Compulsory
September-January
5ECTS
Coordinator: Adolfo Cazorla Montero


The course aims for students to develop a global understanding of the rural space and to adopt an ecological vision of development in such a way that development planning models that promote the integrated and integrating participation of all the actors present in the territory are assumed. The course deals with real case studies of rural development plans and programmes in order to present the related theoretical aspects of the subject and the possible steps to be taken to improve the elements of competence.

THE SPECIFIC CONTENTS WILL BE:

• Identify and value the diversity of a rural territory reinforcing its endogenous potential and understand the endogenous potential of rural territories as a basis for development.
• Promote participatory planning processes for the sustainable management of rural areas with a service vocation in the public sphere aimed at promoting the common good.
• Understand and know the relationship between the different models of development planning and specific rural development policies and programmes at European and international level.
• To distinguish what kind of responsibilities and capacities each group of agents has within a territory and to set in motion a learning process that brings them together in pursuit of the common good and the future sustainability of the rural environment.

Compulsory
September-January
5ECTS
Coordinator: José María Díaz Puente

The course aims for students to develop a global understanding of the rural space and to adopt an ecological vision of development in such a way as to assume models of development planning that promote the integrated and integrating participation of all the actors present in the territory. The course deals with real practical cases of evaluation of rural development plans and programmes in order to present the related theoretical aspects of the subject and the possible steps to be taken to improve the elements of competence.

• To know the different objectives, dimensions and fields in which evaluation work can be carried out.
• To know the different uses that can be given to an evaluation and the means to promote this use.
• Define criteria and standards to assess the success or failure of a project/programme and its quality.
• To learn how to design a monitoring and evaluation system for a project/programme.
• Develop the ability to implement a process of continuous improvement and evaluation of results.
• To learn about different evaluation models and tools that allow for the personal design of evaluations depending on what is to be evaluated.
• Ability to lead participatory evaluation processes, and to generate local capacities through the evaluation process.
• Knowledge of cultural and ethnic issues affecting evaluation work.
• Communicate evaluation results effectively orally and in writing using a variety of techniques to promote the use of evaluation results.

Compulsory
September-January
5ECTS
Coordinator: Ignacio de los Ríos Carmenado

The course aims for students to develop a global understanding of the rural space and to adopt an ecological vision of development in such a way that development planning models that promote the integrated and integrating participation of all the actors present in the territory are assumed. The course deals with real practical cases of evaluation of rural development plans and programmes in order to present the related theoretical aspects of the subject and the possible steps to be taken to improve the elements of competence.

THE SPECIFIC CONTENTS WILL BE:

• Project Cycle and Methodologies for formulation, evaluation and monitoring.
• Management of the development Project Cycle.
• Preparation for formulation.
• Analysis of actors and stakeholders.
• Analysis of problems and alternatives.
• Project organisation and planning. Structures and components.
• Formulation and evaluation of the development project.
• Formulation Methodology: Project design. Strategic alternatives. Definition of Objectives, Goals and Design Criteria.
• Integration of economic, social and environmental variables in development projects. Case studies.
• Morphology: project documents.
• Budgeting: estimation of project investment costs. Project financing.
• Project management. Competences for Project Management.

THE SPECIFIC COMPETENCES OF THE SUBJECT ARE:

• Has the knowledge to identify and involve the different social groups and stakeholders in projects.
• Has the necessary knowledge related to the requirements and objectives of a project and can apply them.
• Has the knowledge to identify and analyse problems, needs, opportunities and threats in projects.
• Has learned to identify, assess and take into account human, social and environmental factors that affect and are affected by the Rural and Local Development Project.
• Has understood the integrated approach to projects and the technical-economic, human, environmental and territorial dimensions of Development Projects.
• Has knowledge of participatory methodologies in the formulation of a Development Project and can apply it.
• Has knowledge of the phases and structures to maintain a logical order within a project and can apply it.
• Has the knowledge to organise the formulation of a development project and can apply it.
• Has knowledge of the quality factors of a project and can apply it.
• Has knowledge of the documents and morphology of a project.
• Has the knowledge to analyse Rural and Local Development Projects from a multi-criteria point of view and can apply it.

