PMSCLEVL - MSc Social Policy and Evaluation

The social policy field, both in the UK and internationally, is experiencing widespread and rapid change – austerity, globalisation, migration, environmental and technological change all challenge existing models for policy and its implementation in public services and the role of government and other stakeholders in defining and addressing social needs. Providers and practitioners increasingly engage in a range of evaluative activities to help ensure they meet expectations of sustainable improvement, accountability and equality via programme outcomes, policy and performance assessment frameworks in often complex settings. The course will enable students to develop policy and evaluation skills in a context of critical engagement with their meaning and value, especially in relationship to issues of equality and diversity.

The course offers a grounding in social policy themes and priorities at local, regional and global levels together with critical attention to their implications for equality and social justice. It introduces students to the principles, development and use of a range of contemporary evaluative activities and designs, locating them in policy and service demands. An optional work-based learning opportunity customised around students’ needs, interests and aptitudes is also included. Students also benefit from teaching by experienced researchers and practitioners from a variety of policy areas, including the Centre for Evaluation within the Faculty Advanced Institute for Research.

The MSc Social Policy and Evaluation aims to:

1. Provide students with the high-level critical, analytical and practical skills required to inform reflective and effective practice in the field of social policy and evaluation;
   
2. Equip students with a solid grounding in contemporary themes and priorities in the social policy arena across local, regional and global contexts;
   
3. To provide students with an awareness of and critical engagement with key theoretical perspectives on equality and social differences of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, age, disability and belief, and their intersections;
   
4. Introduce students to the principles, development and use of a range of current evaluative approaches, activities and designs, locating them in policy and service demands and enabling them to:
   - Generate appropriate evidence and indicators;
   - Devise a theory of change, or assess service and user outcomes, needs and performance, programme impacts and cost-benefits;
   - Engage in related commissioning, contracting and quality assurance activities for service and performance management roles;
   
5. Equip students with the knowledge and skills to undertake independent research on a topic in the social policy and evaluation area.

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• apply methods and techniques appropriate to their own research or advanced scholarship in the field of social policy and evaluation;
• apply knowledge with originality, based on a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in social policy and related social science disciplines;
• critically appraise current research and advanced scholarship in Social Policy and Evaluation and in related social science disciplines;
• evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses;
• deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgments in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
• exercise self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level;
• advance their knowledge and understanding, and to develop new skills to a high level;
• exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations;
• learn independently for the purposes of continuing professional development.

A range of assessment is used in the core modules in order to develop and evaluate students’ knowledge and communications skills across different forms and formats. These include academic essays, short answer coursework, case study analysis and reports, peer-assessed essays, evidence portfolios, an evaluation outline plan, interpreting evaluative data from an evaluation design, comparative appraisal of evaluative reports and the dissertation. Options incorporate a wide variety of assessment forms including essays, policy evaluation reports, group and individual oral and poster presentations, learning logs, and the planning and piloting of an evaluation data collection tool. The work-based learning option is assessed through a learning log and a final report.

An optional work-based learning module is included in the list of designates. This can comprise an agreed programme of reflective practice and learning in the student’s current place of work (if appropriate) or a placement organised by the Faculty. One of the important links we have to offer is a possible placement with Project Oracle http://project-oracle.com/about-us/

MSc Social Policy and Evaluation: SS7152, SS7153, SS7154,SS7155, SS7156, SS7P62, plus one designate
PG Dip: 5 taught cores plus one designate
PG Cert: SS7152, SS7155, SS7156

This course is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Housing.

The course will appeal to current and aspiring practitioners in UK, EU and global public, voluntary, NGO and community sectors wishing to acquire or upgrade their social policy evaluation skills. These include roles where evaluative activity of some kind is one aspect of the role in a service/policy context; service managers who may have responsibility for managing, interpreting, and communicating evaluative activity as well as utilising outputs/outcomes data; those in local government who are increasingly placed in commissioning roles; those in sectors where there is an increasing need to assess ‘ICT rich’ systems and processes for delivering services.

A good honours degree in a social science or related subject. Students with substantial relevant experience in a related area of employment are also encouraged to apply.