Course in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies
300 h online course in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies. 6 modules covering Law 19/2013 on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance, Royal Legislative Decree 5/2015, consolidated text of the Basic Statute of the Public Employee, and CKAN. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the fundamentals of public ethics as applied to the city.
Apply transparency legislation and access to information rules.
Analyse ethical dilemmas in urban planning.
Assess the ethical risks of public data and algorithms.
Design accountability mechanisms and open government.
Draft ethical codes for local authorities.
Measure the level of transparency of an urban administration.
Who it's for
- Transparency officer wishing to specialise in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies.
- Open government manager wishing to specialise in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies.
- Public ethics adviser wishing to specialise in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies.
- Open data technician wishing to specialise in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies.
- Good governance consultant wishing to specialise in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies.
- Citizen participation technician wishing to specialise in Ethics and Transparency in Urban Policies.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter local government.
What you'll work with
- Law 19/2013 on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance
- Royal Legislative Decree 5/2015, consolidated text of the Basic Statute of the Public Employee
- Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (Tromsø, 2009)
- Aarhus Convention (1998)
- Law 3/2015 regulating the exercise of senior office in the General State Administration
- OECD Recommendation on Public Integrity (2017)
- UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Ethical theories applied to public management1.2Public interest and discretion1.3Values of the public service1.4Code of conduct for public employees1.5Principles of good governance under Law 19/20131.6Conflicts of interest and incompatibility regime1.7Revolving doors1.8OECD ethics infrastructure1.9Ethical dilemmas in urban decisions1.10Case study: dilemma in a land reclassification
2.1Law 19/2013 on transparency2.2Regional transparency laws2.3Proactive municipal disclosure2.4Right of access and its limits2.5Transparency and Good Governance Council2.6Council of Europe Convention of Tromsø2.7Aarhus Convention on environmental matters2.8Transparency portals and assessment2.9Open data and reuse2.10Workshop: processing an access request
3.1Spatial justice and distribution of burdens3.2Gentrification and displacement3.3Intergenerational and climate equity3.4Land valuation and public betterment3.5Professional codes of ethics for urban planners3.6Meaningful versus symbolic participation3.7Public information in planning3.8Social impact assessment3.9Technical neutrality and political pressure3.10Case study: conflict in a regeneration process
4.1Surveillance and civil liberties4.2Algorithmic bias in public services4.3Explainability of automated decisions4.4UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI4.5Spanish Digital Rights Charter4.6Consent and personal data in the city4.7Ethical governance of pilot projects4.8Municipal ethics committees4.9Impact assessments on fundamental rights4.10Practice: ethical assessment of a municipal algorithm
5.1Lobbying and interest group registers5.2Public agendas of officials5.3Regulatory footprint and traceability5.4Open budgets5.5Public policy evaluation5.6Open government and OGP action plans5.7Media and oversight5.8City transparency indicators5.9Sanctions and good governance breaches5.10Workshop: municipal open government plan
6.1Diagnosis of the local authority6.2Assessment of the transparency portal6.3Proposed code of ethics6.4Accountability measures6.5Staff training plan6.6Monitoring indicators6.7Map of the authority's ethical risks6.8Proposed open government plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetable: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original legislation and applied exercises. The working software is CKAN, Decidim, Power BI, Socrata, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Assignments are based on real procedures: assessing a municipal transparency portal, drafting an ethical code for a local authority, and carrying out an ethical analysis of a public algorithmic system. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Understand the fundamentals of public ethics as applied to the city.
Apply transparency legislation and access to information rules.
Analyse ethical dilemmas in urban planning.
Assess the ethical risks of public data and algorithms.
Design accountability mechanisms and open government.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient command of Spanish to follow technical legislation.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The course uses CKAN, Decidim, Power BI and Socrata. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised towards the higher-level programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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