BSc International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response and Chinese / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Governing Aid

Course unit fact file
Unit code HCRI11081
Credit rating 20
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? Yes

Overview

This is an optional unit for HCRI students taking the BSc in International Disaster Management.

This course introduces students to the core concepts of governance and government, and critically explores the different institutions and scales at which governance takes place in the international system. It will introduce students to the  main actors in humanitarian governance (e.g. donor governments, UN agencies and international NGOs), the international legal and normative frameworks that are central to the governance of aid (e.g. international humanitarian law, international refugee law, the Sendai framework etc), and to questions of quality and accountability. It will ask the question ‘Who governs?’ and invite reflection on how governance is organised and accomplished. A key focus of the course will be on exploring how different actors might navigate and participate in international governance.

Aims

  • This course unit aims to provide students with an introduction to the main concepts and theories of international governance
  • Students will develop a familiarity with the main actors in humanitarian governance (e.g. donor governments, UN agencies and international NGOs and the international legal and normative frameworks that are central to the governance of aid (e.g. international humanitarian law, international refugee law, the Sendai framework etc),
  • Students will explore questions of quality, power and accountability in the context of humanitarian governance

Teaching and learning methods

This course taught through one 2-hour lecture and one 1-hour seminar per week. The lectures will be supported by case studies that will include descriptive cases. Exercises will be student-led based on the reading and facilitated by the seminar leader or lecturer.  

Knowledge and understanding

Knowledge and understanding of:

  • Key theories and concepts relating to governance and government at the international level;
  • Institutions of humanitarian governance;
  • Roles and responsibilities of humanitarian actors
  • The role of politics in the governance of aid
  • The complex formal and informal power dynamics at work in humanitarian governance.

Intellectual skills

  • Critically interrogate the literature related to international rules, norms and organizations
  • Develop a critical understanding of the relationship between politics and international governance, using contemporary and historical case studies
  • To be able to analyse and compare different actors’ abilities to inform, navigate and influence international governance institutions.  

Practical skills

  • Demonstrate analytical and debating skills with peers and tutors through tutorials and online discussions and forums
  • Show effective use of library resources drawing relevant literature, and seeking out information through the use of virtual sources to underpin learning and gathering information for written work.
  • Presentation skills

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Develop communication skills for a variety of audiences
  • 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

Group/team working
Teamwork; recognising and identifying views of others and working constructively with them.
Oral communication
Presentation; capacity to make oral presentations, using appropriate media for a target audience.
Other
Information Retrieval; ability independently to gather, sift, synthesise and organise material from various sources (including library, electronic and online resources), and to critically evaluate its significance; time management; ability to schedule tasks in order of importance; improving own learning; ability to improve one's own learning through planning, monitoring, critical reflection, evaluate and adapt strategies for one's learning.

Assessment methods

Assessment Task

Formative or Summative

Weighting

Group Presentation

Summative

30%

Essay Plan

Formative

0%

Essay

Summative

70%

 

Feedback methods

Written feedback

All summative assessments

Oral feedback on presentations

Formative

Additional feedback available verbally in office hours

Formative & Summative

Recommended reading

Barnett, M. 2013. ‘Humanitarian Governance’, Annual Review of Political Science, Vol. 16, pp. 379-398.

Wilkinson, R 2005. The Global Governance Reader. Abingdon: Routledge.

Fassin, D, 2007. ‘Humanitarianism: a non-governmental government?’ in Michel Feher (ed) Non-governmental politics. London: MIT Press.

Lautze, S., Raven-Roberts, A., & Erkineh, T. 2009. Humanitarian governance in the new millennium: an Ethiopian case study. Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG).

Mac Ginty, R., & Peterson, J. H. (2015). The Routledge Companion to Humanitarian Action. Routledge.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Seminars 10
Independent study hours
Independent study 170

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Catherine Arthur Unit coordinator

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