Course Title: Humanitarian Futures

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Humanitarian Futures

Credit Points: 12.00


Course Coordinator: Dr Panayiota Romios

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2674

Course Coordinator Email: panayiota.romios@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 37.5.42

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

The pace of change in the 21st century has clearly accelerated. We are seeing far greater leaps in education, technology, complexity, volatility, connectivity and networks that indicate that we are experiencing exponential leaps of change on key drivers of progress in this century. New technologies, distributed networks, power distributions and movements driving social change are opening up incredible possibilities unimaginable a decade ago. However, this is juxtaposed against a world that is increasingly becoming more unequal, more disconnected and more divided, with the real risk of increasing polarized societies, increasing natural disasters, protracted crisis and the overarching threats of climate change and global pandemics. Communities face a prospective future where more and more people feel unheard, feel a loss of control and do not trust the institutions and systems that play a role in framing their lives. Within this changing landscape, there are emerging new forms of humanitarian assistance as well as non-traditional actors who are in some cases are a lot more agile and effective than traditional aid organisations.

Anticipating crises of the future means not only developing more efficient relief delivery mechanisms and protection strategies, it means analysing the systems and environments driving change and shaping the future. Future and Foresight enhance our capacity to anticipate change in complex environments, surface hidden assumptions and uncover the leverages for change that we need in order facilitate global good. It shows us how to make sense of emerging trends, signals of change, their potential and real impact on development and humanitarian need. It pushes us out of our comfort zone, to consider the broader ecosystem context in which we operate and provoke us to design policies, processes and behaviours that are not merely an extrapolation of the present.

Futures and Foresight (FF) work has been a mainstay and influencer of decisions for most large corporates for many years. In recent years, it has begun to play a more important role in the planning and work of large humanitarian and development organisations. An FF approach aims to inject rigour, data, analysis and evidence that can help us predict and understand trends that will impact our work into the future. FF work can focus on long (20 years plus) or on short (within the next 5 years) and is primarily used to influence and inform organisational strategy, policy, prioritisation and focus. It will help us adapt, evolve and identify more effective ways to tackle complex humanitarian and development issues. FF work typically employs a variety of approaches that range from blend data analysis to visioning activities. When effectively developed they can have profound effects on what we do and how we do it.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

  • Critically reflect on socio-cultural diversity and values, world systems and the benefits of local and global development practices for communities engaged in development processes
  • Determine and apply the specialist knowledge and technical skills required to creatively solve problems, demonstrating expert judgment and ethical responsibility in your professional practice in international development
  • Professionally communicate propositions, processes and outcomes relating to international development to address specialist and non-specialist audiences
  • Use appropriate research methods to design and execute substantial projects, evaluate the outcomes and theorize about the contribution of your learning to the profession and knowledge area


In this course you will develop the following course learning outcomes

CLO 1: Understand and apply the specialist and technical skills of Humanitarian Futures

CLO 2: Learn how to professionally communicate impacts, processes and provocations of change on humanitarian and development programming

CLO 3: Develop the necessary skills in horizon scanning, trend analysis, scenario development, innovation experimentation

CLO 4: Use appropriate research methods to design and execute substantial projects


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities will take the form of:

  • Lectures and workshops, including guest presentations and practical demonstrations by experts in Futures analysis
  • Assignments, including the development of horizon scans, scenarios, Futures research design plans


Overview of Learning Resources

Learning resources will consist of recommended references and class notes which may be accessed through "myRMIT".

The set of references provided is deliberately broad, including books, journal publications, government reports, industry standards and handbooks, and web-based resources.


Overview of Assessment

Assessment 1: Horizon Scanning Exercise

Weighting (%): 20

This task assesses the following learning outcomes:

CLO 1, CLO 3, CLO 4

 

Assessment 2: Trend Analysis and Portfolio Presentation to Industry

Weighting of final grade (%):40

This task assesses the following learning outcomes:

CLO 2, CLO 3

 

Assessment 3: Individual Essay – 2,000 words

Weighting of final grade (%):40

This task assesses the following learning outcomes:

CLO 1, CLO 3, CLO 4