m management of development van hall larenstein university
TRANSCRIPT
Vlindersingel 220
NL 3544 VM Utrecht
+31 30 87 820 87
www.AeQui.nl
M Management of Development
Van Hall Larenstein University of
Applied Sciences
Report of the limited programme assessment
18 and 19 May 2011
Utrecht, The Netherlands
August 2011
www.AeQui.nl
Assessment Agency for higher Education
M Agricultural Production Chain management August 2011 3
Table of contents
Table of contents ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Colophon ................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................. 7
1. Intended learning outcomes................................................................................................................................ 9
2. Teaching-learning environment......................................................................................................................... 12
3. Assessment and achieved learning outcomes ................................................................................................... 20
Attachments .......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Attachment 1 Assessment committee................................................................................................................... 26
Attachment 2 Program of the assessment ............................................................................................................ 29
Attachment 3 Quantitative data............................................................................................................................ 31
Attachment 4 Final qualifications.......................................................................................................................... 32
Attachment 5 Overview of the programme........................................................................................................... 34
Attachment 6 Documents...................................................................................................................................... 35
Attachment 7 Declarations of independence........................................................................................................ 36
4 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Summary
On 18 and 19 May 2011 an assessment committee of AeQui has performed an assessment of the master-
programme Management of Development (MoD). The overall judgement of the committee regarding the quality of
the programme is good.
MoD is a 1-year full-time programme with a total of 70 EC. It is composed of a 9-month taught course in Wagenin-
gen and 3-months of thesis research in the students’ home country in collaboration with their professional organi-
zation. The MoD programme has a generic part and four specializations: Rural Development and HIV/AIDS (RDA),
Rural Development and Communication (RDC), Rural Development and Food Security (RDF), and Rural Develop-
ment and Gender (RDG).
The MoD programme teaches its students on current trends and discourses concerning rural development and the
ways to bring about organizational change.
The programme is unique in the Netherlands and Europe, first of all due to application of theory into practice while
other programmes are often more academically oriented. Secondly the MoD programme focuses on the main-
streaming of specific development issues in rural development organizations taking into consideration the room for
manoeuvre and the possible consequences for its organizational structure and functioning. This does not feature as
prominently in the programmes of other universities. Finally, the MoD programme includes a thesis research in the
home countries of students, an aspect rarely seen in other educational programmes.
Intended learning outcomes
The assessment committee qualifies the intended
learning outcomes as good. Although the profes-
sional field is in transformation, the assessment
committee noted that the qualifications meet the
requirements from the professional field well. This
corresponds to the special needs of the applicants
who have several years of relevant work experience.
The MoD programme has a clear profile. All lecturers
involved are keen on actual developments.
Teaching-learning environment
The assessment committee qualifies the teaching-
learning environment as excellent. The programme is
mature. It is keen on current developments and has a
strong focus on international development coopera-
tion. In each module students are placed in a practi-
cal, complex situation, are assigned a role and are
asked to undertake specific actions, leading to a
result. Students learn to take increased responsibility
for their own learning. During the entire process and
through the assessment, students reflect on their
actions. Students are enthusiastic about this Compe-
tence Based Learning and have confidence they can
apply the knowledge and skills they have learnt. The
fact that there is a strong focus on application in the
programme is a great benefit to students as well as
their professional environment. As a part of CBL
students would appreciate more opportunities for
reflection.
The lecturers together form an excellent part of the
programme. Most teachers travel around the world,
undertake international projects and spot new
trends at an early stage. Their way of coaching stimu-
lates and motivates students, because they work
together with students in a fraternal way. Many spe-
cialists are also aligned with the programme, which
means the quality of the guest lecturers is high. The
assessment committee hopes the good level of guest
lecturers will be maintained.
Assessment and intended learning outcomes
The assessment committee qualifies the assessment
and achieved learning outcomes as satisfactory.
As the competences are leading for the assessments,
it is assured that the actual competences are as-
sessed. Therefore, the assessments are valid in the
sense that they measure the criteria explicitly stated
in the competence descriptions.
MoD students do individual applied research projects
that include fieldwork in their home countries. They
M Management of Development August 2011 5
study specific problems of their organizations leading
to grounded realistic and applicable recommenda-
tions. The outcome of the research – the thesis re-
port – is presented and defended in a colloquium. In
this final assessment, the student has to show that
theoretical concepts have been mastered, correctly
applied and used to address existing problems, and
exhibit the ability to present, defend, discuss and
convince the examiners with coherent arguments.
Without a doubt the students reach the Master’s
level, but the assessment committee found some
weak spots in some of the thesis reports. Students
only have a short period of time to do field research,
analyse the data and write their thesis report. The
assessment committee noticed that sometimes this
did not result in a strong connection between the
problem definition and the recommendations.
Recommendations
Apart from the positive findings, the assessment
committee noticed some fields for further improving
the programme.
The role and position of the thesis process could be
reconsidered, since it has a strong scientific focus at
the time. For a professional Master’s programme a
focus on application might be a better match, espe-
cially considering the professional backgrounds of
the students.
The assessment committee has the impression that
there is not always enough time for the students to
reflect. Students say that the work pressure during
the 1-year programme is high. They learn a lot in a
short period of time, so they feel there is no time left
to reflect on what they have learned and how know-
ledge and skills can be integrated. Especially develop-
ing a professional attitude (for instance through
interaction with people from different cultures and
with different backgrounds) demands time for reflec-
tion and adjustment. Attitudes only change gradually,
this takes time. Therefore, students and alumni feel
the most important part of the reflection takes place
after graduation, when they are back home and can
become fully aware of the changes, in themselves
and in their practice.
In the contacts between alumni and lecturers the
progress in their careers and the challenges they
face, are being discussed. Such information from
alumni for instance contributed to the decision to
give special attention to conflict transformation in
one of the sub-modules of the RDC specialization
and to lobbying and advocacy in RDG.
The assessment committee has great respect for the
initiative to provide a Post Graduate diploma. Since
students might lose their job when they do not re-
ceive their Master’s degree and come back empty-
handed, the Post Graduate diploma (PG diploma) is
very important to them. The assessment committee
therefore wishes VHL will keep this PG diploma, or
otherwise will find a good alternative that can stand
up to legal regulations.
As a last remark, the assessment committee wishes
the good level of guest lecturers to be maintained.
All three standards of the NVAO assessment framework are assessed positively and hence the review committee
awards a positive recommendation for the accreditation of the programme.
On behalf of the entire review committee,
Utrecht, August 2011
Ir. R.S. Kloosterman A.J.C. van Noort MScMC
Chair Secretary
6 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Colophon
Institute and programme
Institute: Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Address: Droevendaalsesteeg 2, 6708 PB, Wageningen
Telephone: (0317) 48 62 30
Status institution: publicly funded
Result of institutional assessment: applied for
Programme: Management of Development
Level: Professional Master
Number of credits: 70 EC
Specialisations: Rural Development and HIV/AIDS (RDA)
Rural Development and Communication (RDC)
Rural Development and Food Security (RDF)
Rural Development and Gender (RDG)
Nomenclature: M Management of Development
Location: Wageningen
Mode of study: fulltime
ISAT: 70057
Data on intake, graduates and drop-outs: see attachment 3.
Responsibility for the quality of the programme: G. Oosterhof, VHL Wageningen Programme Director.
Assessment committee
Ir. R. Kloosterman, chair
Prof. A. Fuller, domain expert
O. Ntjenje MSc, domain expert
Dr. F. van Schoubroeck, domain expert
W. van Weperen MSc, domain expert
A. de Brouwer, student
A. van Noort MScMC, secretary
The Committee was presented to the NVAO for approval.
The assessment was conducted under responsibility of
AeQui VBI
Vlindersingel 220
3544 VM Utrecht, The Netherlands
+31 30 87 820 87
www.AeQui.nl
M Management of Development August 2011 7
Introduction
Van Hall Larenstein (VHL) is part of Wageningen University and Research centre (Wageningen UR). Courses are
provided at three locations: Leeuwarden, Velp and Wageningen. With a a staff of more than 400 FTE, VHL provides
education to more than 4,000 students in 14 registered Bachelor courses, 3 Master and 6 Associate Degree courses.
Van Hall Larenstein offers programmes that focus on nature and the environment, health of both humans and ani-
mals and sustainable entrepreneurship.
