Pedagogy

ISDM’s pedagogic and curriculum philosophy is anchored in the Collaborative Learning (CL) Methodology with focus on processes of inquiry, advocacy, negotiation, meaning making, co-creation and, designing for achieving shared visions. 

The PGP-DL curriculum has been carefully designed to provide students with relevant knowledge, its contextual application, critical-thinking, problem solving and design abilities while promoting the importance of collaboration and value-based decision-making. The pedagogy is rooted in problem-based learning designed for adult learners and to build reflective practitioners. Adequate space has been provided in the curriculum to apply theory to practice in a collaborative way. 

There are three critical and foundational threads that run through the programme:

Personal Mastery for Development Leadership (PMDL)
This is an integral part of your journey towards becoming a reflective development sector professional. The two key components of the PMDL are Radical Transformative Leadership and Collaboration. Development of these components is critical for you as a Development Leader/Manager. The diagram below illustrates the foundational skills that this thread would focus on.  This course will provide you with the concepts and skills, as well as the space to build these with adequate opportunities for practice throughout the programme. 

Systems Thinking
The purpose of this foundational thread is to enable you to understand and appreciate the benefits of applying systems thinking in the social sector. The course exposes you to the tools of systems thinking and how it differs from conventional thinking like linear thinking, systematic thinking etc. This becomes especially important in the social sector since social systems are inherently complex and have peculiar characteristics like emergence, adaptability, unpredictability etc. which challenge the conventional approach of development practice.

This non-linearity of impact pathways and unanticipated outcomes often surprises organisations and project managers. Through systems thinking, it is possible to build capacities to appreciate and harness such emergent outcomes for widespread benefits. Log frames having linear impact pathways and are often unable to measure or manage such nonlinear, emergent outcomes. In fact in some cases they end up ignoring them in lieu of what was anticipated as an outcome. Thus, developing a systems theory of change for your work in the social sector is of utmost importance.

Through this component of the PGP-DL, you will take back a systemic perspective, shared understanding of how to understand complexity, learn tools for applying systems thinking and develop enhanced interactive learning skills which would help you better deal with the ‘wicked problems’ of social systems. It will also help you find leverage for affecting widespread, lasting change. This component helps you to make systems thinking a way of being and doing.

Strands of Development Management 
Topics covered are Purposeful Programs, M&E, Perspectives in Organisations, Financial Management ,leading and managing teams, BCC, Engagement and CXX, etc.