HACT40150 Management in HA

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module is a core component of the NOHA Joint Master’s Degree in International Humanitarian Action (D061) and UCD Master’s Degree in International Humanitarian Action (D062) to be completed during the first semester. It forms a recognised part of the curriculum and is a requirement for obtaining either the NOHA Master’s degree or the UCD Master’s degree.

The overall objective of the Management Module is to equip students with the competences to manage humanitarian operations, programmes and projects. The humanitarian principles will be examined from the perspective of humanitarian managers, and students will analyse the challenges for disparate aid organisations (private, public and third sectors) to deliver humanitarian action in a principled manner. Students will be introduced to strategic management and the importance of programming and projects for the professional delivery of humanitarian aid. They will assess the challenges to professionally deliver humanitarian projects by employing best practice across a range of management support functions, including: financial management, logistics, security and human resource management.

All of the above will be presented from both academic and practical perspectives while emphasising the issues and challenges within the humanitarian context.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On the successful completion of the module students should be able to:
• Apply the principles of humanitarian action to a humanitarian intervention;
• Appraise the humanitarian context;
• Describe and critically analyse the humanitarian enterprise, its key stakeholders, management principles and governance structures;
• Critically analyse HA organisational principles and practice;
• Design a strategy for a HA organisation that combine key issues of intervention;
• Present a detailed description of the project cycle;
• Critique the logical framework approach to project design and management;
• Develop a security and logistics plan for a humanitarian NGO;
• Prepare a financial accounting system for a humanitarian intervention; and
• Develop and evaluate the personnel management system for a humanitarian intervention.

Indicative Module Content:

Introduction
Management In Humanitarian Action
Humanitarian system/ concepts/ management and governance/ Leadership
Strategic Management - Issues of Intervention
Strategic Planning
Programmes and projects/ issues of intervention
Programme and Project Analysis
Project planning
Project design
Project Monitoring and Evaluation
Project implementation
Monitoring and evaluation
Personnel Management
Financial Management
Budgeting/ budgetary management
Security Management
Logistics

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

15
Small Group

24
Seminar (or Webinar)

8
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Online Learning

8
Total

125
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
PowerPoint presentations with voiceover will be prepared in advance for each lecture and shared with the students using the online Brightspace system. Core reading material is available online and essential reading will be highlighted to the students during each lecture.

This year the management module will be in-person. In the event that any student/students cannot attend for any reasons, lectures will be in video on Brightspace. If students need any support, this will be provided by way of tutorial upon request.

Daily lecture materials will be made visible on Brightspace at 9.00am to all students on the morning of the scheduled lectures together with essential readings associated with each lecture. The section titled ‘programme and training activities’ below provides details of topics, dates and times and the lecturer responsible for each session.

All students are expected to attend all sessions. Whenever possible, students who cannot attend should notify the Programme Coordinator, Dr. Desire Mpanje in advance (desire.mpanje@ucd.ie).
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Class Test: Class test(s) accounting for 20% of the overall grade Unspecified n/a Graded No

20
Group Project: A group assignment to develop and present a Logical Framework (logframe) based on a case study provided by the lecturer. Unspecified n/a Graded No

40
Assignment: A 2,000-word individual assignment. Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded No

40

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on the class exams is based on automated online feedback. The group assignment combines elements of peer review activities and group/class feedback post-assessment. Students are provided with a report on their individual assignment with the option for a feedback session if requested.

Name Role
Dr Desire Mpanje Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Patrick Wall Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Cyril Otieku-Boadu Tutor
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Fri 14:00 - 14:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3 Fri 14:00 - 16:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3 Mon 09:00 - 16:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Mon 15:00 - 16:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Thurs 09:00 - 16:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 4 Thurs 10:00 - 12:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 4 Thurs 14:00 - 16:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3 Tues 14:00 - 16:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 4 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 4 Wed 10:00 - 12:50
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 4 Wed 14:00 - 16:50
Autumn