The institute
Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
(VHL) offers two professional Master’s Programmes
at Wageningen: Management of Development (MoD)
and Agricultural Production Chain Management
(APCM). The MoD programme is intended for profes-
sionals working within government and non-
governmental rural development organizations and
professionals working as specialists or consultants in
rural development. Applicants must hold a first de-
gree in life sciences or a Bachelor’s degree in rural
development or a related field, have at least two
years of work experience functioning in middle man-
agement positions and an aspiration to achieve
higher positions. The majority of students comes
from developing countries and are mostly financially
supported with Nuffic scholarships. A number of
students are supported by their own organization.
The programme
MoD is a 1-year full-time programme with a total of
70 EC. It is composed of a 9-month taught course in
Wageningen and 3-months of thesis research in the
students’ home country in collaboration with their
professional organization. The MoD programme has
a generic part and four specializations: Rural Devel-
opment and HIV/AIDS (RDA), Rural Development and
Communication (RDC), Rural Development and Food
Security (RDF), and Rural Development and Gender
(RDG).
The MoD programme teaches its students on current
trends and discourses concerning rural development
and the ways to bring about organizational change.
The programme is unique in the Netherlands and
Europe, first of all due to application of theory into
practice while other programmes are often more
academically oriented. Secondly the MoD pro-
gramme focuses on the mainstreaming of specific
development issues in rural development organiza-
tions taking into consideration the room for ma-
noeuvre and the possible consequences for its or-
ganizational structure and functioning. This does not
feature as prominently in the programmes of other
universities. Finally, the MoD programme includes a
thesis research in the home countries of students, an
aspect rarely seen in other educational programmes.
The assessment
Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
(VHL) has assigned AeQui VBI to perform a quality
assessment. In close co-operation with VHL, AeQui
has convened an independent and competent as-
sessment committee.
A preparatory meeting with representatives of the
programme has taken place. In this meeting the
program for the site-visit and the interviewees were
determined, see attachment 2.
8 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Two weeks prior to the site-visit, Van Hall Larenstein
announced the open consultation to students and
staff. Neither students nor staff has used this possi-
bility.
The assessment committee has made a choice of
theses over the last two years, and has reviewed
these theses. The results of this review were input
for discussions during the site-visit, see chapter 3.
The committee assessed in an independent manner;
at the conclusion of the assessment the results were
presented to representatives of the programme.
The concept of this report was sent to the repre-
sentatives of the programme; their reactions have
led to this final version of the report.
M Management of Development August 2011 9
1. Intended learning outcomes
The intended learning outcomes of the programme have been concretised with regard to content, level and orientation; they meet international requirements.
Explanation: As for level and orientation (bachelor’s or master’s; professional or academic), the intended learning outcomes fit into the Dutch qualifications frame-
work. In addition, they tie in with the international perspective of the requirements currently set by the professional field and the discipline with regard to the
contents of the programme.
Based on the interviews and examination of the underlying documentation, the assessment committee qualifies
the intended learning outcomes as good. Although the professional field is in transformation, the assessment
committee noted that the qualifications meet the requirements from the professional field well. This corresponds
to the special needs of the applicants who have several years of relevant work experience. The MoD programme
has a clear profile. All lecturers involved are keen on actual developments.
Links with professional practice
Each specialization in the MoD programme designed
its curriculum to correspond with the professional
field, because of the didactical concept of compe-
tence based learning (CBL, see Structure of the pro-
gramme). The Course Specific Educational Regulation
(CSER) for each specialization explains the relation-
ship between competences, assessments and cur-
riculum. Module books serve the same purpose and
are more detailed per module.
The MoD programme attracts professionals who are
eager to study at a university of applied sciences
from all over the world. The generic part the MoD
programme provides education in the form of theo-
ries on rural development, organizational change,
planning, management and applied research and
how these may be used in the daily activities of de-
velopment organizations. In addition to this generic
part MoD consists of four specialisations.
Up-to-date job profiles are made in consultation with
the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) and the
international professional field. These require that
the alumni have the ability to function independ-
ently or in a multidisciplinary team. Competences
and learning outcomes are defined on the basis of
these profiles.
The curriculum is an adequate realization of the
intended learning outcomes of the programme. This
concerns the level, the orientation and the sub-
ject/discipline-specific requirements. The intended
learning outcomes are adequately translated into the
educational goals of the curriculum.
Within the curriculum, excursions and practical train-
ing in the field are offered so that students can ex-
perience professional environments. Guest speakers
from the professional field are invited to talk about
their experience on a certain topic. Lecturers inform
these guest speakers about the context in which the
participants operate in terms of the competences,
the specific professional environment, the partici-
pants’ role, the assignment and the specific knowl-
edge, skills and attitude needed by the participants.
In this way, guest speakers can link their lecture with
assignments and other lectures material.
Up to date
To make sure that the job profiles and learning out-
comes are up to date and correspond to the re-
quirements by the professional domain, the pro-
gramme receives input from the PAC, the staff and
feedback from alumni.
The new PAC was composed in 2010, with represen-
tatives of various Dutch organizations working in
10 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
rural development. The PAC meets once a year. Some
of the recurrent points on the agenda are recent
developments in rural development thinking, includ-
ing organizational strengthening and its incorpora-
tion in the educational programme, and whether the
MoD programme delivers graduates who have the
professional qualifications to function independently
or in a leading position in an organization. Some
members of the PAC are external examiners for the
thesis research, which allows them to have insight
into the achievement of the formulated compe-
tences.
Lecturers involved in the MoD programme discuss
the relevance of the job profiles, the competences,
the learning outcomes and the curriculum itself dur-
ing educational development days and at regular
staff meetings. The majority of the staff members
participate in international projects and refresher
courses, stimulating them to keep up to date with
current trends and discussions.
MoD also carries out a survey amongst its alumni
once every 5 years, and also receives feedback dur-
ing the refresher courses.
Concrete
Discussions with the PAC and developments in the
professional domain led to the following job profiles
for the MoD programme:
Project or programme coordinator/manager.
In this position professionals coordinate the work of
their departments or of projects or of programmes.
They implement national or organizational policies
into departments’ programmes of activities. They
facilitate necessary processes of change so that new
policies are adequately mainstreamed in the man-
date and activities of the organization. They manage
projects and programmes, from acquisition to im-
plementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
Specialist or consultant.
Specialists work in a specific professional field. They
advise the management and staff members of other
disciplines on issues related to their specializations.
They contribute to the effective incorporation of
these issues in the organization in several ways and
work in interdisciplinary teams. They make sure that
issues related to their specialization are on the
agenda of their own related organizations.
Based on these profiles the following MoD generic
learning outcomes were formulated:
- To explore complex problems considering stake-
holder and system perspectives;
- To analyse the performance of rural develop-
ment organizations in a dynamic context;
- To design processes of change from an inclusive
perspective.
Besides these generic learning outcomes the four
specializations have their own outcomes that are
based on their specific domain (attachment 4).
The learning outcomes have been operationalized
(the professional situation, the role of the profes-
sional, the action and outcome and the assessments)
in order to check whether students have required
the competences. The criteria are related to the
modules and classes given. The MoD team will make
it consistent with the way it is done at Bachelor’s
level, so module manuals will clearly describe why
the knowledge, skills and attitudes dealt with in the
module are relevant to carry out those roles ade-
quately.
Dublin Descriptors
The intended learning outcomes are in line with the
Dublin Descriptors. The programme assured this
through comparing the assessment criteria of each
competence at the final level with the Descriptors.
The result of this comparison was showed to and
studied by the assessment committee. The commit-
tee noted that this comparison was insightful and
adequate.
If competences are adapted, or if assessments and
their criteria are changed, the modifications are
checked with the descriptors before being imple-
mented.
Although the MoD programme has four specializa-
tions, the learning outcomes are at the same level.
M Management of Development August 2011 11
This is assured because the generic MoD part makes
up 70% of the programme. Specialization coordina-
tors regularly meet in order to ensure that the level
of the intended learning outcomes of all four spe-
cializations is similar.
The outcome of the ongoing debate in the Nether-
lands about the need to differentiate between a
professional and an academic’s Master is of utmost
importance for VHL. A professional Master’s is not
recognized in some home countries of the students.
Graduates are sometimes not admitted to some PhD
programmes on the basis of their professional Mas-
ter’s degree.
