Comments about Master Development and Funding Practice - At the institution - London - Greater London
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Objectives
This pioneering course is run by The Development School (tds) and validated by London Metropolitan University. tds is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1999 to enable socially excluded peoples to direct their own change processes to address social justice issues that they feel are relevant to their futures. Based on their extensive experience with donors, tds have created a course which enables grantmakers to step back to look at the context for their work: how they are reading and understanding the environments in which they work; how they understand their own position and the nature of change and development in those environments - what sorts of processes and relationships they believe 'make a difference'; what they are looking for in potential grantees - how they assess which proposals are more rooted in an understanding of constituencies, creative in their response and 'change aware'; and how they view and play a role in the process of bringing about change and development through grantmaking. The primary aim of this course is to build the capacity of grantmakers to work and fund strategically and developmentally. This course helps donors to: -Understand and critically assess the prevalent frameworks, approaches and language of social development practice -See, read and make meaning of the richness of any social situation as a complex, dynamic and living whole including the influences of power and culture -Develop developmental funding strategies and practices -Develop their set of principles for professional grantmaking practice -Better understand their role and relationships in grantmaking relationships -Understand how organisations condition the context within which development practice is performed and critically analyse the space for development practice in their own organisation -Locate their own practice within contrasting conceptual frameworks and approaches to social development.
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Entry requirements
Applicants should normally have: -Extensive grantmaking experience -Ability to practice and use their learning from the programme -Questions/issues arising from their own practice which they wish to pursue through reflective enquiry during the programme -Ability to describe the individual and group processes that take place during situations of change and development -Commitment to social change -Maturity, openness to learning and potential to respond to the demands the programme will make on their personal development -Proficiency in written and spoken English
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Academic title
MA Development and Funding Practice
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Course description
Course structure
The course consists of six compulsory modules and a dissertation based on original research.
-Compulsory modules include:
-Social Development Frameworks and Approaches
-Reading and Making Meaning of Social Situations
-Developmental Funding Strategies and Practices
-Frameworks and Principles for Professional Development Practice
-Developmental Donor Organisations
The dissertation is a self-study module.
Assessment
Assessment includes a group action research project, critical analyses of current affairs materials, presentations, practical exercises and written self-reflective pieces. The dissertation of 10,000 words will be based on original research and will focus on the relationship between the theory and practice of developmental funding practice within your own context.
Career opportunities
It is expected that grantmakers will benefit from enhanced awareness of the issues surrounding development and funding practice, enabling them to adopt a broader perspective and a more professional approach. The course is also excellent preparation for further research.
Attendance and duration
Part-time: 2 1/2 years including six 7-8 day residential blocks at four-month intervals with interim e-support
