The development course is designed for government and non-profit practitioners in international development, public policy, and social policy. This non-credit version is being offered to accommodate the expressed interest in the topic from researchers and practitioners in universities and NGOs who do not need university credit. Graduate and undergraduate students are also welcome to apply.

This course is designed to build understanding of policy-oriented, evidence-based research and its application to program planning and policy making. The course will cover the different types of systematic research reviews; how to frame a research strategy; methods for developing a screening strategy; implementation of the search strategy, including how to manage references; assessment of the relevant literature; methods for synthesizing and interpreting findings; and communication of those conclusions to policy makers, advocates, and the public. Unlike the parallel for-credit version of the course, students will not be assigned to a client and will not complete a final project.

The course will be held in Paris, France from June 4-15, 2018 in conjunction with the UMD for-credit course “Understanding and Synthesizing Evidence-Based Research.” Classes will be in English.