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Public Policy Analysis

Code: 101113 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OT 3
2500259 Political Science and Public Management OT 4
2503778 International Relations OB 2

Contact

Name:
Irina Khayrizamanova Khayrizamanova
Email:
irina.khayrizamanova@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Students must have an acceptable level of the English language, which allows them to follow the classes and understand academic texts written in this language. It is recommended to read regularly news coverage on national and international politics.

Regarding the bachelor’s degree in Political Science, it is expected that the students attending this course will have a general knowledge about theories and concepts developed in “Political Science” and “Public policy and administration” courses.

 


Objectives and Contextualisation

This course is intended to introduce the most important theoretical and empirical references in the public policy analysis and to develop the students’ ability to use this knowledge to understand and interpret   dynamics and processes of public policies formulation, implementation and change.

Specifically, the students will work on main concepts and models that currently are most frequently used in the public policies analysis. On the other hand, the course will draw on empirical cases of comparative public policies, with the analysis of cases in different social and cultural contexts.


Competences

    Political Science and Public Management
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analysing public policies, both in their elaboration and implementation processes.
  • Applying the discipline's main theories and different fields to real practical and professional problems.
  • Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  • Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  • Demonstrating the understanding of intergovernmental relationships and identifying the position of Public Administrations in the political system.
  • Describing and understanding the functioning of the Public Administration on a state, sub-state and supranational level.
  • Designing data collection techniques, coordinating the information processing and meticulously applying hypothesis verification methods.
  • Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  • Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  • Distinguishing the discipline's main theories and different fields: conceptual developments, theoretical frameworks and theoretical approaches underlying the discipline's knowledge and different areas and sub-areas, as well as their value for the professional practice through concrete cases.
  • Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  • Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  • Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  • Producing and planning researches or analytical reports.
  • Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  • Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  • Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Using different tools for the analysis and explanation of the formulation, decision, implementation and evaluation processes in public policies.
  • Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  • Working autonomously.
  • Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  • Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.
    International Relations
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse the behaviour of international actors, both state and non-state.
  • Analyse the production and implementation of public policies related to the international sphere, in particular foreign policy and security and defence policy.
  • Analyse the structure and operation of international institutions and organisations (political, economic, military and security, environmental, development and emergency aid) both in the universal and regional spheres, with particular emphasis on the European Union, from either real or simulated cases.
  • Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  • Identify and analyse the main challenges for democracy in a global world.
  • Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  • Learn and analyse the impacts of the globalisation process on domestic political systems and on the behaviour of the political actors and the public.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  2. Analyse the impact of the globalisation process in the public policies of the main states of the European Union, and their interrelationship with democracy and the rule-of-law state in the world.
  3. Analyse the indicators of sustainability of academic and professional activities in the areas of knowledge, integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions.
  4. Analyse the role of different actors in the formulation of political policies.
  5. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  6. Analysing public policies, both in their elaboration and implementation processes.
  7. Apply analytical techniques for public policies to the process of drawing up and implementing foreign, security and defence policies.
  8. Apply analytical tools for public policies to different real and simulated case studies in different areas of the home and international political spheres.
  9. Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  10. Appropriately using the contributions of Lindblom, Wildavsky, Marsh and Rhodes, Lowi.
  11. Arguing from different theoretical perspectives.
  12. Assess the social, economic and environmental impact when acting in this field of knowledge.
  13. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  14. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  15. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  16. Critically analysing the configuration process of the public agenda.
  17. Critically assessing some of the public policies carried out by an authority in the State of Autonomies.
  18. Demonstrating the understanding of intergovernmental relationships and identifying the position of Public Administrations in the political system.
  19. Describing and understanding the functioning of the Public Administration on a state, sub-state and supranational level.
  20. Designing data collection techniques, coordinating the information processing and meticulously applying hypothesis verification methods.
  21. Develop critical thought and reasoning and be able to communicate them effectively, both in your own language and second or third languages.
  22. Develop strategies for autonomous learning.
  23. Evaluate the impact of different actors and the rules of operation in the formulation of EU policies.
  24. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  25. For real and simulated case studies analyse the implementation of community and intergovernmental policies in the EU and their posterior application.
  26. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  27. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  28. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within the area of your own knowledge.
  29. Identifying sources of data and conducting bibliographic and documentary searches.
  30. In accordance with the theoretical and analytical information acquired, analyse the big challenges for democracy in a global world and the different solutions proposed to manage them.
  31. Interpreting and applying English texts in an academic way.
  32. Make a comparative analysis of the state of democracy and the rule-of-law state in different countries and political regimes.
  33. Make changes to the methods and processes of the area of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and wishes of society.
  34. Managing the available time in order to accomplish the established objectives and fulfil the intended task.
  35. Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  36. Producing and planning researches or analytical reports.
  37. Properly explaining and describing main theoretical approaches of the analysis of political sciences: cycle of politics, actor-network, institutional approaches, rational choice theory.
  38. Propose new experience-based methods or alternative solutions.
  39. Propose new ways to measure success or failure when implementing ground-breaking proposals or ideas.
  40. Propose projects and actions in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values.
  41. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  42. Propose viable projects and actions that promote social, economic and environmental benefits.
  43. Propose ways to evaluate projects and actions for improving sustainability.
  44. Realising effective oral presentations that are suited to the audience.
  45. Showing a good capacity for transmitting information, distinguishing key messages for their different recipients.
  46. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  47. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  48. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  49. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  50. Suggesting and explaining a case study of a concrete public policy.
  51. Synthesizing and critically analysing information.
  52. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  53. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  54. Use techniques of analysis for the functioning of universal institutions, in particular those of the European Union, in its day-to-day operations and its task of promoting aid for development and the promotion of democracy and the rule-of-law state.
  55. Using different tools for the analysis and explanation of the formulation, decision, implementation and evaluation processes in public policies.
  56. Using the main information and documentation techniques (ICT) as an essential tool for the analysis.
  57. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  58. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of one's own ideas for improvement and proposals made by others.
  59. Working autonomously.
  60. Working by using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in order to apply them to research processes.
  61. Working in teams and networking, particularly in interdisciplinary conditions.

