SM9747 - Innovation in place-based policy

You will experience a dynamic and flexible learning environment that caters to professionals across business, public, and third sectors. The delivery model blends intensive face-to-face workshops with live virtual sessions and self-paced online components, with pre-session materials providing essential background knowledge and post-session tutorials fostering reflective discussion through the lenses of advocacy, plurality, sustainability, inclusivity, and accountability.

Throughout the module, you’ll engage in expert-led lectures, collaborative group work, and practical case studies that examine real-world challenges—from sustainable business practices to innovative public policy and third sector initiatives. This multifaceted approach not only develops your analytical and practical skills but also encourages you to appreciate diverse perspectives and harness collective creativity in addressing complex issues.

A robust digital learning platform supports your studies by offering access to recorded sessions, interactive quizzes, and discussion forums for peer-to-peer exchange. Optional office hours and guided independent study sessions provide personalized support from experienced tutors, ensuring that every learning need is met.

Overall, this integrated approach reinforces theoretical insights into responsible management while building practical competencies essential for driving sustainable and ethical change across various sectors. It empowers you to become an effective leader capable of advocating for transformative practices in any organizational context.

In this module, you will benefit from a comprehensive and responsive academic support system designed to help you succeed across both private sector and public/third sector contexts. Your learning is guided by experienced module tutors and supported by dedicated programme leaders and academic mentors, ensuring that expert advice is always available. In addition to scheduled lectures, workshops, and group sessions, you will have access to drop-in sessions, virtual office hours, and interactive online forums via our digital learning platform—providing continuous, flexible support beyond the formal classroom setting.

The programme is structured to encourage both collaborative and independent study, with resources such as recorded lectures, curated reading materials, and peer discussion groups that help reinforce key concepts in responsible business. This multi-faceted approach ensures that whether you are tackling complex theoretical frameworks or developing practical strategies for sustainable change, you have a robust network of academic support to guide you every step of the way.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• [MLO 1] Explain the key concepts of place-based policy, policy innovation, urban regeneration, and place-based leadership and their application in UK cities and regions. [PLO 1, 3, 5]
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

• [MLO 2] Enhance professional skills through problem-based learning to design innovative and collaborative policy solutions for places. [PLO 1, 2, 4, 5]
• [MLO 3] Evaluate real-world case studies and research to propose effective place-based policy solutions. [PLO 1, 2, 3, 5, 6]

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

• [MLO 4] Reflect on personal values to demonstrate leadership in place and collaborative working. [PLO 4, 5]

This module is assessed by means of a single written assessment.
Over the six-week module, you will examine the potential role of your organisation in an example of place based policy, assess from a theoretical position what your organisation could contribute and develop an action plan for working with other partners or providing leadership in place. This assessment is designed to address multiple Module Learning Outcomes (MLOs) across all three domains:
• Knowledge & Understanding: Demonstrate critical insights into the application of place-based policy.
• Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities: Apply frameworks such as to develop practical, innovative solutions.
• Personal Values Attributes: Reflect on how you can provide leadership across place-based partnerships to support policy innovation and collaboration.
Formative feedback will be offered throughout the block teaching sessions and in the virtual sessions convened to support your learning and development.

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Innovation in place-based policy focuses on how partnership working across the public sector is essential for the development of unique place-based solutions to the distinctive challenges faced by cities and regions. The module equips you with the knowledge and practical skills needed to work across areas of policy expertise drawing on research-rich learning on theory and policy examples, accompanied by practical exercises to promote understanding of what works. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology enhanced learning platforms, the module blends interactive lectures, hands-on projects, and real-world case studies to deepen your understanding and stimulate critical thinking. Continuous formative assessments and detailed feedback ensure that you gain valuable insights while refining your problem-solving and leadership capabilities. The module focuses on institutional entrepreneurship or how organisations seek to develop new solutions which may involve new economic agencies, and as such will enhance your understanding of how you can contribute to creativity and innovation across partnerships.