GOVT6331: Semester 1, 2020

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Units GOVT6331 Semester 1 2020 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

GOVT6331: Public Management and Governance

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

Overview

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

Unit code	GOVT6331
Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	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:
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:
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:
Assignment	Take-home exam Take-home examination	35%	Week 14 (STUVAC) Due date: 05 Jun 2020 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:

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 sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

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.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
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

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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