Assessment criteria in which the Dublin Descriptors
have been taken as point of departure turned out to
be quite difficult to apply to the thesis and were
multi-interpretable. Therefore, more specific as-
sessment criteria that are easier to apply are being
drafted, and will ensure that the Dublin Descriptors
are covered.
12 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
2. Teaching-learning environment
The curriculum, staff and programme-specific services and facilities enable the incoming students to achieve the intended learning outcomes.
Explanation: The contents and structure of the curriculum enable the students admitted to achieve the intended learning outcomes. The quality of the staff and of
the programme-specific services and facilities is essential to that end. Curriculum, staff, services and facilities constitute a coherent teaching-learning environment
for the students.
Based on the interviews and examination of the underlying documentation, the assessment committee qualifies
the teaching-learning environment as excellent. The programme is mature. It is keen on current developments and
has a strong focus on international development cooperation. The lecturers together form an excellent part of the
programme. Most teachers travel around the world, undertake international projects and spot new trends at an
early stage. Their way of coaching stimulates and motivates students, because they work together with students in
a fraternal way. Many specialists are also aligned with the programme, which means the quality of the guest lectur-
ers is high. The assessment committee hopes the good level of guest lecturers will be maintained. Students are
enthusiastic about Competence Based Learning and have confidence they can apply the knowledge and skills they
have learnt. The fact that there is a strong focus on application in the programme is a great benefit to students as
well as their professional environment. As a part of CBL students would appreciate more opportunities for reflec-
tion.
Programme covers the learning outcomes
The MoD programme certifies that it takes account
of current developments and therefore trains profes-
sionals in middle and higher management to become
competent in acquiring insight into the living condi-
tions and survival strategies of those who are at risk
of becoming excluded and in translating this into
organizational policies, strategies and practices.
The programme is guided by the following principles:
• A strong interaction with the professional field
to gain insight on the latest developments and
innovations;
• The use of appealing interactive learning envi-
ronments that simulate real-life situations and
create strong commitment in students;
• The use of up-to-date study materials including
case studies and assignments;
• Constant reflection on the professional practice
and its performance.
Since the start of the MoD programme the need for
practically oriented professional Master’s program-
mes has increased. This is shown by various devel-
opments in the professional domain that indicate
that large segments of the rural population in devel-
oping countries are excluded from mainstream de-
velopment, for example:
• Privatization changes the role of the government
and the market;
• Competing claims on natural resources often
exclude local people;
• Increased use of land for biofuel production at
the cost of land for food production.
These developments led to the specialization Food
Security. The submodule Conflict Transformation was
also developed as a consequence of recent devel-
opments.
The curriculum is an adequate realization of the
intended learning outcomes of the programme. This
concerns the level, the orientation and the sub-
ject/discipline-specific requirements. The intended
learning outcomes are adequately translated into the
educational goals of the curriculum. Students think
the competences have added value for the work they
are doing in their home countries. Back home they
learned by doing, now they gain knowledge and
learn how to apply this and respond to problems.
Students appreciate this greatly.
M Management of Development August 2011 13
The assessment committee has the impression that
there is not always enough time for the students to
reflect. Students say that the work pressure during
the 1-year programme is high. They learn a lot in a
short period of time, so they feel there is no time left
to reflect on what they have learned and how
knowledge and skills can be integrated. Especially
developing a professional attitude (for instance
through interaction with people from different cul-
tures and with different backgrounds) demands time
for reflection and adjustment. Attitudes only change
gradually, this takes time. Therefore, students and
alumni feel the most important part of the reflection
takes place after graduation, when they are back
home and can become fully aware of the changes, in
themselves and in their practice.
Up to date
The educational programme is continuously adjusted
using two major sources:
o There is one Academic Programme Committee
(APC) for the two Master’s programmes. The
APC consists of 7 students (4 from the MoD pro-
gramme) and 3 lecturers, and meets 4 times a
year. Quality of the MoD programme is one of
the recurring points in the agenda.
o The lecturers themselves, through self-
evaluations, participating in projects, giving re-
fresher courses, thesis supervision, attending
courses, and visiting organizations and universi-
ties, congresses and symposia in relation to their
expertise.
The MoD programme organizes refresher
courses for alumni in collaboration with local ru-
ral development institutions. During the re-
fresher courses, the applicability of the profes-
sional Master’s programmes and their specializa-
tions are discussed with alumni and staff of col-
laborating institutions.
The students are being encouraged to use up to date
resources and textbooks by way of supportive mate-
rial for lessons. The professional literature is rou-
tinely updated by replacing existing textbooks, arti-
cles, documentaries, etc. with new publications or
new editions of existing textbooks.
Students can only apply to the programme when
they have relevant work experience (at least two
years). This work experience is important in all mod-
ules. Because students bring up to date personal
experience into the programme, interaction in-
creases and the learning experience is stimulated.
Although at the start of the programme students find
this interaction somewhat challenging, they find it
extremely useful at the end of the programme.
Suggestions for adjustments of the programme are
discussed in the MoD team, after which a decision is
made about which of the adjustments to include in
the improvement plans. Criteria are the relevance of
the feedback and the efficiency and effectiveness of
possible solutions. Improvements are carried out in
the next academic year.
The assessment committee thinks MoD is an up-to-
date programme. The MoD team receives input from
refresher courses for alumni, PAC meetings, a net-
work of professionals and guests. The lecturers
themselves also go abroad and work in international
projects. This is how they get an impression from
developments in the professional domain. They are
able to translate these developments into the pro-
gramme very aptly.
Structure of the programme
Since August 2005, the educational concept of VHL
at Wageningen has been based on the principles of
Competence Based Learning (CBL). Competences
lead to learning outcomes, which in turn lead to
assessments and the lectures given.
The teaching methods in the programme allow for
the fact that the students are professionals. Their
work experience is actively used in the learning
process. Students are stimulated to learn by doing.
The learning process followed in the modules con-
sists of the following steps (in no particular order):
� Students are asked for their experience in a
specific topic;
o Students are given theoretical classes in relation
to the topic;
14 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
o Students are given an assignment to apply the
acquired knowledge;
o Students are asked to apply their knowledge and
skills in a simulation and to show competent be-
haviour;
o Students are asked to reflect on the learning
experience;
o Students are asked to show their competence in
an assessment.
In each module students are placed in a practical,
complex situation, are assigned a role and are asked
to undertake specific actions, leading to a result.
Students learn to take increased responsibility for
their own learning. During the entire process and
through the assessment, students reflect on their
actions. This enables them to develop the knowl-
edge, skills and attitudes needed to be a successful
professional.
Lecturers diversify their way of lecturing as much as
possible. Methods used are plenary sessions, work-
shops, and coaching of groups. The use of presenta-
tions is alternated with reading and discussion of
articles, watching documentaries and going on ex-
cursions to experience the professional field. In order
to be able to provide the practical component at an
early stage, the programme invites guest speakers
from the professional field to talk about their experi-
ence in relation to a certain topic. Lecturers use their
own professional experience in their lectures, linking
theory with practice in a specific context.
One of the more innovative teaching methods used
is the Visual Problem Appraisal (VPA). It explores the
field of MoD professionalism through the simulation
of a consultancy assignment where a complex, multi-
disciplinary problem needs to be analysed and
framed by means of stakeholder consultation. The
first stage (a desk study) is undertaken individually.
The second stage (‘interviewing’ stakeholders by way
of pre-recorded interviews on DVD) is done in a
team. The third stage (writing a project proposal
using an EU format following the Project Cycle Man-
agement approach) is also a team exercise. Besides
subject matter expertise and doing research, profes-
sional development is looked at through a structured
process of continuous self-reflection.
Skills and outlook are honed during various practical
training sessions in and outside of school. Examples
are communication training, interview training, in-
tercultural training and training on lobbying. Lectur-
ers also make students reflect on their behaviour and
attitude.
The professional experience of the students is ac-
tively used in the learning process. Theories ex-
plained by the lecturers are used to conceptualize
the practical knowledge of the students. While dis-
cussing literature, students are stimulated to link
concepts to their own work situation, which contrib-
utes to better understanding of the theory. In addi-
tion, students are encouraged to use assignments
and cases derived from their actual practice. These
case study assignments and simulations are used to
give the student the opportunity to practice with the
application of knowledge and to show his compe-
tences.
