Stakeholders and Complex Systems
| Module title | Stakeholders and Complex Systems |
|---|---|
| Module code | POLM882DA |
| Academic year | 2022/3 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
This module will help apprentices develop the skills to perform in ill-defined problematic situations, characterised by competing priorities and uncertainty. The module serves to develop personal capacity to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to analysing complex situation. The material will consider topics from multiple areas such as psychology, sociology, political science, ethics and others.The module presents systems and complexity approaches related to modelling stakeholder management in civil service scenarios. Additionally, students will be invited to reflect on other contexts in which a deep understanding of people and organizations is fostered. The taught material will trace the evolution of conventional tools for stakeholder analysis and management, reviewing the evolution of these approaches from traditional to radical and systemic. This includes but is not limited to social network analysis and multi-level interplay between individuals and organisations. Students will explore strategies of communication and engagement as well as learn how to influence complex systems and networks.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will help apprentices meet a range of knowledge dimensions (K1, K2, K3 and K3) from the IATE Systems Thinking Practitioner standard.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Evidence understanding of theories and analytic tools for stakeholder analysis.
- 2. Evidence a critical and detailed understanding of the process of intervention in scenarios where stakeholder relationships need to be understood and managed.
- 3. Demonstrate the ability to model stakeholder relationships.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Relate concepts and theories to real-world examples, and then evaluate those concepts and theories.
- 5. Identify the interdisciplinary relationships between different theories, models and tools necessary for effective stakeholder analysis.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Present, evaluate and synthesise complex arguments effectively.
- 7. Develop autonomous learning skills, notably self-direction and time management.
Syllabus plan
The precise content may vary from year to year, however it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Stakeholder theory
- Approaches to stakeholder analysis
- Design of stakeholder interventions
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 70 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 20 | Lectures and workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 70 | Private study reading and preparing for the module and the assessment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster | equivalent to 1500 words | 1, 5, 7 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 100 | 4,000 words | 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Report 4,000 words | 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 | Next re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Freeman RE, Harrison JS and Zyglidopoulos S (2018). Stakeholder Theory: Concepts and Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Knoke, D., & Yang, S. (2019). Social network analysis. SAGE publications.
- Ulrich, W., & Reynolds, M. (2020). Critical systems heuristics: The idea and practice of boundary critique. In Systems approaches to making change: A practical guide (pp. 255-306). Springer, London.
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | none |
| Module co-requisites | none |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 12/01/2022 |
| Last revision date | 03/10/2022 |
