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About the course
Develop advanced policy analysis for complex development challenges. You will evaluate evidence, examine delivery institutions and conduct a supervised enquiry producing a defensible policy recommendation.
What you'll learn
- Critique a development-policy problem and its framing.
- Evaluate evidence and alternative intervention mechanisms.
- Analyse implementation and governance constraints.
- Select a rigorous method for policy research.
- Defend a policy recommendation with explicit uncertainty.
Requirements
- Prepare with a relevant degree-level background, research literacy and evidence of subject readiness. Admission, supervision and any bridging requirements require confirmation against BMIT rules.
Course content
Sections: 4
•Activities: 1
•Resources: 12
Subjects in this programme
The complete subject sequence below moves from foundations to specialist application. Stages show learning progression. Practical work and the final project draw together the subjects studied.
12 subjects are listed below, with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Foundations
- Public Policy Analysis. Analyse policy problems through evidence and alternatives. You will examine problem framing, policy actors, options. Prepare a policy brief comparing practical alternatives.
- Development Economics. Compare explanations of poverty, growth and structural change. You will examine how institutions, markets and public decisions affect livelihoods, then analyse development interventions using evidence. Southern African cases connect household experience with employment, productive capacity and unequal access to resources and services.
- Public Finance and Fiscal Policy. Study how governments raise and spend resources. You will examine taxation, public expenditure and borrowing, then assess the distributional and economic effects of fiscal choices. Cases connect policy objectives with budget constraints, service outcomes and the need for transparent public accountability.
- Poverty, Inequality and Livelihoods. Analyse disadvantage through household and institutional evidence. You will examine poverty measures, inequality, livelihood strategies. Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
- Geopolitics and International Political Economy. Examine the interaction of geography, power and economic relations. You will examine territory, resources, trade networks. Compare explanations of a regional policy issue.
- Programme Impact and Evaluation Methods. Assess the evidence supporting claims about programme change. You will examine causal questions, comparison strategies, mixed methods. Design an evaluation and explain its causal limitations.
Stage 2: Core subjects
- Policy Implementation and Service Delivery. Connect policy intentions with delivery responsibilities. You will examine implementation models, delivery systems, resources. Prepare an implementation plan and results framework.
- Monitoring and Evaluation. Build evidence systems for programme decisions. You will examine theory of change, indicators, baselines. Prepare a monitoring plan and evaluation questions.
- Regional Integration and SADC Governance. Evaluate regional cooperation through institutional evidence. You will examine regionalism, sadc institutions, trade integration. Prepare a regional cooperation brief.
- Management Analytics. Develop analytical evidence for complex management decisions. You will frame questions, assess data quality and compare modelling approaches before interpreting outputs. The module emphasises reproducible reasoning, appropriate visualisation and the limits of prediction when decisions involve changing behaviour, incomplete information and uncertain operating conditions.
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
- Advanced Research Design and Analysis. Develop a research design capable of addressing a complex organisational or social question. You will critically synthesise literature, justify methodological choices and assess evidence quality. The module develops the reasoning and analytical preparation required for an independently argued postgraduate research report.
- Dissertation or Substantial Research Report. Conduct an extended investigation into a focused programme-related problem. You will develop an argument through critical reading, appropriate evidence and sustained analysis. The completed report explains the contribution, limitations and practical or scholarly implications, supported by a transparent record of ethical research decisions.
Assessment and practical learning
- Critical policy analyses and evidence reviews.
- A research proposal with a justified analytical approach.
- A supervised dissertation or approved research report.
Practical application
Investigate a proposed policy problem using suitable public data or approved fieldwork. Explain how findings relate to intervention design, delivery and evaluation, and identify evidence needed before implementation.
Subject descriptions
Each subject below includes its purpose, learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment approach.
Public Policy Analysis
Stage 1: Foundations
Analyse policy problems through evidence and alternatives. You will examine problem framing, policy actors, options. Prepare a policy brief comparing practical alternatives.
Learning outcomes
- Explain problem framing in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between policy actors and options.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing policy instruments, implementation and evaluation.
Main topics
- Problem framing
- Policy actors
- Options
- Policy instruments
- Implementation
- Evaluation
Practical task
Prepare a policy brief comparing practical alternatives.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Development Economics
Stage 1: Foundations
Compare explanations of poverty, growth and structural change. You will examine how institutions, markets and public decisions affect livelihoods, then analyse development interventions using evidence. Southern African cases connect household experience with employment, productive capacity and unequal access to resources and services.
Learning outcomes
- Compare development explanations
- Interpret an inequality measure
- Evaluate a development intervention
Main topics
- Development theories
- Poverty and inequality
- Institutions
- Structural change
- Human development
- Policy interventions
Practical task
Prepare a development policy appraisal using a clearly defined community or sector case.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Public Finance and Fiscal Policy
Stage 1: Foundations
Study how governments raise and spend resources. You will examine taxation, public expenditure and borrowing, then assess the distributional and economic effects of fiscal choices. Cases connect policy objectives with budget constraints, service outcomes and the need for transparent public accountability.
