Duration
30h Th, 15h Pr
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Evaluation is a crucial stage in the public policy cycle. Before being a technique, it is a process that raises essential questions (for example, about evaluation criteria and the transparency of the evaluation process), and which is also subject to power relations. How, why and for whom to evaluate? Under what conditions should an ex ante, in itinere or ex post evaluation be carried out? What indicators should the evaluation process be based on? Which theoretical approach should be used?
Identifying the key evaluation questions posed by the various scientific authors: Firstly, this course aims to theoretically identify the issues at stake at each stage of the evaluation process (framework proposed by the client, organisation responsible for the evaluation, object evaluated, evaluation question(s), evaluation criteria, indicators used, resources available, impact). Ultimately, the student will be able to ask evaluative questions for each stage, sorting them to form a grid of questions to be asked systematically when embarking on an evaluative approach.
Understanding a real problematic situation encountered in an evaluative approach: Suggested by external speakers on the basis of real cases specific to their administration, students will learn to understand the existing political, technical and methodological issues identified by external speakers. The course develops students' ability to carry out critical and pragmatic meta-evaluations.
Suggest, as a group, one or more proposals for action to respond to the problematic situation encountered an evaluative approach: Beyond the phase of diagnosing a problematic situation, students will learn to mobilise theoretical and practical knowledge to collectively propose possible solutions aimed at putting the situation into practice.
Reporting on these proposals for action in various formats: Students will learn how to submit their written or oral proposals in the format required by the external contributor (e.g. reasoned statement, PPT, list of indicators, etc.).
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The aim of the course is to present a systemic approcach of evaluation in policy analysis as well as to present a range of tools used to evaluate the establishment of public policy.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
A course of "public policy analysis (theory)" - Celine Parotte is a prerequisite.
The student is able to read scientific texts critically, to identify the author's stances and their theoretical and empirical contributions in french and in english and to compare them with other theoretical framework.
The course SPOL2330-2 Methods in Political Science (theory) or an equivalent course on methods in the humanities and social sciences is a prerequisite.
The elements seen in the Political Science Methods (Theory) and Public Policy Analysis and Methodology courses will be used again. The student must understand the major steps involved in developing a research design, distinguish between epistemological postures, the difference between inductive, deductive and abductive approaches, and the different qualitative data collection methods and, argue clearly and precisely about the theoretical and methodological choices made.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is divided into two modules.
First module: The first module, taught ex cathedra, is based on a portfolio of compulsory in-depth readings in the form of a syllabus (available from Presses Universitaires de Liege). Each week, the students individually and then collectively dissect the scientific reading before applying it to an illustrative public policy evaluation.
Second module: The second module is organised as a seminar to allow students to be confronted with the realities of field experts, with whom they can interact. The invited experts are representatives of Belgian public institutions that practice evaluation (e.g. Court of Auditors, legislation section of the Council of State, National Fund for Scientific Research, municipal emergency planning unit, Walloon Institute for Evaluation, Forecasting and Statistics, National Office for Children, Regional Investment Company of Wallonia).
Each session will be organised as follows: (1) The students will be put in a theoretical situation concerning a methodological/evaluative difficulty chosen in consultation with the external speaker. (2) The external speaker presents his or her testimony on an evaluation situation and underlines the issues and difficulties experienced in the field. (3) Meta-evaluation exercises: in sub-groups and with the support of the external speaker and the teacher, the students evaluate the evaluation situation presented, pool their theoretical analysis and consider practical solutions.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Face-to-face mode.
The preparation session for external experts and all the sessions in module 2 are compulsory. Any absence must be justified by a medical certificate within 48 hours of the absence.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Course notes and referernce documents will be placed on-line on My Ulg during the course.
Further reading (available in the library) :
Reference book : Guionnet, Christine, et Sophie Rétif. Exploiter les difficultés méthodologiques. Une ressource pour l'analyse en sciences sociales. Rennes (Presses universitaires de), 2015.
Albarello L., Aubin D., Fallon C. et Van Haeperen B., (2016) Penser l'évaluation des politiques publiques. Ed.De Boeck Supérieur.
Exam(s) in session
January exam session
- In-person
oral exam
August-September exam session
- In-person
oral exam
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
Module 1: Continuous assessment in the form of weekly individual written questions (theoretical reflections from Module 1 - 30% of the final grade)
Module 2: Continuous assessment in the form of collective reports of meta-evaluation exercises (Module 2 - 40% of the final grade)
Oral Exam: Individual oral defence of written work (30% of the final grade)
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
The team is composed of :
- Céline Parotte
- Hélène Dodion