This module takes insights from recent work in philosophy of science and social science to help students understand how policy is developed and how it can be done better. The primary focus will be on the evidence-based policy movement. Questions that will be addressed include the following. What is evidence? How can policy makers move from evidence to policy? Can evidence be moved from one context to another? Should evidence be objective? What is objectivity in policy making? What role do values play?
In this module students will look at a number of cases. Cases may include child protection, policing, HIV/AIDS policy, and international nutrition programmes. These are likely to change annually in line with what is currently interesting and relevant.
This module will be delivered via weekly lectures and seminars. Students will be assessed by writing a mid-term policy report (2000 words) and an end-of-term essay (2000 words).