Although in general students are very satisfied with
the programme, module evaluations and regular
individual meetings by the specialization coordinator
show that some students face difficulties with what
they consider a new educational concept. For many
students CBL and learning in teams are new experi-
ences. The educational concept and teaching meth-
ods require students to be proactive and to look for
additional information with a critical mind. For those
who are accustomed to being told exactly what to
do, this is a completely new experience. This will get
more attention in the general introduction at the
start of the academic year and during the introduc-
tion of modules, although for some students these
problems will not be solved easily within one aca-
demic year.
Coherence
The MoD programme lasts twelve months, full-time.
The programme comprises a series of modules of
different study loads. The total study load is 70 EC.
The MoD programme has a generic part (18 weeks)
with classes which are followed by all MoD students.
M Management of Development August 2011 15
The generic modules give students the basic compe-
tences to study rural livelihoods and rural develop-
ment organizations and to design projects and pro-
grammes. In their classes, lecturers integrate knowl-
edge (using recent books and articles from important
scientific journals, and case studies) and skills, and
discuss attitude.
After that the students follow one of the four spe-
cializations they enrolled in (14 weeks). The speciali-
zation modules broaden and deepen students’
knowledge and skills related to the specific domain.
They have to develop strategies to change their or-
ganization, confront their own biases, individual
strengths and weaknesses and look for the most
appropriate personal strategies as a change agent.
All specialisations have two modules with a number
of sub-modules.
The programme ends with a research project cum
thesis (14 weeks) in the domain of the specialization.
Under the guidance of the specialization coordinator
and incorporating the concepts studied in the spe-
cialization modules, students write a research pro-
posal for their thesis research. After approval by a
MoD thesis supervisor, the students leave for a 6-
week period of fieldwork, often in their home coun-
tries. After returning to the Netherlands, they finalize
their thesis.
Most classes are given in the morning. The after-
noons are often used by students to work on individ-
ual or team assignments. In team assignments stu-
dents learn about team dynamics.
Feasible
The programme has a study load of 70 ECTS credits.
This is more than the regular 60 ECTS credits per year
because there is no summer break in the pro-
gramme. During the summer break the students go
to their home countries for their thesis research.
The academic year is divided into modules that en-
sure that the workload is distributed evenly over the
year. The CSER provides a complete overview of the
programme, the modules, the literature to be stud-
ied, the assessments and the ECTS credits to be
gained per module. Module books and the schedule
are published on Blackboard. A lecturer introduces
the module/sub-module and encourages the stu-
dents to read the manual thoroughly so that they are
well aware of the contents of the module.
Specific components in the introduction module are
meant to get students acquainted with CBL and the
variety of teaching methods. It is also the opportu-
nity to ensure that students start more or less at the
same level with the main programme, although it is
realized that differences will always remain. The
small classes, the intensive coaching by lecturers, the
regular and often detailed feedback given, and the
informal culture (which makes it easy for students to
contact lecturers) form a stimulating learning envi-
ronment.
The study load per module is divided into contact
hours (e.g. lectures, group assignments, discussions,
practical training and excursions) and self-study.
Most contact hours (on average 20 per week) are in
the morning while self-study takes place in the after-
noons. Self-study can be an individual undertaking or
a team exercise.
Assessments are held at the end of each mod-
ule/sub-module. The specialization coordinator
keeps close watch over study progress and discusses
with the students the re-sits and the timeline for the
thesis research. Only in exceptional cases the thesis
process can be extended by one month.
Should a student fall ill, he can catch up by checking
the material published on Blackboard or by asking
fellow students or lecturers. If a lecturer falls ill, he is
replaced by a colleague or lectures are postponed
until an agreed moment. If a lecturer is expected to
be ill for a longer period, a replacement is arranged.
Students are requested to report on problems with
the workload during the regular written evaluations
and panel discussions. Students’ feedback and rec-
ommendations feed into an improvement plan made
by the lecturer that is discussed in the APC meeting.
16 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
The evaluations show that most students found the
workload reasonable; a few found it tough, especially
during the thesis process. Students will also be al-
lowed to start working on their thesis proposal ear-
lier and the coaching by lecturers will be advanced
by a few weeks. This should not lead to a higher
workload.
Coaching
MoD students are motivated adults with a lot of life-
and work-experience who have purposively decided
to study abroad but are new to Dutch culture and to
some of the educational concepts used. The purpose
of the tutoring is to help students accustomising to
the new situation and to assist them in their learn-
ing. The specialization coordinator in the role as
tutor does that through:
o Informing students about the programme;
o Managing and directing students in the devel-
opment of their competences;
o Making students reflect on themselves and their
study progress;
o Helping students to learn how to study.
Being the tutor, the specialization coordinator meets
the student at least three times a year on an individ-
ual basis. Points for discussion are study progress,
problems/personal problems encountered and the
student’s attitude. In specific cases the tutor advises
students to meet the social dean who, depending on
the problem, may refer them to a more qualified
person. Students from abroad are advised to join
groups with students who have the same nationality
when they come to Wageningen. This will help them
to integrate and feel at home. Students say that
besides sharing problems with their specialization
coordinator, it helps to share problems with other
students who have the same nationality. VHL also
stimulates group work. This feels like a social net-
work to the students. When students become aware
that one of them is having problems, they inform the
lecturers or the specialization coordinator so they
can keep a close watch on this student and perhaps
provide additional coaching.
Information related to the general organization of
the modules (e.g. schedules), VHL policies (e.g. ‘Edu-
cation and Examination Regulations’; EER), student
affairs, etc., is uploaded onto the VHL Studentnet
(Intranet for students). All the information related to
the modules (e.g. lectures, assignments) is uploaded
onto Blackboard. Students have access to their re-
sults in a safe computer environment called 12Use.
Results are available within 15 working days.
Students express their opinions about tutoring and
the quality of the contact with lecturers in the
evaluations and the APC meeting. This information is
channelled to the staff members concerned. If nec-
essary, the team leader discusses problems with
specialization coordinators and students.
Many MoD students come from an educational sys-
tem in which critical analysis is not the norm; hence
they have difficulties accepting lower grades when
such analysis is lacking or insufficient. In addition,
many students come from a culture where self-
reflection and talking about personal problems is not
a regularly routine. This requires that tutors are
equipped with appropriate skills to carry out the
challenging tasks of supporting and guiding students.
VHL therefore thinks the continued training and
support of the tutors, especially in inter-cultural
communication, is an issue for improvement.
Intake
The MoD programme focuses on rural development
professionals with relevant work experience, and a
Bachelor's degree or an equivalent qualification in
agriculture or a related subject. Applicants must have
a good working knowledge of spoken and written
English (TOEFL score of 550 or more. New policy
from the Dutch Immigratie- en Naturalisatie Dienst
states that students must have an IELTS score of 6.0
or higher). Applicants may be required to show proof
of this proficiency, such as certificates issued by a
recognized language institute (e.g. IELTS, TOEFL or
Cambridge). Computer skills (Windows, Word, Excel)
are strongly recommended.
M Management of Development August 2011 17
Most MoD students are financially supported with
Nuffic scholarships. For these students, additional
Nuffic policies (for instance about country of resi-
dence and educational background) apply. Applicants
for a Nuffic scholarship have to go to the Dutch Em-
bassies in their countries. They do a first screening of
the application forms, including references from
employers and former lecturers. Application forms of
nominated candidates are controlled by the VHL
students’ office and then screened by the team
leader and specialization coordinator, who make the
final selection. Applications from students with
scholarships other than from Nuffic or who pay for
themselves are also screened by the specialization
coordinator and the team leader before admittance.
Most students come from African countries (due to
Nuffic policy), have a Bachelor’s degree and are
working in middle or higher management positions
in governmental and non-governmental organiza-
tions. Average work experience was eight years in
the 2010 batch. Employers in principle guarantee
that students can return to their jobs after finishing
their studies. In practice this is not always the case,
especially with those students working for NGOs.
Every year a few students are not able to reach the
Master’s level. Besides low or insufficient marks for
assessments, this is often shown clearly in the quality
of the research proposal. In these situations, the
examination committee decides if the student may
continue or that he needs to leave. In the latter case
the student is given a certificate (see also chapter 3,
paragraph 3: Achieved learning outcomes).
