LEARNING OUTCOMES
Core learning outcomes:
- Understanding different views about the causes of poverty
- Understanding the concept of market-based development, including the most common approaches
- Recognizing when market-based development approaches may be appropriate, and how market-based development supplements other development approaches
- Develop critical thinking skills to assess how well an intervention is embedded in the local context
- Understanding the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships in market-based development, and how to assemble and manage these partnerships
- Critically assessing the ethics involved in market-based development, especially the impact of unequal power balances
Credits: 6
Schedule: 05.09.2023 - 19.10.2023
Teacher in charge (valid for whole curriculum period):
Teacher in charge (applies in this implementation): Patrick Shulist, Sara Lindeman
Contact information for the course (applies in this implementation):
sara.lindeman@aalto.fi (primary instructor)
patrick.shulist@aalto.fi (usual instructor, but on paternity leave)
CEFR level (valid for whole curriculum period):
Language of instruction and studies (applies in this implementation):
Teaching language: English. Languages of study attainment: English
CONTENT, ASSESSMENT AND WORKLOAD
Content
valid for whole curriculum period:
The course introduces the concept of market-based development as it is broadly undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and other developing contexts; collectively, the Global South. Market-based development does not offer a panacea for poverty-alleviation, but rather offers a powerful set of tools that work in some situations. As such, we will discuss when market-based approaches, such as microfinance, value-chain development, entrepreneurial training, and last-mile provisions, are appropriate and effective. Moreover, we will help students understand how to effectively structure interventions by focusing on three key pillars:
- Context: interventions must be appropriately tailored to the specific political, institutional, scarcity, and historical contexts.
- Partnerships: given the complexity of market-based development, partnerships involving different NGOs, businesses, and government entities are critical.
- Ethics: it is imperative to understand the fundamental power imbalances at play, as well as the importance of not presupposing that outsiders (especially Europeans versed in a different institutional context) know what is best for local communities.
To help us understand the complexities and nuances of all of these topics, the course will have a number of guest speakers who represent a cross-section of the actors involved in market-based development. Moreover, students will have the opportunity to integrate this learning by undertaking a final group-based project focused on providing solutions to the challenges encountered in real-world market-based development interventions.
applies in this implementation
See full syllabus: Detailed syllabus
Assessment Methods and Criteria
valid for whole curriculum period:
Individual and group work
Exam
applies in this implementation
Component
Percent of Final Grade
Due Date
Individual Work
65%
Pre-session assignments
20% (10x2%)
Due before start of sessions at 09:30
Exam
45%
October 19, 13:00-16:00
Exam retake on December 12
Group work
35%
Create Group
Thursday, September 14th
Group contract
Tuesday, September 19th
Context Report
20%
Friday, September 29th
Presentation
15%
In class, sessions 8-11
Peer evaluation
Saturday, October 21st
Workload
applies in this implementation
Note: as a 6ECTS course, this course technically has 162 hours of time allotted to it (1ECTS=27 hours of work)
Estimate of overall working time, giving generous buffers: 110 hours, or roughly 15.5 hours of work per week for this 7 week course. See below for calculations.
The difference between the ECTS time (162 hours) and my estimate (110 hours) leaves ample room for people to explore the topic further, or in case they find that the course takes more time than average.
Individual work
12 sessions, approximately 2 hours of class time each = 24 hours
10 sessions with pre-session readings/assignment, average of 2.5 hours each = 25 hours
(note: the pre-session times range from 1.5-3 hours, with sessions 1-5 being the longest. I front loaded the session workload to give more time for assignments and exam prep at the end of the period)
Exam preparation = 20 hours (maximum)
Exam = 3 hours
Total: 72 hours
Group work
Group report: 20 hours
Group presentation: 15 hours
Miscellaneous (finding a group, coordination, group contract, etc.) = 3 hours
Total: 37 hours
Total:
DETAILS
Study Material
applies in this implementation
See full syllabus: Detailed syllabus
Substitutes for Courses
valid for whole curriculum period:
Prerequisites
valid for whole curriculum period:
FURTHER INFORMATION
Further Information
valid for whole curriculum period:
Teaching Language : English
Teaching Period : 2022-2023 Autumn I
2023-2024 Autumn IEnrollment :
Students are admitted to the course in the following priority order: 1) Management and International Business / Creative Sustainability students, 2) Exchange / CEMS students, 3) Other students.
applies in this implementation
See full syllabus: Detailed syllabus
Details on the schedule
applies in this implementation
Session #
Date
Day of week
Room
Topic
1
5-Sep
Tuesday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Using markets to address community needs
2
8-Sep
Friday
T004 (ground floor Biz)
NGOs and market-based development
3
12-Sep
Tuesday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
What is development? And what is the Global South?
4
14-Sep
Thursday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Traditional (non-market) approaches to development
5
19-Sep
Tuesday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
What is market-based development?
6
21-Sep
Thursday
M202 (2nd floor Väre)
Overview of the main approaches to market-based development
7
26-Sep
Tuesday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Entrepreneurship as a means of development
8
28-Sep
Thursday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Supporting market-based activity through developing financial infrastructure
9
3-Oct
Tuesday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Presentations
10
5-Oct
Thursday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Presentations
11
10-Oct
Tuesday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Market-based development in rural settings
12
12-Oct
Thursday
U006 (ground floor Biz)
Monitoring and Evaluation
Exam
19-Oct
Thursday
U157 U2 (Otakaari 1)
Exam: 13:00-16:00