Course 2020-2021 a.y.

30152 - PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English
Go to class group/s: 31 - 32
CLEF (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BIEF (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BIEM (6 credits - I sem. - OBS  |  SECS-P/07) - BEMACS (6 credits - I sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
ALEKSANDRA TORBICA

Classes: 31 (I sem.) - 32 (I sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: ALEKSANDRA TORBICA, Class 32: ALEKSANDRA TORBICA


Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

Our personal and professional life requires and enables us to constantly interact with the sphere of collective and public interest. Governments, International Organizations and Non Profit Organizations play a crucial role in the social and business environment. The mission of this course is the exploration of how the public sphere works, how public decisions are made and which are the main implications for companies. By public sphere we mean governments at any level (for example the US federal government or the city of Shanghai), International Organizations such as the European Union or the United Nations, and Non profit organizations such as Greenpeace or Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF).

CONTENT SUMMARY

Trends and context:

  • Governments and globalization, Public Management and Governance
  • Public and private management: What’s the difference?
  • Decision making in public sector, planning & control in the public sector
  • Strategy and financial management in the public sector 
  • Performance measurement and management 
  • Business-Government relationships: public affairs and lobbying, corporate citizenship, public private partnersips.
  • The role and functions of International Organizations and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Recognize the main functions of government and the different levels of government.
  • Identify the specificities of public and Non Governmental Organizations.
  • Explain the public role of the private sector.
  • Recognize the interactions between companies and government and between companies and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
  • Understand the managerial challenges of International and Non Governmental Organizations.
  • Appreciate challenges in performance measurement applied to the public sector 

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Design a public communication campaign (e.g. stop smoking).
  • Analyze the regulatory impacts on companies and design a responsible lobbying strategy.
  • Interpret a cost-benefit analysis for a public decision (e.g. investment in health).
  • Formulate a performance assessment for public organizations.
  • Plan and present a partnership between a company and a non governmental organization as a consultant for a real client.

Teaching methods

  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Online lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Group assignments
  • Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

DETAILS

  • Guest speakers engage in interactive sessions with students aimed at sharing the professional challenges and opportunities of working for or with public organizations. 
  • Students work in groups as consultants for a client that commissioned a position paper supporting the point of view of a firm, an industry association or another interest group in a policy debate. 
  • Interactive class activities enable students to develop skills such as designing a public campaign or a lobbying strategy.

Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  x x
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
x    
  • Continous learning bonus
x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

​Assessment methods for attending students are based on these elements:

  • Group project on consulting for a real client (30%.) Students work in groups as consultants for a client that commissioned a position paper supporting the point of view of a firm, an industry association or another interest group in a policy debate. The specific goals are presented in details at the launch of the consulting project, along with the assessment criteria.
  • ​Exams:
    • Mid-term and final exam (35%+35%). Both exams are held in written form and are made up of a open-ended questions referring to the concepts, models and cases discussed in class and one short business case, which must be solved by students. The open-ended questions are mainly aimed at verifying learning of the analytical and management abilities and their correct comprehension. The business case is based on the skills developed through the in-class interactive learning and it is used to assess the ability to critically apply the knowledge students acquire during the course. 
    • General exam (70%). This exam will have the same form and background materials as the mid-term and final exam described above.
      •  
  • Continuous learning tests are aimed at assessing students’ attentive participation, their understanding of the concepts covered in class and their ability to use them critically. It will consist of five self-assessment assignments (one for each block of contents) administered during class time without previous notice throughout the course. This part of the assessment allows students to generate one extra point.

Attending student status is valid until February 2021. Exam sessions of Summer 2021 are for non-attending students only.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

The assessment method for non-attending students is based on a final exam in a written form. It is made up of 4/5 open-ended questions referring to the concepts and discussions contained in the textbook for non-attending students. The open-ended questions are mainly aimed at verifying learning and correct comprehension of the functioning dynamics and management functions of public organizations. They are based on the entire textbook (all chapters). 


Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

All materials indicated in the Syllabus (readings, slides, cases, incidents..) and made available on Blackboard/online course reserve.


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

  • O.E. HUGHES, Public Management and Administration, Macmillan Education UK, 5th edition.
Last change 23/12/2020 08:26