The Implementation of Strategy
| Module title | The Implementation of Strategy |
|---|---|
| Module code | SECM020 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 45 |
| Module staff | Dr Martin Robson (Convenor) |
Module description
This module builds on and compliments the ‘Ends’, ‘Ways’ and ‘Means’ construct to allow you to bring it all together. This module is very much about the challenges of doing strategy. It provides you with a ‘strategic sandbox’ to develop your applied strategic skillset. Activity is focussed upon three strands Crisis Watch, Field Trips, Simulation.
Crisis Watch: Active Strategy runs across all three terms of the academic year. You will work in groups on a contemporary security issue, researching, analysing and presenting on a subject of importance. It comprises a discrete set of inter-linked group case study analyses which build sequentially, supplemented by insights from the core programme. The inter-linked analyses build towards a group presentation of their analysis and UK policy recommendations to a panel of experts. Groups are not, however, constrained by UK policy – indeed this is an approach to bring competing hypotheses and strategic options to the attention of policy makers in Whitehall.
This module will also allow you to take concepts covered by the ‘Ends’, ‘Ways’ and ‘Means’ construct and apply them to real world case studies, Field Trips and a major Simulated Exercise. The module will challenge you to plan and execute strategic plans and decisions through a simulated reality that means you can test out your strategic vision and gain an appreciation of cause and effect.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The overriding aim of the module is the personal development of the applied strategist in the real world of strategy. You will progress through a building block approach of real world examples of strategy in the real world with exemplars provided. Real world field trips could include a ‘Strategy Learning Day’ with Headquarters NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps to learn how military organisations approach planning for strategic effect. That approach will be widened out with a Whitehall Immersion to learn from, engage and interact with, policy makers and influencers about different approaches to linking ends, ways and means with the challenge of implementation.
You will be learning best practice from the practitioners, enhancing your skillset and personal employability networks. Following this your experience will again be widened with an International Organisation Immersion, such as NATO / The EU to understand and again learn from best practice about the challenges and possible solutions to implementing strategy in an international context, linking back to key themes covered in the previous modules.
The module also includes a major Crisis Simulated Exercise in which you will be assigned roles to play in the context of the simulation and within a peer group. Together, you will implement many of the tools / strategic skills you have acquired during the course of the previous modules and work towards analysing a crisis before defining and implementing your strategic aims. The Crisis Simulated Exercise will be moderated by SSI staff and each group will be assigned an external highly experienced practitioner to ‘mentor’ you. The Simulation will present you with challenging, unanticipated analytical and decision-making problems. During this period, you will meet regularly in your groups to discuss the progress of the simulation and also with the cohort to play out your roles. There will also be a de-briefing session based around ‘what have we learned’. During this you will reflect on lessons learnt with the cohort and tutors. You will be assessed on your contributions to the simulation during it and subsequently through a portfolio of policy-relevant work that you will undertake both during the simulation and after when you reflect on your experiences.
This module also contains ‘Crisis Watch: Active Strategy’ which enables you to bring together the various empirical, theoretical, conceptual and judgemental skills and insights that you are developing in other modules. The particular challenge here is to do that within the context of a group environment and present a cohesive approach to a panel of experts, thereby honing employability skills. You will be required to apply judgement and insight to analyse pressing policy issues in volatile situations where your judgement will possibly be based upon imperfect information. In so doing, you will make a contribution to the understanding of contemporary strategic challenges faced by real policy-makers. You will have the opportunity to bring your work to the attention of a far wider audience through publication. Success will depend upon high levels of student engagement, responsibility and self-organisation, from the outset.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. draw on specialist knowledge of and critically evaluate the multitude of factors that facilitate and inhibit the formulation and implementations of strategic planning and decision-making;
- 2. identify and examine the significance of issues of continuity and change in the implementation of strategy;
- 3. apply insights from your accumulated knowledge to analyse more contemporary and ongoing strategic challenges;
- 4. make reasoned and informed judgements on the various challenges involved in strategic decision-making in divergent contexts and on the lessons that might be drawn from them;
- 5. formulate and present security strategy under realistic conditions;
- 6. judge and critique how actors plan and execute strategy in real world situations;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. devise and articulate arguments about how real-world strategic decisions might be located within the broader empirical and theoretical context of international relations and public policy;
- 8. apply theory to contemporary organisations to reappraise theoretical insights in the study of security strategy to draw systematic links between theory, policy and empirical material and demonstrate originality in your own application of these
- 9. analyse the significance of multidisciplinary and cross-sector concerns and questions for the implementation of strategy in crisis and conflict;
- 10. analyse and evaluate advanced research monographs and articles as well as major policy texts relevant to the discipline;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 11. undertake independent/self-directed/group learning (with effective time management) to achieve consistent, proficient and sustained attainment;
- 12. critically evaluate and engage with academic and policy sources;
- 13. communicate your own original and evidenced arguments logically and effectively in speech, writing and other media to a wide range of actors involved in strategic planning and implementation in a wide variety of fields;
- 14. make decisions in time pressured situations and articulate and reflect upon the consequences of those decisions.
