Prospectus

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Data-driven Policy Making

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

The course is open to MSc students from the LIACS masterprograms (ICTiBPS, MT and CS). There is only limited capacity for students from other programs. Other students who are interested in following this course, should contact the programcoordinator (ictinbusiness@liacs.leidenuniv.nl) for permission.

Description

New concepts try to grasp the way the public realm is working with big data, such as the ‘Data Readiness Concept’ and ‘Digital-era Governance’. They are built on the assumption that data- and technology-driven innovations in government need an infrastructure for creating value from data and closely linked to the e-government idea of technologies transforming government towards being more responsive and accountable. The course will unravel these more recent concepts and connect them to the existing concept of evidence-based policymaking and the literature on e-government and new public management. Taken together, these approaches to data-based policymaking carry different labels, but they converge on several themes. First, the idea that government entities require the capacity, skills and data culture to deal with this type of evidence. Second, the role of big data in policymaking, where government uses various information policy instruments for reaching policy goals. Finally, the idea that this data is used by government to engage citizens and digitize public services. These themes will be addressed throughout the course

Course objectives

Putting the data movement in policy into the theoretical context of various existing research streams as well as contrasting the data-based promises with the reality of making data-driven decisions in the public sector by looking at concrete examples from the areas of infrastructure, climate change and healthcare.

  • ICT in Business Students: Gain an understanding of how data is utilized in the policy-making process.

  • MPA & GofS Students: Analyze the opportunities and limitations of data in different policy sectors.

Timetable

The schedule can be found on the Leiden University student website

In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.

Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.

Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.

Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.

Mode of instruction

The course contains a mixture of lectures, guest speakers, in-class group assignments and discussions. Interaction and discussions during class are based on the assigned readings that must be read in advance of the class.

Assessment method

Essay (30%)
Final Paper (70%)

The teacher will inform the students how the inspection of and follow-up discussion of the exams will take place.

Reading list

Literature and additional information will be available on Brightspace two weeks before the start of the course.

Registration

There is only limited capacity for external students. Please contact the programme Co-ordinator
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.

In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.

There are two enrolment periods per year:

  • Enrolment for the fall opens in July

  • Enrolment for the spring opens in December

See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.

Note:

  • It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.

  • Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.

  • Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.

Contact

Programme Co-ordinator: ms. Esme Caubo

Course Co-ordinator: Prof. Sarah Giest

Remarks

There is only limited capacity for external students. Please contact the programme Co-ordinator

Also register for every course in Brightspace. Important information about the course is posted here.

Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.