Reflective Case Study Writing for Development Practitioners

Azim Premji University, Bangalore

continuing education programmeJuly 29 to August 1, 2019

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Development practitioners acquire a great deal of experiential knowledge and insight through the course of their work and yet little of this enters public and academic discourse around development issues. When it does, it is rarely considered as persuasive as academic research, in part because it lacks systematic documentation, analysis, and reflection. For the individual practitioner, the process of writing reflectively about their practice can help to clarify and improve practice. For the organisation, creating a culture of reflective writing can lead to critical reflection on its own work and practice, and inform its future trajectory.

Case studies are a particularly effective way for development practitioners to document and reflect on their work and share their understanding for the purpose of teaching, research and informing public discourse. The case study could be about an intervention and its successes, limitations, challenges, and failures. It could also be of a system or a social phenomenon experienced by the author.

The course will introduce participants to the process of thinking systematically about their work and experience, reading and analysing written work, and writing a reflective case study which goes beyond simple documentation. It will introduce students to the principles of reflective case study writing, and build capacity for critical reading, systematic analysis, and the use of primary evidence and secondary data in a critical and ethical way.

What Does the Course Offer?The course will:

1) Strengthen participants’ comfort and ease with writing

2) Provide participants with observational, thinking, reading, and writing frameworks to improve the content and structure of their writing

3) Enable participants to write, revise, and complete one reflective case study of 3000 to 5000 words

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Course DetailsThe course will consist of four days of classroom engagement as well as pre and post-class elements. During the course, participants will be expected to develop a study. Those who submit the final case study will be awarded a certificate of participation by Azim Premji University.

Course Timeline

In-class components include:

1) Reading exercises: individual and group

2) Writing exercises: individual and group

3) Lecture and discussion: why case studies, reflective versus documentation styles, how to gather information, ethical considerations, developing an outline, feedback

4) Writing sessions: working on own case studies

5) Feedback sessions

Eligibility and SelectionThe course is meant for development practitioners with at least five years of work experience and English fluency. Consultants, journalists, reporters and others may join too. The course is not intended for students and research scholars. Participants are expected to bring their own laptops.

Course FeeRs. 4720 /- (including GST)

Rs. 1180 /- for field practice partners of Azim Premji University

Accommodation:For participants requiring accommodation for the 4-day program in Bangalore, the university can arrange for accommodation for Rs. 5900 (including GST) upon advance payment. Dinner/breakfast not included.

May 30, 2019 Submission of 200-300 word abstract and 200-300 word rationale for developing this case study. This submission is part of the application process and will be used to select participants for the course.

June 20 – July 28, 2019

Participants to collect relevant materials for case study (data, documentation) at their own locations

July 29 – August 1, 2019

4-day program in Bangalore

September 3 Submission of first draft of case study

September 7 Live webinar with instructor (Q&A)

October 7 Final submission of cases

November 4 Instructor sends feedback

November 15 Issuance of Certificates of Particiation (will be sent by post)

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Course DirectorsAparna Sundar

Aparna Sundar is a visiting faculty in the School of Development, Azim Premji University. She has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto, Canada, where she also teaches part-time. Her teaching and research is in a wide range of areas, including development theory, global politics; democracy, citizenship, and social movements; and work, labour, and livelihoods.

How to Apply?Candidates can apply by completing an application form and submit an abstract of the case study of 200-300 words, plus a 200-300 word write-up explaining why the participant thinks this case study is worth writing. The selection of participants will be made on the basis of structure, content, and language of the abstract and the rationale. The candidates will be informed about their selection for further processes and fee payment.

Application form link: https://bit.ly/2JjxHe6

Azim Premji University

Azim Premji University was established as a not-for-profit, private university under the Azim Premji University Act 2010. The University has a clear social purpose of working towards a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. Azim Premji University plays a critical role in developing new talent, building capacity in existing functionaries and creating domain knowledge in the fields of education and in development. The Azim Premji Foundation is the sponsor of the University. The roots of Azim Premji University lie in the learning and experience of a decade of work in elementary education by Azim Premji Foundation. The University is one of the Foundation’s key responses to the challenges confronting the education and development sectors in India. The University offers Bachelors’ degrees in Physics, Biology, Maths, Economics and Humanities and Masters’ degrees in Education, Development, Public Policy and Governance and LLM (Law and Development).