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Postgraduate Diploma in Development Management - Learning Outcomes

Educational aims

Underpinning this postgraduate diploma is a view of development management as a process of steering social change, involving multiple actors with common and conflicting interests, values and agendas. The diploma aims to provide you with learning that makes for a better understanding of this process and a capacity to manage development more effectively, in whatever context you are working.

Learning outcomes

The programme leading to this diploma provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas.

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this diploma, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

  • different types of development management – historical and contemporary – in theory and in practice
  • the theory and practice of institutional development as a means of development management
  • the nature and dynamics of conflict, the complexity of its roots, and the diverse ways of intervention and management
  • tools, methods and frameworks for planning, implementing and evaluating development interventions, and their limitations
  • tools, methods and frameworks for investigation and analysis aimed at informing development policy and practice, and their limitations.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this diploma, you will be able to:

  • analyse and assess the theory and practice of development management
  • analyse and assess the contexts, processes and outcomes of development interventions, and the relationships by means of which interventions are undertaken
  • think strategically and creatively about development policy and practice
  • appreciate your own standpoint and the standpoint of others with respect to development management theory, policy and practice.

Practical and/or professional skills

On completion of this diploma you will be able to:

  • use mapping and modelling skills to organise and share thinking and action with respect to development interventions
  • use negotiation and brokering skills to make possible common action on development interventions
  • design, develop and evaluate theoretically informed, evidence-based development interventions
  • design, undertake and evaluate investigations that contribute to the understanding and enhancement of development policy and practice.

Key skills

On completion of this diploma you will be able to:

  • deal effectively with the complexity, conflict and uncertainty that characterise development and development management
  • develop theoretically informed, evidence-based arguments with respect to development management theory, policy and practice
  • communicate theoretically informed, evidence-based arguments with respect to development management theory, policy and practice
  • build and engage in working relationships that make for effective development management
  • make ethical and political judgments with respect to development interventions.

Teaching, learning and assessment methods

To help you develop your knowledge and understanding and to nurture your skills the modules offer:

  • core teaching texts and study guides
  • extensive guided reading
  • case studies, using text and audio-visual media
  • audio and visual resources
  • face-to-face and online tutorials
  • activities, individual and group, giving opportunities to develop and practice a range of skills
  • opportunities for you to reflect on your own practice.

The above knowledge, understanding and skills are assessed formally via regular assignments and an examinable component at the end of each module. Your understanding and skills are reinforced by support from tutors in the form of feedback based on your assignment answers. The examinable component is an examination or an end-of-module project report.

Throughout you receive support from tutors. Your tutors are selected for their knowledge of the subject areas and experience in its practical application and they support your learning by phone, letter, fax, email when required, and by group tutorials.

The core modules in the diploma and also many optional modules make extensive use of electronic working in delivery, assessment, tutor-student support and student-student support. Students from the UK and worldwide are therefore able to study this programme whilst remaining in full-time employment.

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