SDMM13007U Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Methods
elective course
See homepage for MDMa course dates.
**This course is not offered in Spring 2025. The course will run in Spring 2026.
The course is focused on the basics of vulnerability and capacity assessment (VCA) including definitions of risk, methods for risk analysis, decision analysis, management of uncertainty, and analysis of chronic vulnerabilities as well as those related to extreme events and hazards. The course is based on IFRC’s Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) Methodology. A central part of the course is the case study and fieldtrip, which involves performing a vulnerability and capacity assessment for an area/city/village/community. The students will work with the case throughout the course.
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
Knowledge
- Understand how risk perception influences the evaluation of risks.
- Understand the differences between VCA and the more conventional research and risk assessment methods, and the strengths of application of each.
Skills
- Critically analyse different types of vulnerabilities to hazards and their potential consequences.
- Critically analyse central underlying aspects that influence the vulnerabilities and capacities of individuals and societies.
- Develop a set of guidance and recommendations for vulnerability and risk reduction in the case study.
- Work with international and local agencies in a field setting to undertake a VCA.
Competence
- Identify a variety of tools and techniques applied in VCA concentrating on use, characteristics and caution measures.
- Examine critically an actual VCA plan produced from a real life case.
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 18
- Preparation
- 10
- Exercises
- 20
- Field Work
- 40
- Practical Training
- 20
- Exam
- 30
- Total
- 138
Collective written feedback will be published via Digital Exam
Apply online via MDMa - VRAM Field Course
This course is open to external participants who fulfill the MDMa Admission criteria.
- Credit
- 5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignment
- Type of assessment details
- The examination is based upon an assessment of a written
individual report in which the students present their risk analysis
of a given case, as well as their reflections around issues raised
by the course management regarding the risk assessment process.
Parts of the report can be written in cooperation with other
students that belong to the same case group.
The required length of the individual report is 5 pages, excluding the cover page and reference list (1 page = approximately 2,400 keystrokes, font size 12 pt. line space 1.5). - Exam registration requirements
Exam registration upon course registration
- Aid
- All aids allowed
The use chatbots and/or similar tools is not allowed in and for exams.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
More than one internal examiner
- Exam period
See the MDMa Exam Schedule
- Re-exam
The exam form for the reexam is the same as the ordinary exam. See dates in the MDMa Exam Schedule
Criteria for exam assesment
To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student shall be able to:
Knowledge
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) methodology as applied by the RCRC movement.
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of different methods of vulnerability assessment and their strengths and limitations and be able to critique them.
Skills
- Develop a vulnerability and capacity assessment profile and an action plan for risk and vulnerability reduction for a practical case during the course in Bangladesh.
Competences
- Show professional conduct during working alongside more experienced professionals and community members on the practical part of the course and fully engage in producing the practical output required from the assignment.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- SDMM13007U
- Credit
- 5 ECTS
- Level
- Part Time MasterFull Degree Master choice
- Duration
- Four weeks
- Placement
- Spring
- Schedule
- See MDMa course dates.
- Course capacity
- 8 -30 participants
Study board
- Study Board for the Professionel Master´s Degree Programmes at The Faculty og Health and Medical Science
Contracting department
- Department of Public Health
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Course Coordinators
- Emmanuel Raju (eraju@sund.ku.dk)
- Anne Bach Nielsen (anne.bach.nielsen@sund.ku.dk)