Postgraduate Certificate in Human Rights and Development Management - Learning Outcomes

Educational aims

You will be able to analyse and critically discuss business and development management practices from the perspective of human rights law instruments and practices. The emphasis throughout is on applying learning and developing reflective skills in a domain that needs active, reflective learners and practitioners in order to develop. You will be able to identify information needed for a particular problem situation, collect it from a wide range of sources, analyse and evaluate it, develop proposals for best practice and take informed decisions.

Moreover, you will be able to:

• reflect critically on business practices and on your understanding of development issues and business-in-society issues
• articulate the meaning of human rights and understand the ‘business case’ for complying to them
• read and analyse complex situations, and diagnose the human rights implications of business operations and the risks encountered when operating in particular countries
• identify how business responsibilities for human rights can be operationalised:
  • through policies, management systems and monitoring and reporting
  • through actions related to specific situations, threats or human rights
• develop an awareness of the international and European contexts within which human rights strategies and policies are developing
• develop an awareness of the range of tools and techniques that can be used to affect organisational learning and change in relation to development and business practices
• identify how to retrieve information and data relevant to specific interests in the fields of development management and human rights and business
• encourage companies to respect human rights, avoid harm to people and maximise their positive contribution to their host communities
• provide easy, one-stop access to information for companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and others, whether they are experienced or new to the subject
• facilitate constructive, informed decision-making and public discussion.

Learning outcomes

The qualification provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills, and other attributes in the following areas:

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

Teaching and learning occur through active reading and interacting with peers and tutors, including online collaborative activities and conferencing. Assessment occurs through tutor-marked assignments (TMAs), submitted electronically, based on case studies and essay-style questions, and through examinations.

Cognitive skills in the course are developed through a range of activities within both the compulsory module and each of the two optional modules. Case study-based activities will develop analytical and problem solving skills, and together with conferencing activity will develop an awareness of the importance of multi-stakeholder analysis. Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) will develop analytical skills and allow these to be assessed, as will the examination for each module.

Key skills will be developed and assessed through a variety of formative activities. Assessment will take place via TMAs and an examination or project module at the end of each module.

TMAs and the end-of-module assessments will address both practical and professional skills throughout the course.