Course syllabus

Kapacitetsutveckling
Capacity Development

VBRN35, 7,5 credits, A (Second Cycle)

Valid for: 2015/16
Decided by: Education Board C
Date of Decision: 2015-04-15

General Information

Main field: Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation.
Compulsory for: MKAT1
Elective for: BI4, RH4
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English

Aim

Provide the students with knowledge and skills to design and review projects for the development of other stakeholders’ capacity at individual, organisational and institutional level for disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.
Provide a foundation for students interested in the links between research in capacity development and disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concept of capacity and what constitutes capacity development, with reference to different levels and types of capacity.
demonstrate understanding of key elements for capacity development to promote societal and community resilience.

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

demonstrate the ability to assess capacity development needs with the support of capacity development guidance, recommendations and best practise.
demonstrate the ability to design and evaluate capacity development projects, with considerations to human conditions and needs and to societal goals for economical, social and ecological sustainable development.
demonstrate the ability to integrate theory and knowledge about capacity development and change processes critically and systematically into project management, even with limited information.
demonstrate the ability to present and discuss his or her conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which they are based in speech and writing to different audiences in both national and international contexts.
demonstrate the ability to work constructively in a team and communicate effectively with people from various disciplines.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

demonstrate the ability to reflect upon ones approach to and role in capacity development as well as insight into the possibilities and limitations of capacity development and project management, involved methods and tools and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used.
demonstrate the ability to reflect on societal and ethical issues concerning capacity development.

Capacity development has been identified as the tool and process to substantially reduce disaster losses and creating sustainable development. Capacity development is here defined as a locally driven change process through which individuals, organisations and institutions obtain, strengthen, maintain and adapt their capacities to set and achieve their own development objectives over time and learn from their efforts.

Through lectures, literature seminars and exercises the course discusses theoretical approaches and challenges to capacity development, change processes and project management. The course also discusses different models how to analyse and assess capacity at various levels, and how to design and evaluate capacity development projects i.e. project management. The course is to a large extent based on different case studies and real capacity development projects for disaster risk reduction from an international context, undertaken by governmental organisations, international Non-Governmental Organizations and the United Nations.

Examination details

Grading scale: TH
Assessment: Written individual course assignments and approved group project. The group project shall be reported both orally and in writing.

Parts
Code: 0113. Name: Capacity Development.
Credits: 7,5. Grading scale: TH. Assessment: Individual Paper
Code: 0213. Name: Group Assignment.
Credits: 0. Grading scale: UG.

Admission

Admission requirements:

Admitted to the Master's Programme in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation or to the Programme Risk Management and Safety Engineering or have a minimum of 150 hp from a five-year engineering programme or from the Fire Safety Engineering Programme at LTH.

Required prior knowledge: Societal Resilience VRSN01
The number of participants is limited to: 35
Selection: Guaranteed admission for students at the Master's Programme in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation. Selection rules for the remaining places: priority is given to students firstly at the Programme Risk Management and Safety Engineering and secondly at the Fire Safety Engineering Programme at LTH. To distinguish between students from the same programme, number of credits and results on the programme will be used.
The course might be cancelled: If the number of applicants is less than 16.

Reading list

Becker, P.: Sustainability Science: Analyzing and Managing Risk and Resilience for Sustainable Development. Amsterdam and Oxford: Elsevier., 2014.
Becker, P. & Abrahamsson, M.: Designing capacity development for disaster risk management: A logical framework approach. Karlstad and Stockholm: MSB., 2012.
Bolger, J.: Why what and how of capacity development. CIDA, 2000.
CADRI: Basics of capacity development for disaster risk reduction. Geneva: Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative., 2011.
OECD/DAC: The challenge of capacity development - working towards good practice. Paris: OECD/Development Assistance Committee, 2005.
OECD: Paris declaration on aid effectiveness: Ownership, harmonisation, alignment, results and mutual accountability. Paris: OECD, 2005.
Schulz, K., Gustafsson, I., & Illes, E.: Manual for capacity development. Stockholm: Sida., 2005,.
Bakewell, O. & Garbutt, A.: The use and abuse of the logical framework approach. Stockholm: Sida, 2005.
Davies, R: Scale, complexity and the representation of theories of change. SAGE, 2004.
DFID: How to note on capacity building in research. London: DFID, 2010.
Eyben, R., Kidder, T., Rowlands, J. & Bronstein, A: Thinking about change for development practice: A case study from Oxfam GB. Oxford: Routledge, 2008.
Gasper, D: Evaluating the logical framework approach - towards learing - oriented development evaluation. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2000.
Green, D: What does a theory of change look like?. Oxford: Oxfarm, 2011.
UNISDR: Hyogo framework for action 2005-2015: Building the sesilience of nations and communities to disasters. Geneva: United Nations, 2005.
Watson, D: Combining the best of two worlds in monitoring and evaluation of capacity development. London, Washington, DC: Earthscan, 2010.
Baser, H. & Morgan, P.: Capacity, change and performance. Maastricht: ECDPM, European Centre for Development Policy Management, 2008.
Hagelsteen, M. Becker, P. : Challenging disparities in capacity development for disaster risk reduction. Elsevier, 2013.
Otoo, S., Agapitova, N. & Behrens, J.: The capacity development results framework: A strategic and results-oriented approach to learning for capacity development. Washington, DC: World Bank Institute, 2009.
Pearson, J.: How to. LenCD Learning Package on Capacity Development, Part 2. LenCD, 2011.
Scott, Z., Few, R., Leavy, J., Tarazona, M. & Wooster, K.: Strategic research into national and local capacity building for disaster risk management. Oxford: Oxford Policy Management, 2014.
Snowden, D. J. & Boone, M. E.: A leader's framework for decision making. Harvard Business School Corporation, 2007.
Ubels, J., Acquaye-Baddoo, N.-A. & Fowler, A.: Capacity development in practice. London, Washinton, DC: Earthscan, 2010.
UNDP: Capacity development: A UNDP primer. New York: UNDP, 2009.

Contact and other information

Course coordinator: Magnus Hagelsten, magnus.hagelsteen@risk.lth.se
Further information: Active participation in group work is mandatory. Each group member must be able to present and answer for the contents of the joint report. Members who do not meet the demands of active participation by the others, or disregard their obligations, can be replaced or failed by the examiner.

Kapacitetsutveckling Capacity Development