Analysis of Governmental Policy

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2025-2026/AM_470571

Course Objective

To acquire critical knowledge on, and to master the correct use of, different policy models and theories; To further deepen your analytic skills with respect to the critical assessment of a complex societal question or dilemma in the health and life sciences; To learn to integrate scientific and non-scientific knowledge and skills; To practice skills in data collection and analysis; To learn to translate research findings into policy recommendations; To get experienced in writing a policy advisory report and to set up valid lines of argumentation; To improve your (communication) skills in working effectively in a project team through team building, team analysis and feedback.

Course Content

Governmental policy affects millions of people and is thus object of intensive debate and target of strong societal forces, including those exercised by political parties, media and interest groups. Being a policy advisor or policymaker requires a thorough understanding of the dynamics of policymaking, relating to (scientific) knowledge and expertise, interests and needs of individuals and organizations, as well as broader social structures and their influence on (deliberative) democracy. The course contains several lectures on theoretical concepts and models concerning analysis of policy and analysis for policymaking. Furthermore you will be challenged, under supervision, to apply and practice these concepts and models in a problem-based real-world research project with transdisciplinary elements. From the very first day, you will be part of a project team of about ten students. You are confronted with a real policy problem from an external commissioning institution (e. g. a non-governmental organization, a Ministry, an advisory council). During the course you will collect data by literature review and interviews and conduct an interdisciplinary analysis on the basis of which you provide an advice, written down in a report. Specific attention is paid to working in a project team and team building. On the last day of the course you present the outcomes of your report to a representative of the external institution who commissioned the project. In that presentation your team will highlight the main results of your analysis and defend the recommendations you propose.

Teaching Methods

Analysis of Governmental Policy is a part-time course of eight weeks (6 ECTS). Tuition methods include lectures, training workshops, and self-study. Attendance to lectures and project meetings is compulsory. In our experience, relying on self-study alone is insufficient to pass the exam.

Method of Assessment

40% Exam40% Project report 10% Individual project performance 10% Presentation

Literature

Buse, K., et al. (2023). Making health policy. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Note that this year we use the 3rd edition of this book.

Target Audience

Compulsory course within the Masterprogramme Management, Policy Analysis and Entrepreneurship for the health and life sciences (MPA) and the Societal differentiation of Health, Life and Natural Sciences Masters programmes. The course can be followed as an optional course for other Science Faculty Master program students at the VU University, but only when taken in parallel with Research Methods for Analyzing Complex Problems AM_1182). Please contact the course coordinator prior to enrollment if you belong to this group.

Custom Course Registration

Please note that Workgroups are formed through Canvas at the start of the course, based on the actual number of students that start with the course. It is not possible to enrol for workgroups otherwise
- unless announced via Canvas.

Recommended background knowledge

The project integrates the research design made and lessons learned from the compulsory MPA course "Research Methods for Analyzing Complex Problems."