Structure of the Programme

The uniqueness of the programme lies in the development of the entire module in a way that the students are imparted inputs on the managerial domain along with the perspective domain. The application module focuses on using the perspective and the managerial domain in the development application.

1. FOUNDATION MODULE
• Communication Skills
• Computers and Information Technology
• Motivational Lab
• Economics
• Urban and Rural Sociology
2. PERSPECTIVE MODULE
• Development Perspective: Gender, Poverty and Participation
• Socio-Economic Development and Development Administrationm
3. MANAGEMENT MODULE
• Strategic Management in NGOs
• Legal Framework for NGOs
• Management Accounting
• Financial Management and Resource Mobilization
• Human Resource Management and Administering Development Organisation
• Organisation Behaviour and Development
• Social Engineering and Project Management
• Management Information System
• Social Research Methods
• Participatory Training and it’s Techniques
4. APPLICATION MODULE
• Micro Enterprise Development and Management
• Management of Micro Finance
• Management of Social Sector Initiatives
• Management of Natural Resources Initiatives
• Management of Rights and Governance Initiatives
• Development Communication
• Social and Rural Marketing
• Social Legislation and Public Advocacy
• Environment Impact Assessment
5. PROJECT WORK/INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT

1. Foundation Module
Communication Skills

The course is offered to help students understand the requirement of the NGO sector and to develop skills in oral and written communication in keeping with the need.

Computer and Information Technology

Information technology has been bringing about a radical transformation in the society, questioning the conventional wisdom. The technology has been successfully applied to improve efficiency, elegance and sophistication. Students are made to understand the elements of computer systems and information technology, the role and scope of computer and other IT applications in an organization.

Motivational Lab

The Lab is conducted to help students identify their entrepreneurial potential and to facilitate those factors which contribute to making of an outstanding entrepreneur. The lab also provides the students with the tools and techniques required for the creation of indigenous and resilient entrepreneurs who can perceive and seize opportunities available to convert them into successful enterprise. These tools and techniques are related to the course on micro – enterprise development and management.

Economics

With capital, labour and goods moving much more rapidly across national boundaries, with the spread of technological change revolutionizing production and information systems, and with the transition of societies from production of goods to production of knowledge, poor women and rural population are operating as economic actors in a distinctly changing context. Economic empowerment had been one of the major thrusts and a chosen strategy to remove poverty. This subject aims at orienting students towards various theories that have relevance to the third sector and also covers the mechanism used by the national government in planning development interventions and economic theories that guide nation’s development strategies and choice.

Urban and Rural Sociology

The rural/urban dichotomy in sociological thought: the classicists’ view of the country and the city; the processes of socio-spatial differentiation. Rural India, its people, and its natural resources play a vital role in the economy and the society. Unfortunately, the special issues and problems facing rural people and places receive little attention from policy makers or the national media, and few residing in urban or suburban area have any idea what it is really like to live an work in rural India today. The general goal is to introduce students to the problems of rural and urban sociology and to provide them with a general and a systematic view of the theoretical and contemporary debates. In this course, students will learn about the fundamental concepts, substance and methods used to learn the contexts so that one may critically evaluate and to better understand the society.

2. Perspective Module
Development Perspective: Gender, Poverty and Participation

The focus of this course is to make students imbibe within them the necessary perspectives which are the pillars of any development approach. Students also gain understanding of the tools and techniques that they would employ to mainstream these three perspectives in the programmes that they initiate and also doing them within their own organization. The course is on theoretical understanding, the methods, and processes, the constraints and issues involved in organizing the poor and marginalized.

Socio Economic Development and Development Administration

For a welfare state, development efforts are initiated as part of the state and its response to poor social and economic conditions. This paper introduces the students the concepts of development administration and gives them exposure to various administrative structures involved in development.

