Development Policy and Practice University of Cape Town

Overview

The Development Policy and Practice programme at the University of Cape Town equips leaders with the skills they need to inspire and create meaningful change for public good. This vibrant and multicultural programme offers a unique perspective on leadership and caters for senior officials working in the public sector, civil society or international organisations, who grapple with distinct challenges. The Mandela School actively targets broad African participation, aiming at 50% representation from beyond South Africa and brings globally recognised faculty to the classroom with a rich combination of research and practical experience at senior levels of policy-making and implementation.

What will I gain from this programme?

MDPP students will learn to:

• Take a holistic view of development challenges, especially in the African context, based on specialist knowledge.

• Enquire and make sound judgements in specialised contexts by using relevant methods, techniques, processes, and technologies.

• Learn to draw on cutting edge comparative global and African continental knowledge and experience.

• Recognise the difficult ‘balancing acts’ associated with development policy formulation and implementation (e.g. difficult technical and ethical choices and taking into consideration the needs and demands of competing stakeholders in particular contexts).

• Design, implement and manage policy processes with a strong focus on communication and engagement with a range of audiences.

• Develop their competencies as motivated, self-regulated, lifelong learners in today’s technological age, who can devise their own learning strategies for sustained, independent learning, in both formal and informal learning contexts, for academic or professional development.