Qualification in Social Development Planning & Management

Purpose:

The purpose of this qualification is to provide candidates with knowledge, skills, and expertise that would enable them to become social development researchers, planners, and managers in the spheres of project development, community development, environmental sustainability, as well as rural and urban development. Qualifying learners attributes include:

• Capacity for a high standard in-depth analysis, knowledge, and understanding of the complex challenges associated with the manifestations of poverty & inequality, especially within rural contexts of developing countries.
• To understand and analyze development policy as well as the planning and management approaches at a high standard.
• Ability to plan, implement, and manage sustainable interventions (by state, private & civil society agencies) for addressing poverty and inequality in a participatory, coherent, and integrated manner at a high standard.
• Ability to design, analyze, plan, implement, and manage research/evidence-based community development projects that are environmentally sustainable at a high standard.
• Ability to conceptualize and propose feasible multidisciplinary research in social development planning & management at a high standard.

Rationale:

The multidimensional challenges of poverty & inequality are a legacy that South Africa and other developing countries have to contend with. Development project implementation has permeated the multiple interventions by state, private, and civil society agencies in most public sector and private sectors. The multiplicity of actors and actions for addressing poverty and inequality has entailed the involvement of communities in a holistic, integrated, and coherent process of development. The institution has identified an increasing need for a high standard of knowledge, understanding, skills, and expertise for the applications of multidisciplinary research-based interventions through development project design, analysis, planning, implementation, and management within the broader contexts of the modern process of planning, which integrates environmental considerations with development for sustainable poverty and inequality eradication. The national need to create jobs and sustainable livelihoods is a particular priority that is addressed through the provisioning of this qualification.