Teaching staff
In order to be a highly qualified university of applied
sciences, VHL recruits well-qualified lecturers. The
intended result of the policy is to establish a compe-
tent and diverse team that will be able to fulfil all the
relevant tasks in the best possible way. Lecturers
have to meet the following requirements:
o Substantive and adequate professional knowl-
edge and experience;
o Experience in the professional field;
o Familiarity with education;
o Compatibility in the team and the culture of the
course;
o Good command of the English language.
The professional orientation of lecturers plays a very
important role. They are not only experts in their
field but also have relevant experience in rural de-
velopment in developing countries. Many of the
lectures do project or conference visits abroad,
sometimes even several times a year as a way to
check whether the content and the level of the pro-
gramme still match with the professional field.
Furthermore, lecturers engage in external activities
such as excursions, congresses, symposia, projects
and refresher courses in order to keep in touch with
the professional field. Newly appointed lecturers
who do not have a didactic certificate are required to
follow a course at the Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen
(HAN).
In total, 22 lecturers participate in the MoD pro-
gramme, of whom 11 are core staff; 7 out of the 11
core lecturers have a Master’s degree and 4 have a
PhD in a relevant field. One is working on her PhD
and two are planning to do a PhD.
A policy on human resource development is docu-
mented in the ‘Strategisch Personeelsplan 2008 –
2010’ and the ‘Strategisch Personeelsplan Wagen-
ingse Opleidingen 2008 – 2010’. The number of staff
employed is based on a staff/student ratio of 1:10. In
general the aim is to appoint 15% temporary staff at
the Wageningen location.
During the academic year, four team days are sched-
uled to share experiences, discuss good practices and
work on teambuilding. Each staff member also has
the opportunity to go on trainings; the number of
hours per year depends on the contract.
The professional work field contributes to the MoD
programme by means of guest lectures, excursions,
discussing the contents of the modules and in the
assessments of the thesis. MoD lecturers clearly
explain to guest lecturers the contents of the pro-
gramme and the specialization, so that their lectures
are effectively linked with the learning outcomes.
18 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Students speak of lecturers with utmost apprecia-
tion. Students and alumni think they teach in an
appealing manner, they stimu-
late and motivate students to
participate. Lecturers are
helpful, students can contact
them at any time. However,
they are also realistic: if lec-
turers don´t know, they will
refer to others with relevant
information or skills. As one of
the students said: “An expert
knows what he doesn’t know.”
The assessment committee
agrees with the students and
alumni: the team of lecturers
has up-to-date, relevant
knowledge of the professional
field. The lecturers know how
to teach this to the students in an appealing manner
and coach the students very carefully. Because of the
enthusiasm and commitment of the lecturers that is
shared by the students, and the innovative teaching
methods they develop and apply in the course, the
assessment committee qualifies this aspect as excel-
lent.
Facilities
The move of VHL to the Forum building in Wagenin-
gen brings the profound advantage that students and
lecturers have easy access to
the vast range of Wageningen
UR facilities, which include 80
lecture halls, class rooms and
teaching labs, 23 computer
rooms, 300 individual study
areas and the main university
library.
VHL rents the 5th
, 6th
and 7th
floor of the Forum building and
can also use facilities at lower
floors if required.
For housing and social activi-
ties students are mixed with
the international Wageningen UR student popula-
tion, which is an advantage for the MoD students.
The students’ opinions are evaluated on the subjects
of housing and material facilities. Except for the
unavailability of student accomodation in Wagenin-
gen, no serious issues have been reported. Currently
Wageningen University is rebuilding 400 housing
units to solve the problem of students’ housing.
The team of lecturers has up to date,
relevant knowledge of the professional
field. They know how to teach this to the
students in an appealing manner and
coach the students very well. Because of
the enthusiasm and commitment of the
lecturers that is shared by the students,
and the innovative teaching methods they
develop and apply in the course, the as-
sessment committee qualifies this is as
excellent.
20 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
3. Assessment and achieved learning outcomes
The programme has an adequate assessment system in place and demonstrates that the intended learning outcomes are achieved.
Explanation: The level achieved is demonstrated by interim and final tests, final projects and the performance of graduates in actual practice or in post-graduate
programmes. The tests and assessments are valid, reliable and transparent to the students.
Based on the interviews and examination of the underlying documentation, the assessment committee qualifies
the assessment and achieved learning outcomes as satisfactory. Without a doubt the students reach the Master’s
level, but the assessment committee found some weak spots in some of the thesis reports. Students only have a
short period of time to do field research, analyse the data and write their thesis report. The assessment committee
noticed that sometimes this did not result in a strong connection between the problem definition and the recom-
mendations. The role and position of the thesis process could be reconsidered, since it has a strong scientific focus
at the time. For a professional Master’s programme a focus on application might be a better match, especially con-
sidering the professional backgrounds of the students.
Valid and reliable
The rules governing the assessment are published in
the ‘Examination Regulations’. Each module/sub-
module ends with an assessment. Assessments,
criteria and standards are defined beforehand and
must comply with quality standards as defined (valid-
ity, reliability, clear standardization, objectivity,
transparency). This means that the questions and
assignments must reflect the competences and the
learning outcomes, that the assessment measures in
a consistent manner and that an answer key is made
with marking criteria. An assessment committee
gives lecturers advice on how to improve the quality
of their assessments. This committee uses a checklist
as a tool.
The assessment is made according to quality stan-
dards of the lecturers involved in the teaching of the
module, keeping the level of the competences in
mind. Assessments differ in content and method:
o The conceptual pathway: assessments to check
knowledge concerning theories, concepts and
models. These are most often written assess-
ments, but knowledge may also be assessed dur-
ing an oral assessment;
o The skills pathway: assessments to check
whether the students can apply learnt skills. De-
pending on the required skills the assessments
may be oral or written. However, a clear link
with the professional field is made;
o The reflection pathway: students have to reflect
on what they have learnt by writing a reflective
report;
o The integral pathway: often an oral assessment
to judge knowledge, skills and attitude.
As the competences are leading for the assessments,
it is assured that the actual competences are as-
sessed. Therefore, the assessments are valid in the
sense that they measure the criteria explicitly stated
in the competence descriptions.
In most cases written assessments are marked by the
lecturer or lecturers who drew up the assessment
using an answer key. Oral assessments are mostly
attended and marked by two lecturers. The thesis is
assessed by three persons: the thesis supervisor, a
VHL lecturer who is not the supervisor and an exter-
nal expert from the professional field. For the as-
sessment of the thesis, criteria are derived from the
Dublin descriptors, certifying that the student per-
forms at the Master’s level.
The specialization coordinator keeps close watch
over study progress and discusses re-sit opportuni-
ties and the various thresholds of the thesis research
with students. If a student is not able to finish the
thesis report in time or if the thesis report turns out
M Management of Development August 2011 21
to be insufficient, the student has the opportunity to
extend the process for one month. However, most
students graduate in one year.
Students are informed about their marks within 15
working days after the assessment. Marks are regis-
tered in 12Use. The Examination Board is ultimately
responsible for awarding the marks and the credits.
In addition to the staff involved with the assess-
ments, input from student evaluations is used in
order to monitor the quality of the assessments. An
assessment committee has been appointed as well,
to help the Examination Board to screen and to ad-
vise on the assessments at VHL Wageningen.
From the academic year 2011-2012, students who
are not permitted to finalize their studies will not
receive a certificate. Instead, they will receive a dec-
laration from the Examination Board recording all
the assessments that have been successfully com-
pleted.
Transparency
The students can be aware of the competences and
the assessment criteria by way of:
o The Course Specific Educational Regulations,
which specify purpose and character of the as-
sessments, the competences, the learning objec-
tives to be measured and the standards to be
met;
o The competence descriptions. These descrip-
tions include the criteria that students have to
meet;
o The course manuals, in which the criteria are
further specified towards the assessment sta-
tion;
o The feedback students receive during the mod-
ules.
In the student evaluations that are held after each
module, there are two questions directly referring to
the clarity of competences and assessment criteria:
whether the competences one had to acquire were
clear to the student and whether the assessment
criteria are understood by the student.
Achieved learning outcomes
MoD students do individual applied research projects
that include fieldwork in their home countries. They
study specific problems of their organizations leading
to grounded realistic and applicable recommenda-
tions. The outcome of the research – the thesis re-
port – is presented and defended in a colloquium. In
this final assessment, the student has to show that
theoretical concepts have been mastered, correctly
applied and used to address existing problems, and
exhibit the ability to present, defend, discuss and
convince the examiners with coherent arguments.