Syllabus plan
This module will be delivered through a number of lectures and seminars delivered by SSI/UoE staff and external guest speakers. Lectures and seminars will be delivered by practitioners as well as University of Exeter academics, depending on expertise and learning outcomes. The module will also include ‘Field Trips’ and a major Crisis Simulated Exercise. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Strategy to Plan (Design and Reductionist models)
- Personal development (interview, TV techniques, Social Media techniques) maximising students’ ability to communicate their strategy and enhance employability
- Field Trips (e.g. Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, Whitehall Immersion, International Organisation Immersion)
- Major Crisis Simulated Exercise
The final component of this module is Crisis Watch: Active Strategy which will run throughout the three terms of the MStrat with each group working under the supervision of a different member of SSI staff. In Term 1 students will be expected to have displayed research skills and knowledge of the contemporary issue and will spend Terms 2 and 3 honing their analysis and identifying policy recommendations. This will culminate in the MStrat Conference where each group presents to a panel of policy experts. Oral and written feedback is obtained which can then be applied to the individual submission. This will be followed by a Leadership in Crisis Masterclass.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 130 | 320 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 6 | Lectures and Seminars |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 34 | Simulated Exercise including media training, student presentations, debrief, provision of feedback |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 46 | Field Trips (e.g. ARRC, Whitehall, NATO/EU) |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 44 | Discussions with other Crisis Watch group members. Supervision meetings and briefings to allocated Crisis Watch tutor (including virtual, email, telephone contact). Crisis Watch Conference practice and presentation of student work package. Leadership in Crisis Masterclass |
| Guided Independent Study | 12 | Reading and preparation for seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Reading and preparation for Crisis Watch tutor discussions |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Reading and preparation for Crisis Watch conference formative |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Reading and preparation for Field Trips / Field Trip Essay Plan / Alternative Essay Plan |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Reading and preparation for SIMEX |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Reading and preparation for SIMX Applied Summative Assessment |
| Guided Independent Study | 98 | Reading and preparation for Field Trip / Alternative Summative Assessment |
| Guided Independent Study | 90 | Reading and preparation for Crisis Watch Portfolio Summative Assessment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field Trip Essay plan or Alternative Assessment Essay Plan | 500 words | 1-14 | Written |
| SIMEX group presentation | 20 minutes | 1-14 | Oral and written |
| Participation in, and contribution to Crisis Watch briefings and discussions | Contributions will be monitored by your Crisis Watch tutor | 1-14 | Oral |
| Group presentation at the Crisis Watch Conference | 20 minute group presentation at the Crisis Watch Conference. | 1-14 | Oral - your preparation for this task will be monitored and you will be given oral feedback from your tutor on your progress. Written your group will receive written feedback from the Crisis Watch Conference. |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Trip Essay | 34 | 3500 words | 1-14 | Written |
| SIMEX Applied Assessment | 33 | 1500 words | 1-14 | Written |
| Crisis Watch Portfolio | 33 | 3000 words | 1-14 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field Trip Essay | Field Trip Essay (3500 words) | 1-14 | September deadline for submission |
| Applied Assessment | Applied Assessment (1500 words) | 1-14 | September deadline for submission |
| Crisis Watch Portfolio | Crisis Watch Portfolio (3000 words) | 1-14 | September deadline for submission |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Bolinger Alexander R. and Stanton Julie V. Role-Play Simulations (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020)
- Cohen, Eliot. 2002. Supreme Command: Soldiers, Statesmen and Wartime Leadership, New York: Free Press.
- Diamond, Patrick, The End of Whitehall?: Government by Permanent Campaign (Springer, 2019)
- Directorate-General for Communication, How the European Union works: Your guide to the EU institutions (European Commission 2014)
- Farazmand Ali, Global Encyclopaedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance (Springer, 2018)
- Harrigan, Pat and Kirschenbaum, Matthew G. Zones of control: perspectives on wargaming (MIT Press, 2016)
- James, Oliver, The executive agency revolution in Whitehall: public interest versus bureau-shaping perspectives, (Palgrave, 2003)
- Martínez Ordóñez, Lucía Military Operational Planning and Strategic Moves (Springer, 2017)
| Credit value | 45 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 22.5 |
| Module co-requisites | SECM017, SECM018, SECM019, SECM021 |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 16/12/2020 |
| Last revision date | 29/07/2021 |
