WATERMSC · EDUCATE ARCHIVE
WREM401 · Archived syllabus

Policy and Legislation

The full module description, with its historical teaching and assessment context.

Module
WREM401
Credits (archived)
8 ECTS
Prerequisites
Not specified
Duration (archived)
15 weeks

Historical lecturers: Dr Brilly.

Student study time

Overall, the module is expected to involve students in approximately 200 hours of learning: 12 5-hour lectures; 58 hours assignments; 78 hours private study; 4-hour examination.

Aims

This module aims to provide an applicable knowledge of classical and contemporary problems in the water and environmental policy making for the practising engineer. It provides a basic knowledge of the main social processes and EU legislation. It offers gaining practical experience how to recognise stakeholder interests and how to involve stakeholders and publics in decision making process.

Learning outcomes

1. Subject Specific Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

By the end of this module, the students should:

  • have acquired an understanding of policymaking process and how to incorporate technical solution in social environment;
  • be able to take active participation in decision making process;
  • be able to estimate level of social support of particular solution;
  • have acquired a basic understanding of social processes and estimate social capital;
  • understand the role of legislation and public participation in decision making process;
  • be able to participate in multidisciplinary discussion.

2. Core Academic Skills

By the end of this module, the students should:

  • be able to identify, formulate and analyse a management problem in a given society;
  • be able to critically assess research results;
  • have acquired some practical experience of using Social impact Analysis – SIA;
  • have acquired an understanding of the impact of solutions for civil engineering works in a global and societal context.

3. Personal and Key Skills

By the end of this module, the students should have:

  • improved further the necessary skills for independent learning;
  • enhanced report and presentation skills;
  • acquired an ability to function in multi- disciplinary teams.

Learning methods

Lectures, problem sheets, tutorials.

Assignments

One assessed coursework assignment (4,000 equivalent words including graphs and tables).
Problem sheets and computer based problem solving.

Assessment

Examination paper (60%), Course work (40%)
3-hour examination, closed note and closed book.
1 assignment on practical application of modelling tools/wastewater treatment facilities design (40%, 4,000 equivalent words, including graphs and tables).

Syllabus

  1. Introduction to Environmental Legislation
  2. Legitimization problems in water management and environment protection: Reflexivity and Complexity
  3. Legitimization problems in water management and environment protection, Part II
  4. “Risk Society”
  5. Sustainability: the new developmental paradigm
  6. Public opinion, participation, social capital
  7. Social Impact Assessment (SIA)
  8. Principles of Communicative Rationality
  9. Common, institutional and personal interests in water policy
  10. Waste water treatment infrastructure design and NIMBY syndrome

Core reading

  1. Becker, Henk (1997) Social Impact Assessment. UCL Press, London .
  2. Harper L. Charles (2004) Environment and Society – human perspective on environment issues. Pearson, New Yersey.

Further reading

  1. Irwin; Lewis G. (2003) The Policy Analyst's Handbook: Rational Problem Solving in a Political World. M.E. Sharp Inc., New York .
  2. Public Participation in Making Local Environment Decisions, (2000) The Aarhus Convention Newcastle Workshop. London : Good Practice Handbook, Department of the Environment.
  3. Redclift M. and Woodgate G., 1997, The International Handbook of Environmental Sociology. Edward Elgar.
  4. Linstone H.A. (1984), Multiple perspectives for decision making – Bridging gap between analysis and action, pp 1-422, North-Holland, New York, Amsterdam, Oxford.
  5. Lyons Murphy (1997), The Danube a river basin in Transition, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dodrecht, Boston, London pp 1-272.

Historical module authors

  1. Drago Kos, Assoc. Professor, UL FDV
  2. Mitja Brilly, Professor, UL FGG
  3. Pavel Gantar, Asiss. Professor, UL FDV

Historical Moodle teaching record


Policy and Legislation

Welcome to the module "Policy and Legislation"
This module is coordinated by:
Ljubljana-Dr. Brilly
  • Module Coordinator: Brilly Mitja
  • Tutor: Brilly Mitja
  • Tutor: Despotovic Jovan
  • Tutor: Kos Drago

Archived public course summary ↗

Read a water-policy requirement without losing its jurisdiction

The source syllabus frames policy and legislation as a water-management subject. Laws and obligations change; a course reading list cannot establish a current legal requirement.

Jurisdiction and version → Actor and covered activity → Primary verification before action
Original explanatory diagram · Water MSC editorial. Jurisdiction and version → Actor and covered activity → Primary verification before action.

The diagram in words: Jurisdiction and version → Actor and covered activity → Primary verification before action.

Make a requirement traceable

Copy the exact instrument title and relevant provision into your own working register, together with jurisdiction, publication version and effective date. Identify the actor and action it governs. A policy objective is different from a binding duty or a permit condition.

A fictional permit-review register

Your training case is a proposed discharge. The register has rows for the competent authority, applicable instrument, covered activity, submission route and evidence still needed. Leave a field “not verified” until the current primary instrument is checked. Do not fill it from a different country or from the date of a training handout.

Resolve conflicts before acting

If two sources disagree, retain both references and ask the responsible authority or a qualified adviser to resolve version and scope. Record an amendment separately from an explanatory webpage. The procedure supports evidence organisation and is not a legal opinion or confirmation of compliance.

Worked record
FieldExample or check
InstrumentExact title and provision
VersionEffective date, amendments
UnresolvedCurrent applicability; do not assume

Document evidence