Asignaturas - Máster universitario en unión europea

This course aims to equip students with methods for evaluating socio-economic programs and policies, with a focus on understanding available methods and studying specific cases within the context of the European Union. In our view, this course is particularly valuable within a Master's program focused on the European Union, as it emphasizes applied and multidisciplinary approaches. The primary goal of the course is to provide students with practical tools that enable them to assess the impact of policies and programs implemented within the European Union.

In contemporary public and private sector contexts, it is increasingly common to make informed decisions based on various types of evaluations. This course aims to introduce the fundamental methodology for conducting impact evaluations of programs or policies. Impact evaluation entails defining specific outcomes, outlining the objectives of the program or policy, and applying methods to ascertain the causal effects of the program or policy on these outcomes. This approach serves as the foundation for informing decisions regarding the impact evaluation of socio-economic programs or policies.

This course provides students with foundational knowledge for conducting impact evaluations of socio-economic programs. The course content focuses on cases that specifically address the evaluation of programs and policies implemented within the European institutions.

Although it is not compulsory, it is highly recommended some previous knowledge of basic statistics and econometrics. Moreover, the students should be able to bring and manipulate data. This is very useful to do hands on with the theory and to see that the methodology has, in the real world, useful applications.

Of course, all theory and cases make reference to socio - economic questions. In this sense, the students should be able to evaluate socio - economic programs and policies.

The students will be attended, by any means either phone, on-line plattform and particular e-mail of the teachers at any time during the working week.  Any questions you have regarding the different available tools will be addressed during the corresponding week of the course. Specifically, calls will be attended on Tuesdays throughout normal working hours, and internet inquiries will be addressed during the entire workweek. Students can be evaluated at UNED centers both in Spain and internationally using the available methodology. Online evaluations are also possible, given that most of the tasks assigned during the course are conducted online. Course materials necessary for completion will be provided either through the web or via email. Additional materials that students feel they need to pass the course can be directly requested via email.

We are copying this section exactly as it appears in the document submitted for Master's approval to ANECA.

COMPETENCIAS BÁSICAS Y GENERALES:

CG01 - Saber resolver problemas en entornos multidisciplinares relativos a la Unión Europea.

CG04 - Gestión de los procesos de comunicación e información. Expresión y comunicación eficaces a través de distintos medios y con distinto tipo de interlocutores a través de un uso eficaz de las herramientas y recursos de la Sociedad del Conocimiento (competencia en el uso de las TIC; en la búsqueda de información relevante; en la gestión y organización de la información; en la recolección de datos, el manejo de bases de datos y su presentación).

CG05 - Trabajo en equipo desarrollando distinto tipo de funciones o roles como Habilidad para coordinarse con el trabajo de otros; habilidad para negociar de forma Eficaz; habilidad para la mediación y resolución de conflictos; habilidad para coordinar grupos de trabajo o liderazgo (en el marco del aprendizaje) CG06 - Compromiso ético y respeto por las buenas prácticas educativas y científicas en relación con el desarrollo del aprendizaje.

CB6 - Poseer y comprender conocimientos que aporten una base u oportunidad de ser originales en el desarrollo y/o aplicación de ideas, a menudo en un contexto de investigación

CB7 - Que los estudiantes sepan aplicar los conocimientos adquiridos y su capacidad de resolución de problemas en entornos nuevos o poco conocidos dentro de contextos más amplios (o multidisciplinares) relacionados con su área de estudio

CB8 - Que los estudiantes sean capaces de integrar conocimientos y enfrentarse a la complejidad de formular juicios a partir de una información que, siendo incompleta o limitada, incluya reflexiones sobre las responsabilidades sociales y éticas vinculadas a la aplicación de sus conocimientos y juicios

CB9 - Que los estudiantes sepan comunicar sus conclusiones y los conocimientos y razones últimas que las sustentan a públicos especializados y no especializados de un modo claro y sin ambigüedades

CB10 - Que los estudiantes posean las habilidades de aprendizaje que les permitan continuar estudiando de un modo que habrá de ser en gran medida autodirigido o autónomo.

 COMPETENCIAS ESPECÍFICAS:

CE01 - Trabajar en contextos multidisciplinares que son los propios del ámbito de la Unión Europea y resolver problemas en dicho ámbito.

CE07 - Elaborar propuestas, informes y dictámenes sobre materias propias del sistema integrado de la Unión Europea.

CE11 - Afrontar y resolver problemas relacionados con la evaluación de programas y políticas públicas (particularmente los que se refieren a la Unión Europea)

CE13 - Evaluar el impacto de las normas (políticas y programas) introducidas para contribuir adecuadamente el proceso de decisión política en la Unión Europea.

CE14 - Analizar la economía de la Unión Europea interrelacionando todos sus aspectos

At the end of the course, we hope: 

- The students will know the main methods to conduct impact evaluation of socio-economic programs and policies

- The students will be able to do a "real" evaluation of a program or policy

- The students will be able to draw policy conclusions based on results of the evaluation of any policy or program

This course well be done using on-line learning methods. The student should work on each part of the contents in two ways. First, he/she should study the theoretical part, i.e., each of the methods and cases provided in the references. Second, he/she should work through exercises provided at the web (platform) using some statistical - econometric program. When necessary, the exersise either will contain a database where the student can experiment using the methods learned at the theoretical part or will be based on some previously done evaluation in the literature. Everything, exercises and data (as well as the proposed answers) will be available at the platform. UNED will provide access to the statistical - econometric programs available for students at the web, when the cases proposed require its use.

The book edited by The World Bank will be made available at the area Documentos of the platform. 

We will also make available all web addresses in the EU related to the evaluation of socio-economic programs and policies. As an example, most of the planned and done evaluations are at the following web:

https://ec.europa.eu/info/law-making-process/evaluating-and-improving-existing-laws/evaluating-laws/planned-evaluations_en

The main resource for the students is the on-line course on the aLF platform. All students will have access to the platform through proper identification. It is very important for the student to access the platform in a regular basis to participate in any activity proposed as well as to get informed.

Students will have access to conferences on-line, to activities done through AVIP rooms and to UNED TV and Radio platforms. Conferences and other activities will be announced through the web of the course in the platform.

In sum, resources available to students are:

1. Electronic mail either through the platform or individual e-mail of the teacher.

2. Forums of the on-line course

3. Task of the on-line course

4. Phone calls.

5. Postal mail.