Course Overview

Duration: 8 Weeks (2 Months)
Format: 2 sessions per week (Lectures + Workshops/Seminars)
Total Contact Hours: ~32–40 hours

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the relationship between social policy, development policy, and governance.
• Examine how social policy promotes equity, welfare, and inclusive growth.
• Analyze policy design and implementation in key social sectors (health, education, employment, social protection).
• Evaluate development strategies through the lens of social justice and sustainability.
• Design practical and evidence-based policy recommendations for social development challenges.

Course Outline

Week 1 – Introduction to Social and Development Policy

• Topics:
  • Concept and Scope of Social Policy
  • Evolution of Development Policy and Theories of Development
  • Linkages between Social Policy and Economic Growth
• Activity: Group discussion on social vs. economic policy priorities
• Reading: Mkandawire, Social Policy in a Development Context

Week 2 – Theoretical Foundations and Approaches

• Topics:
  • Welfare State Models and Social Justice
  • Development Paradigms: Modernization, Dependency, and Human Development
  • Rights-Based and Capability Approaches (Amartya Sen)
• Workshop: Comparative analysis of welfare regimes
• Assignment: Short essay on “Social Policy as a Tool for Development”

Week 3 – Poverty, Inequality, and Social Inclusion

• Topics:
  • Understanding Poverty and Inequality
  • Social Exclusion and Marginalization (Gender, Disability, Ethnicity)
  • Policy Responses and Poverty Alleviation Strategies
• Case Study: Conditional Cash Transfer Programs in Latin America or Pakistan’s BISP
• Exercise: Design a small-scale poverty intervention framework

Week 4 – Social Sectors and Human Development

• Topics:
  • Education, Health, Housing, and Employment Policies
  • Human Development Index (HDI) and Social Indicators
  • Policy Challenges in Service Delivery and Access
• Workshop: Policy gap analysis of national education or health policy

Week 5 – Development Policy and Governance

• Topics:
  • Development Planning and Policy Implementation
  • Role of Institutions, Bureaucracy, and Political Will
  • Decentralization and Local Governance in Development
• Case Study: Local governance reforms and SDG implementation
• Assignment: Policy memo on governance for inclusive development

Week 6 – Social Protection and Welfare Systems

• Topics:
  • Social Safety Nets, Pensions, and Universal Basic Income
  • Labor Market Policies and Informal Sector Protection
  • Role of International Organizations (ILO, UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank)
• Workshop: Design a social protection policy proposal

Week 7 – Global Development Agendas

• Topics:
  • Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030
  • Human Rights, Equity, and Environmental Sustainability
  • International Aid, Donor Policies, and Development Effectiveness
• Seminar: Critically evaluate one SDG in your national context
• Reading: UNDP Human Development Report (latest edition)

Week 8 – Policy Innovation and Capstone Project

• Topics:
  • Innovation and Technology in Social Development
  • Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Community-Based Approaches
  • Future of Social Policy in a Changing Global Order
• Capstone Project:
  • Develop a 5-page policy proposal addressing a national or local social/development challenge (e.g., youth unemployment, gender inequality, climate resilience).
  • Group presentations and peer review