Content

Note that the course will introduce the analysis of empirical cases of public policies in each topic. Examples of empirical cases will include among others: gender-based policies and reproductive policies.

BLOC 1. Introduction to the analysis of public policies

Topic 1. Public policy: definition, dimensions and typologies of public policies.  Importance and goals of public policies.

Topic 2. Building policy problems. Public value of the public policies

Topic 3. Theoretical approaches to public policy analysis.

Topic 4. Market failures and role of the public policies.

Topic 5. The context for policy-making: Institutions,  actors and resources. Game theory applied to public policies.

 

BLOC 2. Politics and policies. Public policy cycle

Topic  6.  Problem definition and agenda-setting

Topic 7. Policy formulation and decision-making

Topic 8. Rationality and learning in policy decision making

Topic 9. Implementing public policies

Topic 10. Role of the policy networks

Topic 11.  Policy evaluation

Topic 12. Policy change and policy convergence.

Topic 13. Policy communication. Preparing policy briefs.

 

BLOC 3. Conclusions

Topic 14. Public policies beyond the nation state

Topic 15. What have we learned? Public sector challenges.

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures and debates 30 1.2 11, 16, 18, 19, 37, 45, 50
Public presentation of group projects 8 0.32 11, 18, 19, 29, 31, 34, 37, 44, 45, 50, 51, 56, 59, 61
Seminars and case discussions 25 1 11, 16, 18, 19, 31, 34, 37, 44, 45, 51, 56, 59, 61
Type: Supervised      
Tutorial 7 0.28 29, 36
Type: Autonomous      
Preparing a project and writing a final version 12 0.48 18, 19, 20, 34, 36, 37, 45, 50, 56, 59, 60, 61
Reading 20 0.8 16, 29, 31, 56
Studying and preparing schemes and outlines, online exercises 20 0.8 11, 16, 19, 31, 51, 59

This is a 6 ECTS course on Public policy analysis, i. e. 150h of the work of the students (25h/1 ECTS). This work is divided in different types of educational activities, following different teaching methods.


Directed activities:

Lectures: oral presentations with the presence of the teacher and with ICTs support. Examples of public policies and class debates.   

Seminars: text and case discussion in smaller groups and in more empirically oriented cases. Introduction, presentation, analysis and discussion. Public policies simulations. Reading texts controls. Sessions to prepare students to carry out the project  in groups of 4 students.

Public presentation and discussion of group project.  Discussions and general evaluation.  

 

Supervised activities:

Tutorials: support in the elaboration of the group project and follow-up of the general contents of the course


Autonomous activities:

Reading: individual reading of theoretical essays and policy cases.

