Course:FRE505/Syllabus
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Time: Monday, Wednesday: 5:30-7:00 PM Room: MCML 154
Instructor
Rick Barichello
Office: 339 MacMillan
Phone: (604) 822-3473
Email: rick.barichello@ubc.ca
Office Hours: Thursday 11:30 AM – 12 :30 PM
Prerequisite
FRE 502: Food Market Analysis or,
FRE 501: Commodity Markets and Price Analysis
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the use of two common evaluation tools for government policies and projects, the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). It also introduces the concept of Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) and its calculation. The PAM and DRC are focused on policies and CBA on investment projects. Both involve distinguishing between private and social (or economic) profitability, and both involve data collection at the micro (farm or project) level. Substantial attention is given to understanding factor markets and related institutions to enable quality data collection. Case studies are used. To close the lecture schedule, agricultural productivity measurement is also introduced.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Master the concepts in the PAM and CBA
- Understand the type of data required for each.
- Identify key elements of local factor markets in order to collect appropriate data.
- Apply the PAM and CBA in real life settings with actual data.
- Handle common difficulties or barriers to obtaining high quality data, and develop ways to overcome them.
CLASS FORMAT
12 lectures of 1.5 hours, twice a week for 6 weeks.
ASSESSMENTS
Your grade shall be determined as follows
| Problem set (2): 7%, 15% | 22% | |
| Class quizzes (2) @ 7% | 14% | |
| Policy brief | 14% | |
| Final Exam | View schedule online | 50% |
| TOTAL | 100% |
In-class Quizzes and Problem Sets
The quizzes and problem sets will allow an opportunity to use the PAM (policy analysis matrix) and CBA (cost benefit analysis) with real world information. The quizzes focus on the PAM, the problem sets on CBA. These applications will help everyone understand the types of data that are required and to learn key features of local factor markets that can guide one in collecting the appropriate data.
Policy Brief
The policy brief will be a 1-page summary of the results of PAM and CBA analyses/problem sets or policy options of your choice. They will provide practice in communicating results of your analyses to help policy makers understand your analysis and then choose better policies.
Final Exam
The final exam will be comprehensive (it shall cover all material taught in class), and will last two hours. It will take the form of short answer and longer answer questions. This could include calculations, written explanations, and the manipulation of supply and demand models. Exams must be taken at the scheduled times unless there is a time conflict with another exam, serious illness, or an emergency. You must validate with documentation the reason(s) why you will be unable to take any exam.
COURSE MATERIAL & LEARNING RESOURCES
Online Course Material
Available at Canvas: http://www.canvas.ubc.ca. You are required to regularly log in to your course page for FRE 505. Your syllabus, course-lecture slides, additional material, announcements, assignments, and grades will be available.
Course Outline and Readings
How to use this course outline: Course outlines are generally a collection of papers, and topics we cover in policy and project evaluation. Wherever possible a stable link to the paper is provided. While some of these links will work anywhere, many of them are digitally protected requiring a subscription. You can access this material by logging in through your account at the UBC library, or on any computer connected via Ethernet on the UBC network. For some articles no link is provided. If so, searching for the article via the UBC library gives access to its electronic version.
COURSE POLICIES
Assignments
Unless otherwise indicated, assignments are due at 11:59 pm via Canvas on the due date. For each assignment, specifications will be provided of what to include in the final product. The grade received by the student for the assignment will be based on how well the student met the stated specifications, as well as any additional insight the student brings to the assignment. Therefore, for each assignment, it is important for each student to make sure that they understand the objectives and specifications, and ask questions if clarification is needed. This is the same approach that each student should take in their professional life. It is the responsibility of the student to fully understand assignment and course expectations.
Assignments are designated as Individual Assignments and must be submitted individually. Discussion and collaboration among students are strongly encouraged. However, for Individual Assignments, each student must do their own work and submit their original work. Identical submissions are a form of academic dishonesty and immediately receive a grade of zero and possibly negative affect your academic record.
Late Assignments
Late assignments will incur a 10% deduction for each day the assignment is late, including weekends, unless previously arranged for a qualified extension with the Instructor.
Missed Assignments
If you miss an assignment or need to reschedule an assignment, you must discuss this with your Instructor. If you have not discussed with your Instructor prior to the submission date, you will receive a grade of 0.
Writing Exams
All exams will be in-person and will follow MFRE exam protocol (See Student Portal). Exams may be online, e.g., in Canvas, but students must be physically present, use the lock-down browser, and invigilated. If a student is unable to write an exam, they must have a verifiable doctor’s note and must contact the Course Instructor, Course Assistant, and MFRE Program Coordinator before the scheduled exam date/time. If the documentation is considered legitimate, the Course Instructor will let you know how to proceed. If you miss an exam and you have not previously discussed this with the Instructor, you will receive a grade of zero. Notification after the exam date is not acceptable and will result in a grade of zero. Calculators may be utilized in class, on assignments, and during the exams.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use
The use of Generative AI tools at UBC is a course or program-level decision. Students are permitted to use AI tools for formative work such as gathering information or brainstorming but may NOT use it on any assessed work or final submission. Students are ultimately accountable for the work they submit, and any content therein. Note: AI is a developing area and guidelines of its use may change. Students are encouraged to learn the material and produce their own output, rather than AI generated output.
Attendance and Missing Classes/Labs
Students are expected to attend all classes, labs, or workshops. If you cannot make it to a class, lab, or workshop due to a medical or personal emergency, email your Instructor, your Course Assistant, and Olivier Ntwali, MFRE Program Coordinator ahead of time to let them know.
