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Unit outline_

GOVT6331: Public Management and Governance

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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

Academic unit Government and International Relations
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Nicholas James Bromfield, nicholas.bromfield@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Participation
Participation in classes
15% Ongoing In-class participation
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO8 LO7 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Video pitch and case study OR policy brief proposal
Video and written supporting materials
15% Week 04
Due date: 16 Mar 2020 at 23:59
2 minute video and 1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Assignment Case study OR policy brief
Summative case study analysis OR policy brief: choose one
35% Week 11
Due date: 11 May 2020 at 23:59
3000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Assignment Take-home exam
Take-home examination
35% Week 14 (STUVAC)
Due date: 05 Jun 2020 at 23:59
2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8

Assessment summary

Video pitch and case study OR policy brief formative proposal:  Record a 2 minute video ‘pitching’ your topic of investigation for the case study OR policy brief analysis; provide 1000 words of written supporting materials

Case study OR policy brief summative analysis: Analyse a chosen public management issue in a case study essay OR a policy brief format.

Take-home exam: A summative final assessment covering the breadth and depth of the unit. 

Participation: In-class participation, including preparedness, willingness to discuss, and critical evaluation. 

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

 

.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to public management and governance Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 02 Modes of governance and management: Traditional bureaucracy and the Neo-Weberian State Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 03 Modes of governance and management: From new public management to new public governance? Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 04 Issues in public management: Institutions and path dependency in public management Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 05 Issues in public management: Public sector reform and change Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 06 Issues in public management: The complexity of public decision making - ministers, ministerial advisors and departments Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 07 Issues in public management: The monitoring of public decision making - varieties of accountability Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 08 Issues in public management: The uses (and mis-uses) of markets Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 09 Issues in public management: Public Private Partnerships - strengths, weaknesses and tensions Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 10 Issues in public management: The power of street level bureaucrats Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 11 Issues in public management: Who delivers services? The rise of the third sector Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 12 Issues in public management: Performance management and the challenge of government co-ordination and delivery Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 13 Conclusions Seminar (2 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

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.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Extensive changes to the assessment structure of the unit have been made since the last offering of the unit, based upon student feedback and personal reflection. In particular, the option to practice workplaces skills like policy briefs has been added; as the in-class exam changed to a take-home exam to more accurately assess learning.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.