BSc International Disaster Management & Humanitarian Response / Course details

Year of entry: 2023

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Course unit details:
Emergency Humanitarian Assistance

Course unit fact file
Unit code	HCRI20212
Credit rating	20
Unit level	Level 2
Teaching period(s)	Semester 2
Offered by	Humanitarian Conflict Response Institute
Available as a free choice unit?	Yes

Overview

The course is relevant to students with a keen interest in pursuing humanitarian aid work in the future due to its practical focus. Providing an understanding of the principles of good practice in emergency humanitarian assistance with a health focus and its relationship to emergency healthcare capacity, the benefits and drawbacks of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance will be explored, considering its place in the UN response, the role of Government and non-government actors in the delivery of care to vulnerable populations, and the relationship of health to regional, national and international economics and politics.

The course will be delivered by expert practitioners, academics and policy makers/influencers. Students will be provided with an opportunity to contextualise and interrogate their learning through tutorial group sessions; the face to face elements will be supported with online materials. Students will need to contribute to focused on-line discussion board conversations as well as completing their private reading and research.

Aims

On successful completion of this module, a student will be expected:

To demonstrate an understanding of the influences of diversity in political, economic, social and health factors in times of emergencies
To develop a holistic understanding of complex health issues in times of emergencies
To understand the possibilities and limitations of emergency humanitarian medical assistance
To encourage critical analysis of emergency humanitarian assistance

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, a student will be expected:

To demonstrate an understanding of the influences of diversity in political, economic, social and health factors in times of emergencies
To develop a holistic understanding of complex health issues in times of emergencies
To understand the possibilities and limitations of providing emergency humanitarian medical assistance
To encourage critical analysis of emergency humanitarian assistance

Knowledge and understanding

Develop a critical understanding of the evolution of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance from a health perspective and describe the successes and weaknesses of current international plans
Understand the complexity and interdependence of a wide range of issues that require active management in these contexts

Intellectual skills

Critically interrogate the literature related to humanitarian complex emergencies
Develop a critical understanding of the challenges in addressing these crises
Reflect analytically on linkages between different aspects of complex crises as well as the interdependencies

Practical skills

Students will gain a familiarity with:

Health needs assessments
Human Resources and budget design for response
Project design and oversight as they relate to emergency humanitarian assistance.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Develop communication skills for a variety of audiences with differing professional perspectives
Work effectively in a team and engage stakeholders
Develop, plan and achieve individual research outcomes
Develop analytical skills and the ability to articulate ideas verbally and in writing
Develop confidence articulating ideas and opinions during group discussions

Employability skills

Other: - Editorial and analytical skills - Evidence-led decision-making - Putting together and maintaining arguments (useful for a marketing/awareness campaign or business case) - Oral and communication skills - especially in terms of comprehending large amounts of information and drawing reasoned conclusions - Meeting deadlines - Working autonomously and in groups

Assessment methods

Contributions to online discussion boards

10%

Group Project Design

30%

Essay

60%

Group presentations

Feedback methods

Feedback method	Formative or Summative
Written feedback on assignments	Summative
Verbal feedback via 1 on 1 meetings with students	Formative
Verbal and peer feedback on practice group presentations	Formative

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	22
Tutorials	11

Independent study hours
Independent study	167

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Darren Walter	Unit coordinator

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