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Unit of study_
GOVT6331: Public Management and Governance
2025 unit information
This unit outlines some of the most important developments in contemporary public management and governance and how these relate to the everyday practices of those working in the public sector. It uses examples drawn from a number of OECD countries to: critically analyse the forces that have driven the move towards 'public management'; examine the theory and practice of 'public governance'; evaluate the merits of these developments; and apply this knowledge to better understand specific developments across different contexts.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Arts and Social Sciences
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Government and International Relations |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. critically evaluate the key changes that have taken place in the context of public policy and public service delivery in recent decades, including the major paradigm shifts that have taken place and their impact on the public sector and the role of public managers
- LO2. understand how specific reform initiatives have been informed by different ideas about how best to organise and manage the public sector
- LO3. understand some of the differences in the way in which these reforms have been implemented, both within and between countries, and some of the factors that might help to explain this variation
- LO4. evaluate the consequences that these reform initiatives have had on the public sector and critically assess some of the problems or dilemmas that have been generated by the reforms that we will study
- LO5. apply the concepts covered in this Unit of Study to specific ‘real-world’ examples with a particular focus on OECD countries
- LO6. demonstrate research skills and carry out independent investigation
- LO7. demonstrate skills in the critical analysis of relevant literature
- LO8. demonstrate written and oral communication skills, including the clear and logical expression of complex arguments, including a clear and logical expression of complex arguments.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Intensive August 2025
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Block mode | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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