Ateneo - UPO

The course aims to provide students with the first tools for the analysis and evaluation of public policies. To this end, particular importance will be given to data production, collection and validation processes.

Handbook:
Antonio La Spina, Politiche pubbliche. Analisi e valutazione, Bologno, Il Mulino, 2020.
For students attending: Chapters 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
For all other students: everything

The aim of the course is to provide basic knowledge regarding the analysis and evaluation of policies. At the end of the course students will be able to distinguish and analyse the phases of the policy cycle, use appropriate tools and methods for policy evaluation and understand and manage convenient databases for monitoring and evaluation.

No formal requirements.

The course is divided into 10 lectures. In each lecture a reference framework of the topics covered is provided and abundant space is dedicated to practical activities. Attendance is strongly encouraged.
Slides, if any, will be made available to students on the Uniupo Virtual platform (dir.uniupo.it).
Based on University provisions and subject to changes in the health situation and in the related safety protocols, lessons will be held in presence.
Questions, comments, observations are welcome at any time of the lecture. These interruptions do not cause disturbance, on the contrary, they allow to better "explain" what is treated by the teacher.

The teacher could add further material during the course.

The choice whether to attend the exam as attending or not attending student depends on the student him/herself. The teacher does not determine the "category" of attending or non-attending. The syllabus is the same.
At the end of the course there will then be an oral test of three-to-five questions aimed at verifying learning, correct exposure, and the ability to make connections between the topics covered. This test will start from the practical work carried out in the classroom. For non-attending students the exam will focus on the entire text.
Warning: It will in no way be possible to access the exam session without prior registration on the platform. Students are required to come to the exam with a university badge and an identification document. Non-registered students and students without a valid ID will not be admitted.

The course will offer some notions regarding the analysis and evaluation of public policies. Secondly, in-depth studies relating to specific policies will be proposed (also in the form of exercises, if the number of students allows it) and the use of data for the management of public policies.
More specifically, the course will develop around the following topics:
- the analysis and evaluation of public policies: introduction, role, objectives;
- the policy cycle;
- research methods in the analysis and evaluation of public policies;
- the importance of information: "knowing to decide";
- data for public policies: from official sources to new sources;
- the use of data for public policies: examples and exercises.
- ex ante, in itinere and ex post evaluation
- the evaluation of administrative structures, public finance and social impact
During the course, the analysis of cases relating to the various areas of social policies will be proposed. These analyses will be useful to students for simulations and exercises in order to experience the difficulties to be faced in the analysis and evaluation of policies and in the process of collecting and selecting information/data.

At the end of the course, students will be able to distinguish and analyse the phases of the policy cycle, propose appropriate tools and methods for its evaluation and understand and manage appropriate databases for monitoring and evaluation. They will also possess the linguistic and logical tools to communicate the knowledge acquired.