Public Policy and Strategy [C212]
Introduction
This course will enable students to understand and contribute to the process of governmental policy-making, strategic planning and evaluation. Whether in managerial, administrative or political positions, people need to be able to understand the policy process in order to manage it or operate effectively within it. This involves both an understanding of the technical processes of policy and strategy making and of policy evaluation. The course draws on cases and examples from a wide variety of countries and institutions.
Aims & Objectives
The learning outcomes of this course will be:
-
A critical understanding of policy-making processes in a variety of settings
-
The ability to assess whether a proposed policy is likely to be successful
-
Knowledge of international policy-making settings
-
An understanding of how some of the world’s major policy decisions were made
-
Facility with the methods of strategic management used in different types of public sector organisation.
Resources
Students receive a looseleaf binder containing eight ‘course units’; these texts are carefully structured to provide the main teaching and are equivalent to traditional course lectures, defining and exploring the main concepts and issues, locating these within current debate and introducing and linking the further assigned readings. Two assignments (to be marked by your CeFiMS tutors), and a specimen examination paper are also included within the student pack, along with the following:
Indicative Reading
Kristin Morse and Raymond Struyk (2006) Policy Analysis for Effective Development: Strengthening Transition Economies, London, Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc.
The Magenta Book: Guidance Notes for Policy Evaluation and Analysis, published by the United Kingdom government’s Chief Social Researcher’s Office
Chapters from:
Paul C Nutt, (2002) Why decisions fail:avoiding the blunders and traps that lead to debales, San Francisco, Berrett-Koehler
Eugene Bardach, (2002) A practical guide for policy analysis, New York, Chatham House
(ed) Jeremy Holland et al, (2005) Methods in development research, Swansea, ITDG
(ed.) Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes, (2001) Exploring Public Sector Strategy, Financial Times
John Kay, (1993) Foundations of Corporate Success, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Richard Common, (2001) Public management and Policy Transfer in Southeast Asia, Aldershot: Ashgate
Case Studies, including:
-
The reconstruction of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
-
Roll Back Malaria programme
-
Global Tobacco Reduction Policy
-
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
-
New Zealand Police Strategic Plan
-
Organising Monitoring and Evaluation in Chile, Columbia and Australia
Course Content
Unit 1: The Policy Analysis Model and Alternatives
-
The Policy Analysis Model
-
Alternative Models
-
The ‘garbage can’
-
Non-linear thinking
Unit 2: Stakeholders, Data Collection and Analysis
-
Stakeholders
-
Who are the stakeholders?
-
Doing the analysis
-
Reflection on stakeholder analysis
-
Open and closed decision-making processes
-
Data collection and analysis
-
Basic data collection
-
Using research for policy development
Unit 3: Implementation: Policy Instruments and Service Provision
-
Turning policies into practice: choosing policy instruments
-
Service procurement and provision
Unit 4: Allocating Resources and Assigning Responsibilities
-
Implementation: resource allocation
-
Targeting
-
Assigning Government Responsibilities
-
Translating policies into budgets
Unit 5: Performance Management and Monitoring
-
Performance Management
-
Programme Monitoring
-
Organising Monitoring and Evaluation in Chile, Columbia and Australia
-
An Example: An M&E Operations Manual
Unit 6: Policy Evaluation
-
Types of Evaluation
-
Programme Evaluation
-
Impact Evaluation
-
Benefit-Cost Analysis
-
Qualitative Research and Evaluation
Unit 7: Strategic Planning and Policy
-
A Brief History of Strategic Management in Business
-
Strategic Management in the Public Sector
-
Choice of Strategic Planning Approach for the Public Sector
Unit 8: Policy Networks and Policy Transfer: Policy in a Globalised World
-
Policy Networks
-
Policy Transfer
Tuition & Assessment
You will complete two Assignments which will be marked by your tutor. Assignments are each worth 15% of your total mark. You will be expected to submit your first assignment by the Tuesday of Week 5, and the second assignment at the end of the course, on the Tuesday after Week 8. Assignments are submitted and feedback given online. In addition, queries and problems can be answered through the Online Study Centre.
You will also sit a three-hour examination on a specified date in October, worth 70% of your total mark. An up-to-date timetable of examinations is published on the website in April each year.
Course Sample
Click on the link below to download the course sample document in PDF.
Download Sample [New window]