140354 UE PR1 - P I - PFA Introduction to Development Planning (2013W)

This course is designed to introduce the basic theory and practices in developing small-scale projects in a participatory way - projects that focus on communities or groups of people who are facing common problems. It introduces students to project cycle management (planning, implementation, monitoring & evaluation) and logical framework approach. Most importantly, students will learn the importance of defining problems not from the outsiders’ (etic) point of view but from the insiders’ (emic) point of view. Throughout the course, emphasis will be put on how to develop projects in a cooperative, participatory and ‘culturally-sensitive’ manner. Students will also learn possible consequences of developing projects in a NON-participatory way and what maybe the limits and problems of participatory approaches. The course will focus on the practical application of these concepts and approaches using some real examples and fictional case studies. Examples will be drawn from the lecturer’s own experiences mainly in South East Asia and in the field of Public Health but students can work on their own topic of interests in any country/city/town/community of their choice.