This final assessment is marked by three people: the
MoD thesis supervisor, an internal VHL examiner and
an external expert from the professional field. The
assessors decide whether the student is competent
on the basis of predetermined criteria based on the
Dublin descriptors that cover knowledge and skills
and attitude.
Throughout the year students learn and develop
research skills, to prepare them for the thesis proc-
ess. The VPA, for instance, starts in October and
students have to do (desk)research, so they learn to
formulate research questions. After the desk re-
search and the interviews, the students have to write
a report. But there is also a research module and
attention is paid to writing skills of the students.
Students start the thesis process in April, which is
rather late according to many students. The thesis
process takes three months. In May students present
their research proposals. After the research propos-
als are approved and the literature review is done,
the students go to their home countries to conduct
six weeks of research. When they return to the
Netherlands they will analyze the research data and
within three weeks write their theses. Of course, the
advantage for the students lies in the fact that they
do this research in the organization they work for, so
they are familiar with the organisation, its external
environment and the processes and procedures
affecting its work.
Although lectures on the research project/thesis are
given early in the MoD programme and while stu-
dents are coached by the specialization coordinators
22 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
and the thesis supervisors, students sometimes find
it difficult to finalize the thesis in time and with suffi-
cient quality. Hence, the MoD team has decided to
improve the thesis process by focusing their lectures
more on the analysis of data and by allowing stu-
dents to start writing a very concise draft of their
research proposal earlier. Lecturers will ensure that
this is not to the detriment of the normal classes
given. In addition, students will be coached more on
their writing skills.
E-mail surveys undertaken in 2006 and 2010 show
that most alumni work as managers or as specialists.
The response in 2010 was low, but still indicative: 12
out of 16 alumni had been promoted in their jobs or
had changed to higher positions in other organiza-
tions. The survey also shows that most alumni stated
that the MoD programme made them acquire ge-
neric knowledge and skills as well as specific knowl-
edge and skills in the area of their specialization.
Furthermore, the survey shows that 15 out of 16
alumni agree that the MoD programme has helped
them to perform better as professionals and that it
was helpful in their private lives. These findings are
confirmed by the contacts between alumni and lec-
turers, during which they discuss the progress in
their careers and the challenges they face. Such
information from alumni for instance contributed to
the decision to give special attention to conflict
transformation in one of the sub-modules of the RDC
specialization and to lobbying and advocacy in RDG.
The link to the professional field is discussed inter-
nally, among lecturers during educational develop-
ment days and regular staff meetings, with the team
leader, with the management, in the APC and using
students’ evaluations. The link is discussed externally
with representatives of other organizations working
in rural development and using evaluations by
alumni. The quality of the thesis is assured by the
MoD supervisors on the basis of criteria and stan-
dards set out beforehand and included in the thesis
manual.
In order to check whether external assessors feel
that the graduates have achieved the Master’s level,
they are requested to fill in an evaluation form. Their
feedback is incorporated in the improvement plan. If
deemed relevant, suggestions to improve the com-
petences and the curriculum are submitted to the
Examination Board for approval.
The assessment committee spoke to members of the
PAC, who are also involved in assessing the thesis.
They think that in general the final level of the stu-
dents is sufficient. When it comes to oral presenta-
tion and defence of the thesis the difference in qual-
ity between students becomes the most apparent. In
those cases analysis might seem weak. That is not
surprising, as the period of time to do the thesis
research and (especially) writing the thesis is quite
short. There is little time to process the data, which
has an impact on the quality of analysis and there-
fore the quality of the thesis as a whole. Students
would also like more time to work on their thesis
because applying the knowledge learnt during the
programme in their home countries is something
completely different than practising these skills in a
classroom environment. It takes time to adjust to
that.
Considering the fact that now there is more coaching
during the thesis process, the students think one
year is enough to complete the programme. The
study would be less appealing if it was a 1½ -year
programme, because that would mean having to
leave their families and jobs for a longer time. The
disadvantage of the short programme is the lack of
possibilities to reflect, which students think of as one
of the most important aspects of CBL. As one of the
students said: “Without enough time for reflection,
it feels like you’re consuming breakfast, lunch and
dinner at the same time.”
Sometimes the results of a student are not good
enough (average score below 5,0; with average score
between 5,0 and 6,0 personal effort is taken into
account) to be admitted to the graduation phase of
the study. This means the student will not be allowed
to do the thesis research and write the thesis report.
Sometimes students fail their master thesis and
therefore will not receive their Master’s degree. In
those cases, when students from abroad return to
their home countries without a diploma, this can
have tremendous impact. For these students, who
will not receive their Master’s diploma, VHL provides
a Post Graduate diploma. From a legal point of view
M Management of Development August 2011 23
it has no value, but from a psychological point of
view the value is enormous. However, the Legal Of-
fice of VHL thinks there is no legal ground to main-
tain this proposition and therefore the Post Graduate
diploma will not be provided anymore.
The assessment committee has great respect for the
initiative to provide a Post Graduate diploma. Since
students might lose their job when they do not re-
ceive their Master’s degree and come back empty-
handed, the Post Graduate diploma (PG diploma) is
very important to them. The assessment committee
therefore wishes VHL will keep this PG diploma, or
otherwise will find a good alternative that can stand
up to the legal regulations.
Considering the achieved level of the learning out-
comes, the assessment committee thinks that gener-
ally students reach the Master’s level, although
sometimes the theses reflect the Master’s level in-
sufficiently. For some reason the research and thesis
reports are based on scientific rather than profes-
sional methods. Science has a specific way of validat-
ing knowledge for “objectivity” – while in a profes-
sional environment; the scientific method might be
too narrow to reach professional objectives. There
are other ways in which information is valued. For
example, the measure by which political or financial
support can be mobilized for a particular idea. For
professionals the scientific method may hamper
their effectiveness – and a good professional thesis
might be assessed poorly by scientific standards. In a
professional Master’s programme, practical solutions
and recommendations are suggested based on the-
ory. There is a strong focus on applying knowledge
and skills. This also matches with the background of
these students: everyone has professional work ex-
perience.
So, for the MoD programme, it seems a little out of
place to choose a scientific approach for the thesis
process after a year of application. Therefore, per-
haps it would be better if the focus during the thesis
process is more on application and professional de-
velopment as well. VHL would, based on the infor-
mation available to the commission, place itself
more strongly if it would develop clear criteria for
professional masters theses and realign the thesis
trajectory accordingly. Possibly, the number of stu-
dents successfully finalizing the course would also
increase – as the thesis is totally in line with their
future professional skill needs.
26 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Attachment 1 Assessment committee
I List of panel members and secretary
Name
(including title(s))
Role (chair / member /
student-member / secretary)
Expert in the field
(yes / no)
Prof. A.M. Fuller member yes
Ir. R. Kloosterman chair no
O.J. Ntenje MSc member yes
Dr. F. van Schoubroeck member yes
W. van Weperen MSc member yes
A. de Brouwer student no
II Secretary / Co-ordinator
A. van Noort MSc secretary Nov 2010
III Brief job descriptions for panel members
1 Prof Anthony Fuller is Adjunct Professor at the China Agricultural University in Beijing, China, and re-
tired from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph,
Canada
2 René Kloosterman is director of AeQui and chairs many assessment committees
3 Oliver Ntenje is senior lecturer logistics, marketing and supply chain management at professional mas-
ter and bachelor programmes at Arnhem Business School (institute of HAN)
4 Frank van Schoubroeck is an international consultant in governance in NRM and rural entrepreneurship
5 Willem van Weperen is an international consultant in sustainable agriculture and agricultural extension
system development
6 Anne de Brouwer is student Language and Culture at the University of Utrecht. She is chair of the stu-
dent union
IV List of expertise within the panel1
Expertise The expertise is demonstrated by:
1 Note: the secretary is NOT a panel member.
M Management of Development August 2011 27
Expertise regarding the developments
within the discipline
Prof Anthony Fuller is Adjunct Professor at the China Agricultural
University in Beijing, China, and retired from the School of Envi-
ronmental Design and Rural Development at the University of
Guelph, Canada
Frank van Schoubroeck is an international consultant in govern-
ance in NRM and rural entrepreneurship
Willem van Weperen is an international consultant in sustain-
able agriculture and agricultural extension system development
International expertise Prof Anthony Fuller is Adjunct Professor at the China Agricul-
tural University in Beijing, China, and retired from the School of
Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University
of Guelph, Canada
Frank van Schoubroeck is an international consultant in govern-
ance in NRM and rural entrepreneurship
Willem van Weperen is an international consultant in sustain-
able agriculture and agricultural extension system development
Oliver Ntenje was a logistics manager at UNHCR, Congo, in 1997.
