APME72-Agricultural Project Planning and Management in Developing Countries

Module Provider: APD
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Prof Chittur Srinivasan
Email: C.S.Srinivasan@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

You will address the key challenges in the management of agricultural and development projects in developing countries. You will acquire the skills, tools and techniques for effective management of development projects at all stages of the project cycle – from project identification and formulation to implementation and evaluation. You will gain an understanding of management theory perspectives on organisational behaviour, motivation, leadership, conflict management and stakeholder engagement in developing country settings – focusing on the perspectives of the contingency school of management.

Aims:
This module aims to:

- Identify and explain key points in agricultural project planning.
- Demonstrate tools useful for agricultural project planning.
- Introduce central issues and principles of managing agricultural projects and programmes in the rural developing world, and in particular to demonstrate the perspectives of the contingency school of management; and,
- Make participants aware of the skills involved in managing some typical procedures, in particular those of budgeting and procurement.

Assessable learning outcomes:
At the end of this module, students should have learned the following:

- The project planning cycle and issues arising in project identification;
- The use of the 'logical framework' project planning tool;
- Scheduling;
- The basics of monitoring and evaluation.
- That managing projects in rural areas of developing countries may call for different management approaches than those used by managers in large businesses or in mainstream public administration;
- How organisations function;
- The nature of budgeting systems; and,
- How to operate tender procedures.

Additional outcomes:
In addition students should also be able:

- Appreciate the environment in which agricultural development projects are implemented in developing countries and the constraints and challenges that project managers are likely to face in such situations.
- Apply the various management tools and techniques introduced in the module to practical real life situations through case studies.

Outline content:
Lectures:

- Introduction to agricultural development projects: Project cycles and project failure
- Project Design I: Stakeholder analysis and problem trees.
- Project Design II: Logical frameworks and assumptions.
- Project Design III: Monitoring and evaluation.
- Work Planning I: Critical paths and bar charts.
- Work Planning II: Budgeting.
- Contingency ideas about project management.
- Organisation theory.
- Organisational culture.
- Mobilisation and Procurement.

Exercises:

- Constructing problem trees.
- Devising logical frameworks.
- Critical path analysis.
- Breakeven and variance analysis
- Budgeting exercise.
- Organisational culture case study.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
The module will be covered in 10 lectures supplemented with practical sessions to learn the use of tools and techniques.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures		20
Practicals classes and workshops		12
Guided independent study:		168
Total hours by term		200
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	50
Class test administered by School	50

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Relative percentage of coursework and class tests: 100%

End of module class test on tools and techniques of management: 50%

Essay involving literature review and reflective exercise: 50%

Formative assessment methods:

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy 'Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes', which can be found here: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmissionpgflexible.pdf
The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
50% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:
By submission of coursework during the resit period.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books:  None

2) Specialist equipment or materials:  None

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear:  None

4) Printing and binding:  None

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification:  None

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence:  None

Last updated: 30 March 2023