This course aims to enable students to critically assess evidence-based approaches to identifying, analysing and evaluating policy issues and provide alternatives. The course will explore the ontological roots of different approaches to seeing issues as requiring policy, as well as in the analysis of policy practice. This will allow students to distinguish normative, subjective, objective and ‘scientific’ ideas in the policy field. We will explore across the policy field from issue identification, policy analysis, policy decision making, policy implementation, to policy evaluation. We will carefully consider the consequences and uncertainty associated with different policy problems. After taking the course, students are expected to be able to understand contemporary policy issues from a more informed, analytical and critical perspective.

Continuous Assessment: 100%