Learning outcomes
- Explain a fiscal policy choice
- Assess distributional effects
- Interpret a public budget
Main topics
- Public goods
- Tax design
- Expenditure choices
- Fiscal incidence
- Public debt
- Budget policy
Practical task
Produce a budget policy note comparing two expenditure or revenue options.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Poverty, Inequality and Livelihoods
Stage 1: Foundations
Analyse disadvantage through household and institutional evidence. You will examine poverty measures, inequality, livelihood strategies. Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
Learning outcomes
- Explain poverty measures in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between inequality and livelihood strategies.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing vulnerability, social exclusion and policy responses.
Main topics
- Poverty measures
- Inequality
- Livelihood strategies
- Vulnerability
- Social exclusion
- Policy responses
Practical task
Prepare a livelihood analysis and justified support proposal.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Geopolitics and International Political Economy
Stage 1: Foundations
Examine the interaction of geography, power and economic relations. You will examine territory, resources, trade networks. Compare explanations of a regional policy issue.
Learning outcomes
- Explain territory in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between resources and trade networks.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing global institutions, strategic interests and regional choices.
Main topics
- Territory
- Resources
- Trade networks
- Global institutions
- Strategic interests
- Regional choices
Practical task
Compare explanations of a regional policy issue.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Programme Impact and Evaluation Methods
Stage 1: Foundations
Assess the evidence supporting claims about programme change. You will examine causal questions, comparison strategies, mixed methods. Design an evaluation and explain its causal limitations.
Learning outcomes
- Explain causal questions in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between comparison strategies and mixed methods.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing contribution, bias and interpretation.
Main topics
- Causal questions
- Comparison strategies
- Mixed methods
- Contribution
- Bias
- Interpretation
Practical task
Design an evaluation and explain its causal limitations.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Policy Implementation and Service Delivery
Stage 2: Core subjects
Connect policy intentions with delivery responsibilities. You will examine implementation models, delivery systems, resources. Prepare an implementation plan and results framework.
Learning outcomes
- Explain implementation models in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between delivery systems and resources.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing frontline practice, coordination and performance evidence.
Main topics
- Implementation models
- Delivery systems
- Resources
- Frontline practice
- Coordination
- Performance evidence
Practical task
Prepare an implementation plan and results framework.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Stage 2: Core subjects
Build evidence systems for programme decisions. You will examine theory of change, indicators, baselines. Prepare a monitoring plan and evaluation questions.
Learning outcomes
- Explain theory of change in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between indicators and baselines.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing data collection, analysis and use of findings.
Main topics
- Theory of change
- Indicators
- Baselines
- Data collection
- Analysis
- Use of findings
Practical task
Prepare a monitoring plan and evaluation questions.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Regional Integration and SADC Governance
Stage 2: Core subjects
Evaluate regional cooperation through institutional evidence. You will examine regionalism, sadc institutions, trade integration. Prepare a regional cooperation brief.
Learning outcomes
- Explain regionalism in a relevant case.
- Analyse the relationship between sadc institutions and trade integration.
- Produce a reasoned response addressing mobility, shared resources and implementation.
Main topics
- Regionalism
- SADC institutions
- Trade integration
- Mobility
- Shared resources
- Implementation
Practical task
Prepare a regional cooperation brief.
Assessment
Submit the practical output with supporting evidence and an individual written or oral explanation. Assessment considers subject knowledge, accuracy, reasoning and the quality of the completed work.
Management Analytics
Stage 2: Core subjects
Develop analytical evidence for complex management decisions. You will frame questions, assess data quality and compare modelling approaches before interpreting outputs. The module emphasises reproducible reasoning, appropriate visualisation and the limits of prediction when decisions involve changing behaviour, incomplete information and uncertain operating conditions.
Learning outcomes
- Frame an analytical decision
- Compare model results
- Communicate uncertainty to managers
Main topics
- Decision framing
- Data quality
- Predictive models
- Scenario analysis
- Visualisation
- Model limitations
Practical task
Produce an analytical management report and a reproducible decision-support model.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Advanced Research Design and Analysis
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Develop a research design capable of addressing a complex organisational or social question. You will critically synthesise literature, justify methodological choices and assess evidence quality. The module develops the reasoning and analytical preparation required for an independently argued postgraduate research report.
Learning outcomes
- Critique a research design
- Justify an analytical approach
- Develop a defensible research proposal
Main topics
- Critical literature synthesis
- Research philosophy
- Design justification
- Advanced sampling
- Analytical methods
- Research integrity
Practical task
Submit a postgraduate proposal with a critical literature review and pilot analysis.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Dissertation or Substantial Research Report
Stage 3: Specialist subjects and application
Conduct an extended investigation into a focused programme-related problem. You will develop an argument through critical reading, appropriate evidence and sustained analysis. The completed report explains the contribution, limitations and practical or scholarly implications, supported by a transparent record of ethical research decisions.
Learning outcomes
- Conduct an approved investigation
- Develop an evidence-based argument
- Defend and revise research conclusions
Main topics
- Proposal refinement
- Ethical approval
- Evidence collection
- Sustained analysis
- Argument development
- Defence and revision
Practical task
Complete an independently assessed dissertation or substantial research report and oral defence.
Assessment
Assessment combines applied exercises, a documented case or practical portfolio and an individual written or oral explanation. Judgement considers technical accuracy, reasoning, evidence quality and the feasibility of recommendations.
Instructors
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Master of Public Policy and Development
Course modified date: 13 September 2026
Develop advanced policy analysis for complex development challenges. You will evaluate evidence, examine delivery institutions and conduct a supervised enquiry producing a defensible policy recommendation.
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