Recordings
There is no required distribution of recordings of class. Recording will be provided based upon on the decision of the course instructor. Classes are designed as and are intended to be in‐person.
Copyright
All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides, assessments, course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the instructor or licensed to be used in this course by the copyright owner. Redistribution of these materials by any means without permission of the copyright holder(s) constitutes a breach of copyright and may lead to academic discipline and could be subject to legal action. Further, audio or video recording of classes are not permitted without the prior consent of the instructor.
Respectfulness in the Classroom
Students are expected to be respectful of their colleagues at all times, including faculty, staff and peers. This means being attentive and conscious of words and actions and their impact on others, listening to people with an open mind, treating all MFRE community members equally and understanding diversity.
Respect for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The MFRE Program strives to promote an intellectual community that is enhanced by diversity along various dimensions including status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, social class, and/or disability. It is expected that all students and members of our community conduct themselves with empathy and respect for others.
Centre for Accessibility
The Centre for Accessibility (CfA) facilitates disability‐related accommodations and programming initiatives designed to remove barriers for students with disabilities and ongoing medical conditions. If you are registered with the CfA and are eligible for exam accommodations, it is your responsibility to let Olivier Ntwali, Academic Program Coordinator, and each of your Course Instructors know. You should book your exam writing with the CFA using its exam reservation system: for midterm exams or quizzes, at least 7 days in advance; and final exams, 7 days before the start of the formal exam period.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty and plagiarism are taken very seriously in the MFRE program. All incidences of plagiarism will be escalated to the MFRE Academic Director with penalties ranging from a mark of zero on the assignment, exam or course to being required to withdraw from the program. Note: If a student needs to extend his/her program due to a failed course or unsatisfactory progress, they will have to pay the full MFRE tuition fees for that term/s.
Academic misconduct that is subject to disciplinary measures includes, but is not limited, to the following:
- Plagiarism, which is intellectual theft, occurs where an individual submits or presents the oral or written work of another person as his or her own. In many UBC courses, you will be required to submit material in electronic form. The electronic material will be submitted to a service which UBC subscribes, called TurnItIn. This service checks textual material for originality. It is increasingly used in North American universities. For more information, review TurnItIn website online.
- Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT, Bard, or other Generative AI models to generate content or conduct analysis for evaluations, without proper citation and or if asked not to use AI, is considered plagiarism and academic misconduct. If students use AI in their submissions, they must cite the AI generator using citations consistent with the UBC Academic Honesty Standards.
- Cheating, which may include, but is not limited to falsification of any material subject to academic evaluation, unauthorized collaborative work; or use of unauthorized means to complete an examination.
- Working with Others on an Assignment: You are encouraged to work with other students, but you must turn in your own individual assignment. If you have an answer that is too close to another student’s answer, this will be considered academic dishonesty and this will be handled according to the MFRE and UBC policies.
- Resubmission of Material, submitting the same, or substantially the same, essay, presentation, or assignment more than once (whether the earlier submission was at this or another institution) unless prior approval has been obtained from the instructor(s) to whom the assignment is to be submitted.
- Use of academic ghostwriting services, including hiring of writing or research services and submitting papers or assignments as his or her own.
Student Responsibility: Students are responsible for informing themselves of the guidelines of acceptable and non‐acceptable conduct for examinations and graded assignments as presented via MFRE Code of Conduct; MFRE Turn it in, Course Syllabus, MFRE Instructors; Canvas and UBC academic misconduct policies.
Penalties for Academic Dishonesty: Penalties for academic dishonesty are applied at the discretion of the MFRE program. Incidences of academic misconduct may result in a mark of zero on the assignment, examination, or course, required withdrawal from the program, and/or the matter being is referred to UBC Graduate Studies.
COURSE SCHEDULE
| Lecture 1a
and Lec 1b Jan 6 |
Overall Introduction; Intro to PAM, including Field Research Methods
|
| Lecture 2
Jan 8 |
Factor Market Estimation: Land
14:30-16:00 |
| Lecture 3
Jan 13 |
Factor Market Cost Estimation: Labour |
| Lecture 4
Jan 15 |
Factor Market Cost Estimation: Capital, Credit (Quiz 1)
+ PAM Case Study, Empirical Application, calculating PAMs Yao, Shujie, 1997, “Rice Production in Thailand Seen Through a Policy Analysis Matrix”, Food Policy, Vol. 22, No.6, pp. 547-560 |
| Lecture 5
Jan 20 |
Currency Devaluation PAMs |
| Lecture 6
Jan 22 |
An Introduction to Project Evaluation (Benefit Cost Analysis) (Quiz 2)
|
| Lecture 7
Jan 27 |
Cases in Cost Benefit Analysis
|
| Lecture 8
Jan 29 |
Rubber Replanting Cash Flows: HW1 Due
Intro comments on Community Pastures in BC (to help with homework 1) |
| Lecture 9
Feb 03 |
Project Evaluation Case
|
| Lecture 10
Feb 05 |
Project Evaluation Case:
|
| Lecture 11
Feb 10 |
Project Evaluation Case. HW2 due Feb 7. 14:30-16:00
|
| Lecture 12
Feb 12 |
Case Study: Community Pastures in BC (cont; Solutions) |
| Lab: | Testing various scenarios, using rubber replant and community pasture
cash flow examples |