become available via the iLearn page.
The quiz can only be taken once.
You will be given 15 minutes to complete it.
N.B. In the event of technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to contact course staff before the due date.
Due: 7 June
Weighting: 35%
Evaluation Proposal
This research assignment requires you to develop an evaluation proposal for a program or policy.
The purpose of this assignment is to make you able to enter the field (relatively) confident that you are able to undertake at least small scale evaluations. This assignment is designed to give you the skills that enables you to design an evaluation.
To allow you to develop skills that you can use in your future career, you are encouraged to choose a program or policy that you have an interest in. Please consult teaching staff to discuss suitability.
You should organise the proposal so that it includes the elements outlined in the table below.
Note: The sections indicated with an asterix * (cover letter, research timetable, budget, personnel, appendices) normally feature in research proposals and grant applications, but due to the word limit for this task they do not have to be included here (and will not count toward your task). References (which are compulsory) do not count toward your word limit. Also, please make sure that you make linkages between the different sections of this report where appropriate.
Table 1: Evaluation Proposal
Cover letter*
You should include a cover letter and address the evaluation proposal
Title
The title should indicate the topic of the study in 1- 15 words
Summary
100 to 200 word summary of the entire project
Background/
Significance
This section should outline the program that you will be evaluating in the proposed research and indicate why evaluation is needed. For instance, are there controversies about the program or the social issue it responds to? Why is there a need for further information about this program? When indicating why the evaluation is needed, you should discuss the program, the social issue that it responds to and what the evaluation will contribute to our knowledge.
Literature Review
A concise summary of the main references relevant to evaluating the selected program. Make sure that you review the findings of other studies and discuss their methodology. At the end of this review, draw out the important messages for the evaluation and the methodology. It is imperative that multiple sources with a range of authors are consulted to allow for a diversity of views to be explored and identification of controversies about the program (or similar types of programs).
Aims and
Objectives
Identify the study’s main objective and the key research questions that will guide the evaluation. After identifying the main objective, it might help to consider whether you need information on the effectiveness, appropriateness, and efficiency and so on of the program.
Approach and methods
Discuss the suggested approach and justify why you have chosen that approach. What methods will you use? What will be the outcome of using these methods? Which stakeholders will be involved? It is imperative that you explain the links between the evaluation question(s), the evaluation approach, the methods and how these will be operationalised in this particular case. Use references if appropriate.
Ethical and
Political Issues
Identify any specific issues arising from the research. Pay careful attention also to generic ethical issues in research with human subjects – Respect for Persons: Informed Consent; confidentiality; possible risks for subjects and any possible benefits. State whether Ethics approval has, or will be sought, and if so, from whom. Also, consider the political dimensions of this report – are there controversies about the program or social issue? Are there any conflicts of interest (i.e. as internal or external evaluators)? And, consider the ethical issues that are likely to arise because this is evaluation research. Use references (including those covered in the unit) if appropriate.
Research
Timetable*
Set out the best information available on the time needed for the various stages of the research: preparation, data collection, analysis, write up, publication/dissemination.
Personnel*
Where appropriate, identify the main people (including yourself as primary researcher)
are likely to be involved and summarise the experience and expertise they would need to bring in order to produce high quality data.
Budget*
This is required for many grant applications, consultancies, etc. It is often useful to complete in other cases as well.
References
List any books, articles, reports, web sites etc. you have cited in the proposal.
Appendices*
Attach any important documents (e.g. questionnaires, ethics approvals, CVs, budget, sampling framework) referred to in the body of the proposal.
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 15%
Workshop participation
This assessment task is intended to encourage and reward you for actively engaging in the workshops. If you want to do well on this assignment, you will need to come prepared and be prepared to engage with the lecturer and other students.
Course Delivery
The teaching program consists of:
As this is an advanced course in the use of applied social science, it is vital for students to participate in all components of the unit. The lecture material and readings provide the conceptual basis of the course, examining the theory for each topic. The lectures and the workshop exercises are designed to complement this by providing the opportunity to exchange ideas, discuss research, and develop a critical and collaborative approach.
Required Readings and Recommended Texts
Readings for each week’s topics are listed on Ilearn and you are expected to have read them before class each week. Active participation is a requirement of the course.
There is no textbook for this course. All readings will be made available on Ilearn.
Week |
Topics |
1 |
Introduction to evaluation research |
2 |
The nature of social problems, wicked problems |
3 |
Research Paradigms |
4 |
Engaging with the policy process |
5 |
Evidence in policy |
6 |
Values, Stakeholders |
7 |
Developing program logics |
BREAK | |
8 |
Evaluation approaches |
9 |
Evaluation approaches, continued |
10 |
Methods |
11 |
Methods, continued |
12 |
Ethics and politics |
13 |
Study week, no lecture or readings |
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