Description 

The goal of this micro-credential is to provide a broad, practitioner-oriented introduction to evidence-based policy with a precise geographic focus on the Pacific. What is evidence-based policy? How should policy-makers weigh different types of evidence in their decision making? What data and evidence is available in the Pacific, and how should it be interpreted? How does Pacific migration affect communities left behind? How does increasing state capacity, for example through more police officers after civil conflict, affect power inequalities between men and women? We do not answer these questions with anecdotes and abstract theory. This is an empirical course and this micro-credential will offer answers to these important questions through applied case studies with detailed survey data and concrete examples. Over the micro-credential, enrollees will be brought from a gentle introduction to the key ideas in causal inference up to the frontier of research and policy practice. The micro-credential is designed to not require any prerequisites, but a quantitative social science background (e.g., economics) may be helpful and students should expect to engage with challenging, state-of-the-art quantitative research. It should be of interest to those with an interest in policy or the region, and those with an interest in development economics and development studies more broadly.

Case Studies presented in this micro-credential will be selected from the following list:

• Cases in labour economics: early child hood education (PEARL)
• Cases in labour economics: the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) program
  
• Cases in labour economics: brain gain in Fiji
  
• Cases in labour economics: long term migration from the Pacific
  
• Cases in governance and the state: community-driven development in the Solomon Islands
  
• Cases in governance and the state: improving tax compliance in Papua New Guinea
  
• Cases in governance and the state: policing and gender inequality in Papua New Guinea

Topics 

1. The credibility revolution and evidence-based policy
2. Data in the Pacific and statistical preliminaries
3. Policy and program evaluation—experimental and non-experimental techniques

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

1. Be aware of the different types of empirical evidence available for policy
2. Understand key differences between different types of causal evidence
3. Read, interpret, and evaluate empirical development studies
4. Be familiar with key topics in Pacific development and the latest research on them
5. Appreciate the role of empirical research in improving policy and development outcomes

Indicative assessment

Description 

Topics 

1. Economic development - overview
2. Unique features of the Pacific - and variation within the Pacific
3. Models of the Pacific: geography v institutions
4. Pacific economic trajectories
5. Aid and the Pacific
6. Economic reform and the Pacific
7. Governance and the Pacific
8. Tourism and the Pacific
9. Fisheries and the Pacific
10. Labour mobility and the Pacific

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

1. Apply theories of economic development to the Pacific
2. Be aware of key economic debates in relation to the Pacific
3. Understand major Pacific economic trends and profiles
4. Be familiar with key topics of central importance to the Pacific

Indicative assessment

Description 

Topics 

1. International Labour mobility policies
2. Relationships between Australia and partner governments, trade agreements and bilateral arrangements
3. How labour mobility works in practice – viewpoints of multiple stakeholders
4. Remittances and the migration-development nexus
5. Social and economic -Intended and unintended positive and negative consequences of labour mobility
6. Impacts of COVID-19 and future migration pathways

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

1. Demonstrate knowledge in regards to why these policies exist, what their operational practices are, how they affect those who participate in them and future migration pathways
2. Critically assess the importance and relevance of labour migration for various stakeholders
3. Understand concepts related to the migration- development debates and how they are relevant to contemporary Pacific labour mobility programs
4. Evaluate and communicate ideas about these new and evolving policies ensuring they maintain their internationally standings as “best practice” models

Indicative assessment

Description 

Topics 

1. PNG's economy - an introduction
2. Economic models for understanding PNG
3. PNG economic time series
4. Pre-independence PNG
5. The early years of independence
6. The 90s: crisis and reform
7. PNG and the resource boom
8. PNG today: after the boom
9. PNG and governance
10. PNG and economic reform

Learning outcomes 

Upon successful completion, enrollees will have the knowledge and skills to: 

1. Apply theories of economic development to PNG.
2. Be aware of key economic debates in relation to PNG
3. Understand PNG's economic history
4. Be familiar with key topics of importance to the contemporary PNG economy

Indicative assessment