Recently he was involved in strengthening a Tanzanian business
school as part of a Nuffic program.
Practical expertise in the professional
field relevant to the programme
Prof Anthony Fuller is Adjunct Professor at the China Agricul-
tural University in Beijing, China, and retired from the School of
Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University
of Guelph, Canada
Frank van Schoubroeck is an international consultant in govern-
ance in NRM and rural entrepreneurship
Willem van Weperen is an international consultant in sustain-
able agriculture and agricultural extension system development
Experience in teaching and developing
education at the relevant programme level
and expertise regarding the educational
format(s) practised by the programme
Prof Anthony Fuller is Adjunct Professor at the China Agricultural
University in Beijing, China, and retired from the School of Envi-
ronmental Design and Rural Development at the University of
Guelph, Canada.
Oliver Ntenje is a senior lecturer logistics, marketing and supply
chain management at professional master and bachelor pro-
grammes at Arnhem Business School (institute of HAN)
Review or audit expertise René Kloosterman is director of AeQui and chairs many assess-
ment committees
Student-related expertise Anne de Brouwer is student Language and Culture at the Univer-
sity of Utrecht. She is chair of the student union
Short résumés
Anthony Fuller retired as a Professor from the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the Uni-
versity of Guelph, Canada in 2007. In the last 10 years of a 35-year career at Guelph, Dr Fuller focused increasingly
28 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
on policy issues such as government programs for community development, rural poverty, rural transportation,
sustainable livelihoods and complexity in policy making. His earlier work and publications include a research on
pluriactivity, the Arena Society and rural outreach. He recently undertook workshops in several countries on ‘asset
mapping’ for rural community and policy development.
Anthony Fuller is currently an Adjunct Professor at the China Agricultural University in Beijing, China.
René Kloosterman has studied Industrial Engineering (TUE) and worked for the consultancy-firm KPMG. Since then
he participated in major projects in food-industry at home and abroad (Russia, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Cura-
cao). Since 1995 he works as an independent entrepreneur and interim manager.
Since 2002 he has been active in educational assessments, both as a director and later as an owner of an assess-
ment agency. He chairs assessments very frequently.
Oliver J. Ntenje (born in Malawi) studied business studies at HAN and completed his master Supply Chain Man-
agement at WUR. Oliver has a large international experience, e.g. in 1997 he acted for a year as a Logistics coordi-
nator in Congo for UNHCR, offering Logistical support for relief programme setup in Goma (Congo DRC) and plan-
ning the repatriation of refugees from Tanzania to Congo in Uvira (Eastern Congo DRC).
Since 2005 he is involved in HAN University of Applied Sciences as a senior lecturer on logistics, marketing and
supply chain management. His responsibilities include teaching logistics in the Masters-programme in Business
Management and in bachelor programmes at the HAN-institute ‘Arnhem Business School’.
He is involved in development of study programmes or units within the programme, coaching of students during
their four years and supervising project groups. Oliver carries out research in order to determine the possible route
the institute should take to satisfy the labour market and trained CBE lecturers as part of a NUFFIC project,
NPT/TZA/217, aimed at ‘Strengthen the capacity of the College for Business Education (CBE) to develop and apply
modular, competence based curricula’.
Frank van Schoubroeck studied Plant Pathology and Production Ecology at Wageningen Agriculture University and
received his PhD in 1999 on socio-technical innovation in Bhutan agriculture at the Departments of Communication
and Innovation Studies and Entomology. He worked as an international consultant since, for among others SNV and
the EU / Royal Government of Bhutan IPM development project, for the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation,
Babar Mahal, Kathmandu, Nepal, and for ILIEA.
Frank van Schoubroeck has recent experience to work with:
• Social inclusion for productivity Involve different social groups and women to develop agricultural systems for
optimum productivity
• Open-source innovation Make use of all relevant resources and capacity at hand, such as local and national gov-
ernment, formal and traditional rules, legislation and strategies, modern and traditional technology, global policy
and know-how
• Socio-technical knowledge Based on ecological opportunity, make use of human ingenuity and organization to
realize durable production
• Governance of agriculture sectors: have local and national government agencies organise “Communities of Prac-
tice” to create “common good”
• Promotion of trees in agricultural systems
Willem van Weperen is a specialist in sustainable agriculture and agricultural extension system development. He
has a solid experience of over 30 years in the field of bilateral (Dutch, Swiss) and multilateral (EU,WB) development
cooperation. During this period he worked half the time on long term assignments as project coordinator, team
leader and technical advisor, and the other half of the time he worked on short term assignments as consultant and
trainer. His country experience comprises South Asia (Philippines, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri-Lanka, Nepal,
M Management of Development August 2011 29
Thailand), Central Asia (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan), East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania) as well as Eastern
Europe (Poland, Georgia, Croatia).
Anne de Brouwer is currently studying in Language and Culture Studies at the University of Utrecht, within the
track Political History and International Relations. In 2009 she was selected to participate in the Humanities Col-
lege, a faculty-wide Honours programme for excellent students. She is involved in an internship at the Peace of
Utrecht with the assignment to create a digital platform at international and local level in order to sign a new treaty
in 2013.
30 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Attachment 2 Program of the assessment
18 May, 2011 Exploration
12.30 – 14.00 Arrival of committee
14.00 – 14.30 Board and management
Geartsje Oosterhof
Robert Baars
14.30 – 15.15 Show-cases
15.15 – 16.00 Open consultations
Possibility for students and staff to exchange thoughts with the committee. Also documentation review.
16.00 – 16.45 Representatives of the Professional field committee
Willem Wurdemann, guest lecturer, future member of PAC
Jorge Chavez-Tafur, guest lecturer, member of PAC
16.45 – 17.15 Internal meeting of the committee
17.15 – 17.30 Feedback of preliminary findings, focus-points for the next assessment day
19 May, 2011: In-depth assessment
09.00 – 09.30 Arrival of committee
09.30 – 10.45 Teaching staff MoD (including a delegation of the examining board)
Ivonne de Moor
Annemarie Westendorp
Marcel Put
Koos Kingma
Eddy Hesselink
Loes Witteveen
10.45 – 11.00 Internal meeting of the committee
M Management of Development August 2011 31
11.00 – 12.00 Students MoD (including a delegation of the programme committee)
Morrish Ochen
Deborah Sabarre
Sayed Rahman
Sayed Khalid
Hussein Juma Kiranga
Johanna Aumama Mbandi,
Mary Bamusiime
Haregu Mohammedadem Ahmed
12.00 – 13.30 Lunch and document review
16.00 – 16.30 Additional research, formulating conclusions
16.30 – 17.00 Feedback of findings and conclusions
32 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
Attachment 3 Quantitative data
1.Data on intake, graduates and drop-outs (2006-2010)
Graduated Not graduated Cohort Total at start
In 12 months Delayed due to
poor thesis
Failure Stopped
2006-2007 28 20 6 2 -
2007-2008 41 33 6 2 -
2008-2009 38 25 10 1 2
2009-2010 48 37 10 1 -
2010-2011 57 1 (expected) 3
Source: Administration VHL
2.Teacher -student ratio achieved: 1 : 10.
3.Average amount of face-to-face instruction in the study programme: 20 hours/week.
M Management of Development August 2011 33
Attachment 4 Final qualifications
Learning outcomes, generic for MoD:
- To explore complex problems considering stakeholder and system perspectives.
- To analyse the performance of rural development organizations in a dynamic context.
- To design processes of change from an inclusive perspective.
Besides these generic learning outcomes the four specializations have their own that are based on their specific
professional domain. These are the following.
