Module manager: Richard Tunstall
Email: r.tunstall@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
LUBS5551 Problem Hacking for the Ministry of Defence
This module is not approved as an Elective
This is an interdisciplinary and experiential challenge-based module that provides you with the opportunity to work in a student team on a real problem project provided by government organisations including the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) as well as other UK government agencies and departments (subject to project availability) to better address the nation's emerging challenges. The module is an applied one that sees students form teams to engage directly with complex, real world problems proposed by UK government sponsors. Real-world problems provided cover issues such as policy, economics, technology, national security, and any area needed to address the problem sponsor's challenge. The module will: - provide students with deep knowledge and understanding of some of the most pressing challenges facing the public sector - provide students with insights into the constraints and opportunities facing UK government as it seeks to address these challenges - equip students with a range of methodological tools focused around Lean Start-up principles that can be applied to real-world defence problems - provide high quality experiential learning by working on a real-world problem - provide students with the means to critically assess the value and relevance of methodological tools as they relate to specific problems - help students develop a repeatable model for problem-solving that can be used in a range of other contexts In the module, you will be assigned a team and a problem, and then be provided with a range of relevant methodological tools and techniques. As the module progresses, student teams will be required to discover and validate customer needs and to continually build iterative prototypes to test whether you have understood the problem and solution. Teams take a hands-on approach requiring close engagement with actual public organisations, staff and other government agency end-users, using their real-world challenges. The goal, within the constraints of a classroom and a limited amount of time, is to give you a framework to test solution hypotheses using a start-up model while creating all of the pressures and demands of the real world in an early-stage start-up. The class is designed to give you the experience of working as a team and turning an idea into a solution for real-world problems facing key public sector organisations. It is important to bear in mind that this module aims to simulate what start-ups and entrepreneurship is like in the real world: the need to take conceptually-sound decisions amidst uncertainty, challenging deadlines, and often conflicting input. The module is based on the Hacking for the Ministry of Defence (H4MoD) and the Hacking for Defense (H4D) programme initially developed at Stanford University (http://hacking4defense.stanford.edu) which in the USA is an education initiative sponsored by the U.S. Defense Accelerator, and National Security Innovation Network (NSIN). In the UK, Hacking for Ministry of Defence (H4MoD) is an education initiative funded by the Ministry of Defence and facilitated by the independent UK education charity, Common Mission.
This is a highly interactive module that provides students with the opportunity to work with public sector organisations to better address the nation's emerging challenges. The applied module has student teams engage directly with complex, real-world problems proposed by UK government sponsors.
This module involves weekly student presentations with live feedback from tutors and stakeholders (as appropriate) which aims to maximise student engagement during class time.
You are required to attend the weekly lecture and to prepare for each class by reading/viewing the recommended resources. The information in the weekly lectures and readings will allow you to complete interviews and present the insights the teaching team will expect in presentations. Recognising the workload for the class, we have selected short items for this reading/viewing list and have added further resources for those who are interested in looking into some areas in more depth. Students should expect to devote 1-2 hours per week to this preparation.
In addition to this, you will spend a significant amount of time conducting interviews related to your project. Every week the student team will conduct a minimum of ten interviews focused on a specific part of the "Mission Model Canvas"; a visual tool and framework developed to rapidly test hypotheses against solutions for government issues. It is important to bear in mind that this module aims to simulate what start-ups and entrepreneurship is like in the real world: the need to take conceptually-sound decisions amidst uncertainty, challenging deadlines, and often conflicting input.
Learning activities include:
- Preparation for weekly classes
- Weekly lectures and reading/viewing
- Ten interviews per week (per team)
- Weekly Team presentations
Feedback is provided on each weekly team presentation to support the development of the project. Students will further complete weekly reflective logs and class guidance which will support the individual essay.
Because of the nature of this module, which requires working with the government sponsor of your assigned problem and gathering primary data on it, this module involves a significant time commitment. In addition to classroom time, the module's demands include engagement with the lecture and other resources, course reading and an average of 10 hours of interviews per week per student team. You will also need to be available for one session of interview training as well as team meetings.
It is important to remember that the aims and learning objectives of this module are focussed on developing a set of skills that you will be able to apply in a variety of professions, not on the development of substantive knowledge in a particular area. All of the problems assigned to students are curated by the UK charity Common Mission and by the module convenors to ensure that they provide the scope needed for the module, and that they match the student skills.
Note that the number of students on the module is limited. Once you sign up for the module, you are making a commitment to the government agencies that are sponsoring problems for the module as well as to your fellow team members. Dropping out is unfair to your fellow students who did not get into the module and also appears unprofessional to the government sponsors involved.
Any student who joins this module is agreeing to make the time necessary to fulfil the module's requirements. You can also ask any questions of the module coordinator by email in advance.
Students of all nationalities are welcome on the module. It is possible, however, that due to the concerns of government sponsors, not all students will be eligible to work on all problems offered.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Identify, critically assess and explain a complex problem using specialised and empirically-based knowledge;
2. Critically reflect on their role in a team and appraise their strengths and weaknesses in addressing the task set.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Complex problem solving
2. Information searching
3. Working and communicating with others
4. Self-awareness, adaptability and resilience
5. Managing uncertainty, ambiguity and risk
6. Self-confidence, initiative and perseverance
As an indicative list, the topics covered in this module will include:
1. Mission Model Canvas & Customer Discovery
2. Beneficiaries and stakeholders
3. Value Proposition and Value Proposition Canvas
4. Dual Use & Product Mission Fit
5. Mission Achievement
6. Buy in & support
7. Deployment
8. Activities, resources & partners
9. Mission budget & operating plan
10. Final presentations
11. Lessons learned and reflection
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 10 | 2.5 | 25 |
| Fieldwork | 10 | 3 | 30 |
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Practical | 1 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Independent online learning hours | 12.5 | ||
| Private study hours | 70 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 67.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 150 | ||
- Feedback provided by tutors on weekly student progress presentations
- Weekly Reflective Journal
- Feedback during assessed final presentation.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Group Presentation | 50 |
| Essay | 1,500 word individual reflective essay | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The resit for this module will be 100% assessed by 3,000 word assignment.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 30/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team