Policy Design and Implementation

Undervisningsspråk

English

Krav til forkunnskapar

GEO-SD304 or other adequate background in modelling

Læringsutbyte

Students develop skills for designing feasible policy structures in system dynamics models, comparing alternative policies in terms of expected costs & effects, and designing simulators to aid communication of model-based policy options to policy-makers and staff.

Kontaktinformasjon

Department of Geography

studieveileder@geog.uib.no

http://www.uib.no/rg/dynamics

Undervisningssemester

Spring

Eksamenssemester

Spring

Undervisningsspråk

English

Studienivå

Master / Ph.D.

Krav til studierett

The course is open to students enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus master program and to graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Bergen if they have taken GEO-SD304 or other courses that provide an adequate background in System Dynamics.

Mål og innhald

This course embraces a key purpose of system dynamics modelling: improving the behaviour of social systems by designing feasible, cost-effective, and transparent public policies with minimal adverse unintended consequences. The focus is on public policies, but business policy design is also discussed and demonstrated. Students gain experience using a structured method for policy design and evaluation that reflects an informed view of institutional and cultural constraints on policy feasibility and outcomes, including costs and benefits. Students also develop skills for interacting with those for whom the modelling work is done, including elicitation of information about the dynamic problem, relevant organizational procedures, and potential obstacles to implementing new policies. In addition to learning from the lectures, students gain hands-on experience by weekly assignments and a project. The reading list includes a primary textbook and supplemental material.

Læringsutbyte/resultat

Students develop skills for designing feasible policy structures in system dynamics models, comparing alternative policies in terms of expected costs & effects, and designing simulators to aid communication of model-based policy options to policy-makers and staff.

Krav til forkunnskapar

GEO-SD304 or other adequate background in modelling

Fagleg overlapp

None

Undervisning og omfang

The course consists of lectures and computer lab activities, short in-class assignments, weekly written assignments, and a major project requiring a written report, a model, an interactive learning environment, and a presentation. Course meetings include 36 lecture hours and 18 hours of lab assistance over a 6-week period (two lectures and one lab per week) from mid January until early March.

Obligatoriske arbeidskrav

Passed mandatory assignments

Vurderingsformer

4-hour written exam.

Assessment is carried out by means of evaluation of individual assignments and an exam. To sit for the exam, the student must have passing marks on all the assignments. In addition, the grade is based on a project report and its presentation. The written exam counts 50% of the final grade and the project counts 50%. However, to pass the course, students must receive passing grades on both the project and the written exam.

Karakterskala

An ECTS grade is provided to the student at the end of the course according to the A-F scale.

Emneevaluering

GEO-SD308 will be evaluated at least every third year.

Kontaktinformasjon

Department of Geography

studieveileder@geog.uib.no

http://www.uib.no/rg/dynamics