Studying and preparing documents and schemes. Online exercises

Elaboration of the group project . Working on the analysis of a public policy case in groups of 4 students , following the lecturer’s instructions. The format of this kind of exercise will be specified during the course.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Group project 35% of the final grade 15 0.6 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61
Seminars and class and online assessed exercises 25% of the final grade 10 0.4 1, 3, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31, 34, 37, 38, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 51, 52, 59
Written exam 40% of the final grade 3 0.12 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 25, 34, 37, 46, 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 59

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

The evaluation of this course consists of three parts:

1) Final exam. It represents 40% of the final grade.

2) Group project . Elaboration of a group exercise (4 students) that consists of  working on the analysis of a public policy case, following the lecturer’s instructions. The format of this kind of exercise will be specified during the course. It represents 35% of the final grade.

 3) Seminars and in-class aassessed exercises (reading control or work on empirical cases), onlice exercises, attendance and participation. 25% of the final grade.  

Important considerations:

-On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

-To pass this course you will need to pass the final exam with a minimum grade of 5/10.

Re-sit process

-The students that come to the final exam but do not pass it will have the opportunity to retake it on the date established by the Academic Office of the Faculty. If the students do not pass the re-sit exam (5/10), the final grade of the course will be FAIL (NO APROVAT). Clarification:  the maximum grade in the retake exam is 5/10.

-A student can do a re-sit exam if s/he has obtained at least a 3,5  as a final grade of the course.

-The retake exam includes only the synthesis final exam. It is not possible to re-take the continuous assessment activities (group work, participation in seminars, in-class and online assessed exercises).

SINGLE ASSESSMENT

The Single Assessments consists of three parts:

1) Final exam. It represents 40% of the final grade.

2) Project. Individual.  In-depth case study analysis of a public policy. The formatof the project will be specified at the beginning of the course.  35% of the final grade.

3) Writing a policy brief to promote evidence-based public policies. 25% of the final grade.

 

Retake process.

-to be eligible for the retake, students must submit all the task stipulated in the syllabus.

-the same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used.

Irregularities in evaluation activities:

- In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.  The submissions with irregularieis (plagiarism, unauthorised use of AI etc) are not eligible for re-sit.


Bibliography

BASIC BIBLIOGRAPHY

-Ahrens, Petra. (2019). The birth, life, and death of policy instruments: 35 years of EU gender equality policy programmes. West European Politics, 42(1), 45–66.

-Barbieri, Nicolas. (2015). "A narrative-interactionist approach to policy change analysis. Lessons from a case study of the cultural policy domain in Catalonia", Critical Policy Studies, 9 (4), 434-453.

-Bobbitt-Zeher, Donna. (2011). Gender discrimination at work: Connecting Gender Stereotypes, Institutional Policies, and Gender Composition of Workplace. Gender & Society, 25(6), 764–786.

-Cairney, Paul. (2022). Understanding public policy: Theories and issues. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

-Dery, David. (1984). Problem definition in policy analysis, Lawrence KS.

-Fischer, Frank, and Gerald J. Miller (2017) . Handbook of Public Policy Analysis : Theory, Politics, and Methods  (eds). Boca Raton : Routledge.

-Klijn, Erik (1997) “Policy networks: An overview”, In  Kickert, Walter  and Klijn, Erik. (eds.) Managing complex networks. London: Sage, pp. 14-34.

-Knoepfel, Peter . Public Policy Analysis. Bristol: Policy Press, 2007.

-Knill Christoph and Tosun Jale. (2020). Public Policy: A new introduction. Bloomsbury Publishing

-Moran, Michael, Rein, Martin, and Goodin, Robert.E. (2010). The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, Oxford University Press

-Richardson, Jeremy.  (2012) Constructing a Policy-Making State?: Policy Dynamics in the EU. Oxford: Oxford University Press.  

-Stone, Deborah. (1988), Policy Paradox, New York, pp. 232-256.

-Weible, Christoher M., i  Sabatier, Paul.A. (Eds.). (2018). Theories of the Policy Process (4th ed.). Routledge. 

-Weimer, David Leo, and Aidan R. Vining. (2017)  Policy Analysis : Concepts and Practice. ( 6th ed.) . New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. 

 

REFERENCES FOR TOPICS

The professor will define specific readings for each topic in the detailed course programme (to be shared on moodle at the beginning of the course). Some of these lectures will be objects of the seminar discussions.

 

THE MOST RELEVANT JOURNALS

 

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis

Journal of European Public Policy

Journal of European Social Policy

Journal of Policy Analysis and Management

Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory

Journal of Public Policy

Journal of Policy Reform

Policy Studies Journal


Software

This course does not use any specific software 


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 English first semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 510 English first semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 51 English first semester afternoon