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MPA807

Development Administration Theory

This course introduces students to development theory and administration, exploring the meaning and origin of development planning. It covers related concepts like growth, underdevelopment, and modernization, along with underpinning theories. The course shifts to the environment of development administration, emphasizing economic, political, administrative, and socio-cultural factors. It also discusses development planning, public enterprises, privatization, and the importance of development.

About this course

Difficulty
Intermediate
Study hours
150 hours
Maths
Basic
Content
Theoretical, case study
Practical work
No
How it is assessed
  • Assignments
  • Tutor marked assessments
  • Final examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of MPA807, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

MPA807 · UNIT 1: Development; Meaning and Concepts

Development is often used in an exclusive economic sense; the justification being that the economy has a pervasive influence in all societies and also, the economy is itself an indicator of other socio-political features of a society. But development is a multi- dimensional concept, thus it could be economic, political, social, cultural or even human.

What you should be able to do

  1. Define development administration and related concepts
  2. Analyze the environment of development administration
  3. Evaluate development planning processes
  4. Assess the role of public enterprises and privatization
  5. Apply development theories to real-world scenarios

What it prepares you for

Careers
  • Policy Analyst
  • Development Officer
  • Public Administrator
  • Project Manager
  • Government Advisor
Where it is applied
  • Government
  • Non-profit Organizations
  • International Development Agencies
  • Consulting
  • Public Sector Management

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

  • Module 2: Related Concepts in Development Administration …

    Unit 3: Political Economy of Development Administration

    Understanding the interplay between political systems, economic policies, and societal development requires critical analysis.

  • Module 4: Development Planning

    Unit 3: The Planning Process in Nigeria

    The planning process involves multiple stakeholders and requires balancing competing interests and priorities.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 37 hours in total. Yours will differ.

  1. Week 1Module 1: Development; Meaning and Concepts
    • Unit 1: The Meaning of Development · 2 hours

      Define development administration. Differentiate between development administration and public administration.

  2. Week 2Module 1: Development; Meaning and Concepts
    • Unit 2: Features of Development · 2 hours

      Identify specific indices of development. Understand the scope of development. Analyze poverty and development challenges.

  3. Week 3Module 1: Development; Meaning and Concepts
    • Unit 3: Origin of the concept of development · 2 hours

      Explain the origin of development administration. Discuss the adoption of development administration by developing countries.

  4. Week 4Module 1: Development; Meaning and Concepts
    • Unit 4: Development Concepts and Related Theories · 3 hours

      Discuss development concepts (economic development, underdevelopment, colonialism). Examine theories of development (modernization, dependency).

  5. Week 5Module 1: Development; Meaning and Concepts
    • Unit 5: Development in perspective · 2 hours

      Identify the importance and characteristics of development. Discuss developmental values and instruments.

  6. Week 6Module 2: Related Concepts in Development Administration …
    • Unit 1: International perspective of development · 2 hours

      Explain the concept of development. Describe the characteristics of development.

  7. Week 7Module 2: Related Concepts in Development Administration …
    • Unit 2: Growth and Development · 2 hours

      Define growth. Explain the differences between growth and development.

  8. Week 8Module 2: Related Concepts in Development Administration …
    • Unit 3: Political Economy of Development Administration · 2 hours

      Define underdevelopment. Distinguish between underdeveloped and undeveloped countries.

  9. Week 9Module 2: Related Concepts in Development Administration …
    • Unit 4: What is Modernization · 2 hours

      Define modernization. Identify the attributes of modernization.

  10. Week 10Module 2: Related Concepts in Development Administration …
    • Unit 5: Relevance of Modernization to Growth and Development · 2 hours

      Explain the relevance of modernization to growth and development.

  11. Week 11Module 3: Environment of Development Administration
    • Unit 1 Economic Environment of Development Administration · 3 hours

      Identify economic, political and socio-cultural features of underdevelopment. Analyze administrative reforms in Nigeria.

    • Unit 2 Political Environment of Development Administration · 3 hours

      Identify economic, political and socio-cultural features of underdevelopment. Analyze administrative reforms in Nigeria.

  12. Week 12Module 3: Environment of Development Administration
    • Unit 3 Socio-Cultural Environment of Development Administration · 3 hours

      Identify economic, political and socio-cultural features of underdevelopment. Analyze administrative reforms in Nigeria.

    • Unit 4 Administrative Environment of Development Administration · 3 hours

      Identify economic, political and socio-cultural features of underdevelopment. Analyze administrative reforms in Nigeria.

  13. Week 13Module 3: Environment of Development Administration
    • Unit 5 Administrative Reforms in Nigeria · 4 hours

      Identify economic, political and socio-cultural features of underdevelopment. Analyze administrative reforms in Nigeria.

Preparing for the exam

What to do
  • Create a timeline of key development theories and their proponents (Units 1-4)
  • Compare and contrast the planning processes in India and Nigeria (Module 4)
  • Analyze the economic, political, and socio-cultural factors affecting development (Module 3)
  • Develop case studies applying development theories to specific countries or regions
  • Practice essay questions on the role of public enterprises and privatization (Module 5)

Questions students ask about this course

What is MPA807 about?

This course introduces students to development theory and administration, exploring the meaning and origin of development planning. It covers related concepts like growth, underdevelopment, and modernization, along with underpinning theories. The course shifts to the environment of development administration, emphasizing economic, political, administrative, and socio-cultural factors. It also discusses development planning, public enterprises, privatization, and the importance of development.

How many units does MPA807 have?

MPA807, Development Administration Theory, has 25 units across 5 modules, over 151 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is MPA807?

MPA807 carries 3 credit units, at 800 level in Management Sciences.

Is MPA807 hard?

MPA807 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical and case study work.

How long does MPA807 take to study?

About 150 hours of study, spread across its 25 units.

How is MPA807 assessed?

MPA807 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.

What can I do with MPA807?

Policy Analyst, Development Officer, Public Administrator, Project Manager and Government Advisor.

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