Compulsory
January-July
4 ECTS
Coordinator: Cristina Isabel Pascual Castaño

The course aims to deepen in the application of information technologies to address the study and qualitative and quantitative characterisation of the territory (relief, climate, vegetation, soil, etc.), as well as its use for the assessment and generation of models that can be incorporated into plans and projects for sustainable rural and environmental development. To this end, the proposed module covers the three main technological tools for capturing and processing geographic information: Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing.

• To know the most current methods, techniques and tools for the generation of basic cartographic information.
• To be familiar with the most current methods, techniques and tools for the generation of quantitative information on different variables of the territory.
• Knowledge of the most current methods, techniques and tools for the generation of categorical (qualitative) information.
• Ability to acquire command of procedures and techniques for the integration of information for the evaluation and diagnosis of the territory.
• Ability to acquire command of procedures and techniques for the integration of information for territorial planning and allocation of uses.

• General approach to decision making:
• Types of information (sample, subjective, from the consequences of the decision).
• Minimax and Bayesian decision-making criteria.
• Optimisation in land management:
• Mathematical programming.
• Heuristic optimisation methods.
• Scalarisation techniques:
• Value function construction.
• Soft methods.
• Identification of a decision-maker's preference system:
• Binary and order relations.
• Characterisation of preference systems.

THE SPECIFIC COMPETENCES OF THE SUBJECT ARE:

• Knowledge of decision-making methods and algorithms.
• Ability to identify and propose the most appropriate decision-making method for a problem of sustainable rural and environmental management and/or development.
• To develop procedures for the collection of opinions and preferences.
• Use and implement decision support systems (DSS).
• Interpret and evaluate the results obtained with a decision support system.

• Ability to identify the significant elements and their relationships of a territory at different scales.
• Ability to assess and integrate the significant elements in models for the integrated management of natural resources.
• Identify the components of an ecosystem or landscape, especially at the scale of the organism.
• Identify the critical elements for the conservation and improvement of biodiversity in agroforestry systems.
• Ability to analyse a specific situation and evaluate a specific action from the point of view of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
• Ability to generate alternatives that make uses and production compatible with sustainable development and conservation of biodiversity in ecosystems or agroforestry systems.
• Understanding and critical analysis of the evolution and different trends in the planning of natural spaces, forestry and ecosystem management.
• Knowledge of the characteristics of protected natural spaces and the main aspects for the planning and management of these spaces.

• To know the most current methods and trends in the experimental study of the constituents and physical properties of soil and water in the hydrological network.
• To know the most current methods and trends in the experimental study of soil fertility and soil biology and soil-plant interactions.
• To know the most current methods and trends in the techniques of analysis and study of water in the hydrological network and in the soil.
• Knowledge of the most current methods and trends in the experimental study of the relationship between soil and water with global environmental problems.
• Ability to acquire the handling and evaluation of modern tools for soil tillage and agroforestry management and low-cost water treatment.
• Ability to acquire the handling and evaluation of modern high-performance treatment tools and technologies applied to highly polluted water.
• Ability to perform experimental design and model building aimed at soil and water optimisation, protection and restoration.
• Handling of current tools and ability to generate new methodologies that allow the integration of soil and water management in territorial planning and environmental impact assessment models.

Compulsory
January-July
2 ECTS
Coordinator: Francisco Sigfredo Ortuño Pérez

In the process of evaluating the sustainability of management in the rural environment, both from a socioeconomic and environmental point of view, it is necessary to know the methodologies that allow an adequate estimation of the value or values of natural resources. For this reason, this subject is considered fundamental in a Master's degree in sustainable development research, so that the student is able to implement, develop and increase the knowledge of an indispensable tool for correct decision-making in management, applied to rural and environmental development.

• To know the methods of socio-economic valuation.
• Ability to identify and propose the most appropriate valuation method for a problem of sustainable rural and environmental management and/or development.
• To develop procedures for the collection of opinions and preferences.
• Ability to integrate methodological processes in decision-making on the value of the resource.