Rural Development and HIV/AIDS (RDA)
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has far reaching social, cultural and economic impacts on large populations in Sub-Saharan
Africa and elsewhere; it affects the labour force, agricultural production, knowledge transfer and livelihood strate-
gies. For rural development organizations HIV/AIDS often means a loss of employees, increased staff absence due
to their responsibilities to care for affected people or participation in funerals, and diversion of organizational re-
sources towards support of affected people. Those who hold a professional Master’s should therefore be able to
undertake internal and external mainstreaming activities on HIV/AIDS in rural development organizations. There-
fore the following learning outcomes have been formulated:
- To adapt programmes and activities to the context of the HIV/Aids epidemic.
- To prepare the own organizations for effective response to the epidemic.
- To engage in strategic partnerships.
Rural Development and Communication (RDC)
Rural development organizations work in a dynamic environment in which natural hazards, political turmoil, con-
flict situations, economic downturns or a lack of resources may cause or affect change. One effect of this situation
is well recognized: a growing desire to increase good governance, public participation and informed citizenship. To
respond to such circumstances, many of these organizations need to reorient their approaches and policies, and to
design new operational structures and communication processes. Thus, managers may need new competences
that equip them to work in a range of complex multi-actor settings. Hence, the following learning outcomes have
been formulated:
- To analyse stakeholders’ interests and needs and outline policies that lead to social change and participation.
- To design processes and strategies that facilitate communication and knowledge sharing.
- To transform traditional extension policy and practice and develop new approaches to communication and
innovation.
- To design and facilitate effective, appropriate and exciting learning environments.
Rural Development and Food Security (RDF)
Globalization and liberalization have provoked a dualistic agricultural development in rural areas in developing
countries. On the one hand there is an increase in large-scale high external input agriculture producing for the
world market and urban communities, while on the other hand small-scale low external input agriculture with
production for local and regional markets continues to exist. This dualistic development in the rural areas of devel-
oping countries gives rise to the question how agricultural service delivery organizations can deal with the different
types of farmers without excluding food producers for local and regional markets in order to safeguard local food
security. Professional Master’s graduates working in agricultural development and service delivery organizations
should therefore be able to safeguard the support to producers for local and regional markets. Hence the following
learning outcomes have been formulated:
34 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
- To analyse rural livelihoods that produce for local and regional markets.
- To develop support programmes for rural livelihoods producing for local and regional markets.
- To recommend necessary organizational adjustments within service delivery organizations to enhance local
food security.
Rural Development and Gender (RDG)
Various groups of people are excluded from full participation in economic, social and political life due to their class,
ethnicity, religion or sex. Starting with the different roles of men and women this specialization addresses social
exclusion dynamics. Despite the awareness that gender equality is a prerequisite for sustainable development,
gender-specific requirements, opportunities and constraints have not yet been systematically mainstreamed in the
design and implementation of rural development programmes and projects. To mainstream gender, rural develop-
ment organizations have to train staff and adapt their activities and their internal organization. Hence, the follow-
ing learning outcomes have been formulated:
- To enhance social inclusion and gender equality in rural development and service delivery programmes and
activities.
- To recommend necessary organizational changes to realize social inclusion and gender equality.
- To develop personal strategies to enhance gender equality in the own organization.
M Management of Development August 2011 35
Attachment 5 Overview of the programme The Management of Development programme consists of five main parts:
1. Introduction
2. Management of Development
3. Management and Transformation of Development Organisations and Project Management
4. Specialisation
5. Research and Thesis
Part 1: Introduction
This module aims to achieve familiarity with the educational philosophy, staff and other students, so that pro-
gramme students will get to grips with the Master’s programme. The module aims to develop the students’ com-
mitment to the variety of working modes and methods to be used during the course. At the same time, the module
stimulates students to inventory their strengths and weaknesses as well as their frame of reference with respect to
learning.
Part 2: Management of Development
This part of the programme is common to all MoD students. It focuses on competences of rural development pro-
fessionals and specialists. Since the 1950s major shifts have taken place in rural development thinking. One theory
follows the other in the search for sustainable rural development. Policy makers and development professionals are
aware of the complexity and multi-disciplinary or rural development and the great variation of interests and pow-
ers of different stakeholders.
In this part rural development is looked at from three angels:
- Rural development theories which can handle the most important theories from the 1950s until now;
- The professional who is confronted with complex problems in a simulation of a consultancy assignment
dealing with multi-stakeholder perspective;
- Rural livelihoods are studied within the framework of sustainable rural livelihoods a.o.
Part 3: Management and Transformation of Development Organisations and Project Management
This part is common to all MoD students. It focuses on competences required to function as an advisor, manager or
policy maker within the development organisation and includes the following elements:
The professional environment in which various concepts or organisation theory and organisation models in rural
development are analysed. Influences from changing institutional environments on the organisation and push and
pull factors for organisational change are studied. Often the internal structure and functioning of an organisation
has to be adapted to the new requirements set by the institutional environment. Organisational change and being
a change agent gets attention. Training is provided in a great number of professional competences such as leader-
ship and communication.
Management and planning in which students develop their competences to manager development projects and to
write and assess project proposals using the OOPP and logical framework approach. Often gender differences in
needs and opportunities are overlooked in project planning. Students will therefore be trained to use gender plan-
ning tools and gender analysis frameworks.
Part 4: Specialisation
This part of the programme differs from specialisation to specialisation. The modules in this part of the programme
enhance the competences of the subject matter specialist. Besides broadening and deepening the theoretical
36 Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
knowledge and operational skills with regard to the specific field of study, students are required to apply these
specialist competences within the framework of management and transformation of their working organisations,
project management and research.
- RDA. In the Rural Development and HIV/AIDS module the whole spectrum of rural development and the epi-
demic is explored: background knowledge of the epidemic, the drivers and its impact on rural populations, the
niche for rural development organizations to operate and mainstream HIV/AIDS, and individual attitudes, values
and norms are discussed in the light of students’ professional functioning. The Managing Change module deals
with strategies and push and pull factors to mainstream HIV/AIDS in rural development organizations
- RDC. The Rural Development and Communication module gives the historical background to the transformation
of rural extension into recent thinking on communication and learning processes for change and the recognition
that all client groups are competent actors. The Learning and Transformation module is about theories and con-
cepts of knowledge and learning in settings of development and social change. These form the theoretical
background to the development of training and facilitation and media design and management.
- RDF. The Agricultural Development and Food Security module focuses on theories and approaches with regards
to local food security. The Agriculture and Economics module sets local food security in the context of regional
economy and farm economics.
- RDG. In the Food Security and Rural Livelihood module students study theories and tools to get insight into
gender relations and processes of social exclusion. The Mainstreaming Gender module in Agriculture and Rural
Development deals with various strategies to mainstream gender in rural development organizations.
Part 5: Research and Thesis
To qualify for the Master degree, students have to prove that their cognitive and conceptual skills with respect to
the central disciplinary themes of the programme are at a master level. An important test for qualification is
whether the student is capable of conducting and managing an individual research project resulting in a thesis. The
thesis could show the student’s ability to apply, deepen and integrate the expertise and skills acquired during the
programme in a largely self directed or autonomous way. The research topic should be relevant to the professional
activities of the specialisation and be related to a professional problem of the organisation in which the student
works. The coordinator of the specialisation must approve the topic and the proposal of the thesis beforehand.
The module offered in this part of the programme are common to all MoD students. Research and Thesis consists
of four elements:
- Training in research process and methods;
- Writing a research proposal, including a definition of the problem to be studied, a review of the relevant
literature, and the research methodology to be adopted;
- Field research in the home country and the elaboration of the thesis;
- Presentation and defence of the thesis during a colloquium and oral examination.
M Management of Development August 2011 37
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Attachment 6 Documents
- Critical reflection
- Final projects of 22 students
- Literature
- Written assessments and stations, including student’s work and evaluations
- Placement reports and evaluations
- Reports management deliberation (W-team)
- Reports Exam committee
- Course specific Educational regulation
- Competence descriptions
- OPCO regulations
- Reports OPCO deliberation
- Reports team deliberation
- Reports PAC
- Reports from Educational Development days
- Report ‘The Larenstein Educational concept’
- Report about quality improvement assessments
- Reports from Assessment committee deliberation
- Career counselling/self development manuals
- Curricula vitae lecturers
- Evaluation reports
- Employee monitor 2008
- Course manuals
- Placement manuals
- Annual report Wageningen UR 2008
- Appraisal system
- Employee monitor 2008
- Strategic personnel plan VHL and WUR
- ICT facilities
- HBO monitor
- Visual Problem Appraisal