POGO8047 Governance Reform in Developing Countries

Offered By

Policy and Governance Program

Academic Career

Graduate Coursework

Course Subject

Policy and Governance

Offered in

POGO8047 will not be offered in 2012

Unit Value

6 units

Course Description

This course examines the contemporary governance debate in developing countries through the lens of political economy analysis. The purpose of this class is to provide students with the analytical and practical background needed to understand the challenge of governance reform, by focusing on decisions, institutions and social actors as determinants of the democratic governance process. The course is organized in three sections. In section one we review concepts of governance in the light of selected regional experiences. Section two constitutes the analytical core of the class. Approaching the debate through a demand and supply framework of good governance, we hope to provide a sound theoretical understanding for governance reform and policy dynamics. Once these theoretical foundations are in place, section three finally turns to selected issues of governance reform in the context of developing nations as basis for a critical evaluation of the contemporary debate.

This course does not presume any background in developing regions (i.e. Asia or sub-Saharan Africa) or the governance field, though background in one of these areas, including basic training in comparative politics, is recommended.

Learning Outcomes

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Describe basic challenges of governance reform in developing and transitional economies;
Appraise basic models of governance and political economy analysis in a developing country context;
Produce and present a basic governance/policy analysis for a selected country and sector context.

Indicative Assessment

*Assessment Task*	*Word Count*	*Assessment Value*	*Learning outcome to be assessed*
1. Two Sets of Analytical Questions: Students are asked to submit (a minimum) of two sets of analytical questions derived from the assigned readings for a class session two days before class (ideally for a class with guest speaker). Students may submit more than two sets of analytical questions. In such cases, the top two grades will be used for the final grade	Approx. 200 words for each set	10%	The set of questions should demonstrate a keen understanding of the issues raised in the readings and connect to the larger themes of the course, highlighting key terms and issues
2. Country Governance Brief: Students are asked to select a country of choice and provide a 2000-2,500 words overview of the key governance dynamics and challenges in the country.	2,000-2,500 words	40%	The aim here is to produce a concise, comprehensive and accessible policy brief that reflects good practice in development organizations.
3. Policy Paper: Students are asked to write an analytical policy paper that focuses on a sectoral governance issue in a country/region of choice. Students will hand in three progress versions of this paper: an outline on XXX, an early draft shared with the class on XXX and the final paper (which will be graded) on XXX.	3000-4000 words	50%	Based on the findings from the governance brief, students are asked analyse the causes of a particular governance problem and propose solutions to resolve this problem. Ideally students contact external experts for their paper topic and should also consult with the professor before early October. Papers will be graded on the substance of the paper, the research thoroughness, viability of the recommendations and the accessibility and persuasive presentation of the material.

Workload

Requisite Statement

N/A

Recommended Courses

N/A

Academic Contact

Bjoern.Dressel@anu.edu.au

The information published on the Study at ANU 2012 website applies to the 2012 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2011 website.