Course Details in 2024/25 Session

Module Title	LI Understanding development assistance
School	Government
Department	International Development
Module Code	08 34446
Module Lead	Niheer Dasandi
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module provides an in-depth, critical look at international development assistance, with a special focus on understanding the political economy of aid, and how aid responds to local political dynamics in practice. We will examine the global aid architecture, and the variety of roles international aid actors play, before exploring contemporary debates about aid effectiveness and the potential unintended consequences of aid. We will explore the changing global context for aid - including the emergence of new donors (e.g. China), countries transitioning away from aid, the rise of other forms of finance, and shifting public attitudes to aid in donor countries. At the practical level, we will engage with some of the key tools used by development agencies to analyse and adapt to political economy dynamics, and the effectiveness of these tools. We then turn to the future - beyond aid - and ask whether aid will become less significant, and what, if anything, will replace its role in development. Weekly lectures will be complemented with participatory weekly seminars, giving students the opportunity to research into current aid trends, and critically evaluate aid effectiveness.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Outline the scale and complexity of the global aid architecture (including actors and frameworks). Describe and critique key debates on aid effectiveness. Analyse the political economy of aid, and how aid adapts to political dynamics in practice. Critically discuss the future of aid, and its role in relation to other forms of development finance.
Assessment	34446-01 : Presentation : Presentation (25%) 34446-02 : 3000 Word Assessment : Coursework (75%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: Oral presentation (Mid-term - 25%); 2,500 word written assignment (Final - 75%) Reassessment: By failed component
Other
Reading List