3. Management Module
Strategic Management in NGOs

The aim of this paper is to develop an understanding of the social, political and economic institutions – both urban and rural - , which are critical for successful and sustainable development. In this paper emphasis is laid on the tools which would help agencies involved in development determine the purpose and direction thereby establishing objectives and formulating strategies.

Legal Framework for NGOs

NGOs are registered under various acts and these often form the basis for their outlook. The course elaborates upon the legal and managerial aspects, the accountability systems as are incorporated in the Acts. Other laws applicable to NGOs are also covered in the course.

Management Accounting

Accounting is an important information system designed to assist organization achieve its goals. The course emphasizes the context, the needs, the significance and the importance of designing appropriate accounting system in management of NGOs. The course familiarizes the students with mechanics of book-keeping and accounting.

Financial Management and Resource Mobilization

Financial Management often contributes to the sustainability of NGOs. The course is designed to help students understand the tools and techniques that will help them in analyzing the income and expenses of the organization and of the projects they undertake. In addition this course will help students understand the tools and techniques which they would employ in obtaining resources (human, material and financial resources). The course deals on various practiced and innovative resource mobilization methods.

Human Resources Management and Administering Development Organisation

Human Resource- the most critical factor that contributes to NGOs effectiveness is dealt with. The course alongside the theoretical aspects focuses on the practices and the effectiveness of various models being employed by the third sector. Students not only get familiarized with key issues of HR management but also develop understanding on various tools and methods which NGOs can practice. Alongside the course also aims at developing the students understanding on other basic issues that any organisation may confront. This includes management of movable and immovable assets, office procedures etc. The course helps student develop systems of record keeping with a view to form a critical link in increasing organizational efficiency.

Organizational Behaviour and Development

The course aims at helping NGO students develop understanding on methodologies and techniques for bringing about organizational change and improvement by means of planned and systematic interventions. The course is expected to improve the capacities of students in diagnosing organizational problems along with helping them develop, formulate and execute intervention strategies. Alongside the course also deals with typology of leadership and covers aspects like organization culture and structures so as to provide a framework for understanding the nature and variety of work in organizations and behaviour of the individuals within organizations.

Social Engineering and Project Management

Various tools and techniques for social engineering and project management have been developed and effectively used by NGOs in understanding the socio-economic-political reality of society. These tools and techniques are dealt with in this course so as to equip the students with necessary skills for the effective and efficient management of the NGO and its projects.

Management Information System

Social Development needs to be measured and progress tracked. This is to be done to ensure the efficiency in the use of the already scarce resources that is spent. The course will help students develop understanding of the concept and the tools that could be used towards any social development programme management. The purpose will be to support the development of information system for monitoring and evaluation of social development programmes.

Social Research Methods

The paper makes an attempt to help students develop the development perspective in undertaking research. The participatory research technique, case study method, PRA and survey methods are discussed in length. The course provides students the theory as well as an understanding of the practice domain.

Participatory Training and it’s Techniques

Training has acquired an important role in public and private sector development organizations. However, most training activities tend to be an extension of classroom-style education, usually involving lectures as the primary medium of communication. Because every training situation is different, training program must therefore understand the special needs of participants. Care to handle and respect the principles of adult learning following the Experiential Learning Cycle is necessary. The inputs provided help the students gain insights to participatory methodologies and use them in designing and conducting capacity building programs.

4. Application Modules
Micro Enterprise Development and Management

Micro enterprise has emerged as an important strategy to address the twin issues of unemployment and poverty. This course develops the capabilities of the students to foster entrepreneurship among the communities traditionally not known for entrepreneurial quest in rural and urban areas. The students are equipped with various tools and techniques to identify viable opportunities and potential entrepreneurs and to match the two to create successful entrepreneurs. Various aspects of development and management of micro enterprises are also covered in this course.

Management of Micro Finance

Globally micro finance is emerging as a very crucial factor in development. Micro finance is seen as a very significant component in the development of the marginalized sections of the society. This course brings out the significance and growth of the micro finance institutions and provides the knowledge and skills required to implement and manage a sustainable micro-finance delivery system through NGOs.

Management of Social Sector Initiatives

This course aims at providing broad introduction to the issues related to rural service delivery initiatives undertaken by NGOs and Government. It brings out the significance of service delivery in rural areas and management of these in present context. The four major areas dealt in this paper are health, education, safe drinking water and housing and sanitation.

Management of Natural Resources Initiatives

Natural resources are responsible for supporting a variety of livelihood options to our rural population. There are national policies and programmes centering around the natural resources management. Students will be exposed to various initiatives of government and NGOs on NRM issues. The policy, programme and operational management of programmes will be dealt in this module.

Management of Rights and Governance Initiatives

While many countries have taken on the task to facilitate the participation of the public within the processes of governance, research indicates that there is often a tension between what is understood by civil society and government with regard to the principle of “public participation”, particularly beyond participation in the electoral process. Defining this concept seems even more problematic within the Indian context where caste-class-gender and other factors operate at varying levels and in radically different social, economic and cultural conditions. While debates continue towards the construction of the same it is understood that “civil society”, is central to the establishment of democratic governance in a country and that its participation is crucial for the consolidation of democracy, good governance and improved service delivery. The course helps students understand the context as well as develops in them an understanding towards promotion of the concepts of transparent, accountable and participatory governance.

Development Communication

Having been sensitized about various developmental issues in the courses on Public Advocacy and Environment Impact Assessment, this course helps equip the students to use media as an effective tool for documentation and communication and to address the NGOs’ needs to communicate effectively. By providing hands on experience in producing a video, the students are exposed to this medium as a communication tool and their skills will be developed to produce effective video in the context of development initiatives. Also the students are given inputs on applied communication i.e. proposal writing, preparation of annual reports and project reports.

Social and Rural Marketing

With a view to augment people’s livelihood the focus of rural marketing is on the role NGOs can play in the marketing of rural products covering agriculture, horticulture, cooperatives, cottage and industry products. The social marketing component deals with aspects such as the social marketing process, analyzing the social marketing environment and developing and managing social marketing programmes.

Social Legislation and Public Advocacy

Social legislation and policies are guidelines for the legislature, the judiciary and the administration to bring about an administrative system of securing justice; social, economic and political. The course helps develop in students a functional knowledge on social legislations and policies enshrined in the directive principles and fundamental rights of our constitution. It also orients the students on various international charters to which the country is a signatory, and will provide a basic orientation to the national policies so as to help the students develop a critical understanding of formulations and operations of such policies and legislation. Alongside the course also focuses on organisations who are engaged in some form of public advocacy actions. The course helps in developing understanding of this emerging science.

Environment Impact Assessment

With the growing environmental concerns globally, various interventions have been initiated to conserve the environment. Environment Impact Assessment has emerged as a powerful tool to substantiate the levels of its damage. The course is introduced as an effort to understand the various aspects and dimensions of the environment and to simplify and de-mystify this understanding so that even that common people understand its implications. The course would bring out the role of EIA plays in public hearing and the role of participation of the local people in such a process.

5. Project Work / Internship Programme

The Project Work/Internship Programme aims to broaden the perspective of the students by providing them with an opportunity to blend real life experience in an organization with the theories learnt in classrooms. The internship component provides opportunities to understand various aspects of the organization and also gives the organization a scope to know and obtain an independent assessment of a programme or a process. This internship programme is for a period of 5 weeks. At the end of the project the students prepare a thesis/report on their findings. The formal sharing of this thesis is done with a panel that includes academicians and practitioners, and is graded. The students are expected to provide a copy of their report to the host agency. Preliminary findings are also shared towards the end of the project work period in a formal session organized by the host NGO. A large number of students, while on internship, receive advance offers, i.e., before final placement, on the basis of their quality of work during summer assignments with the organization.

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