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Publics, Policy and Public Services (PPMN90035)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
February
Overview
Availability | February |
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As states, societies and economies have grown and developed in ever increasing complexity, since the end of the twentieth century new ways of thinking about the relationship between governments and their citizens have emerged. These developments have in part been a reaction to the managerial approaches which dominated public administration in the US, the UK and Australia beginning in the 1980s. They also partly reflect a deeper concern regarding the apparent decline in citizens’ attachment to and respect for the practice of politics. This subject aims to provoke a wide ranging discussion about the role of ‘publics’ (citizens, users, clients, stakeholders, communities, etc.) in public policy and public services through critical engagement with an emerging paradigm of citizen-centred governance. Sometimes called Government 2.0, this approach to public policy and public administration is typically described as networked, collaborative and flexible, with service delivery arrangements which are personalised, choice-based and delivered through multiple channels. We will critically examine the theoretical underpinnings of this emergent paradigm and assess its utility in theory and practice, and its relationship to newer tools in policy making such as behavioural techniques (‘nudge’), randomized controlled trials and big data. We will combine academic and practitioner perspectives, and include conversations with different practitioners grappling with the tension between accountability and responsiveness. The subject will also draw on a number of local and international case studies.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of the subject students should have developed:
- a clear understanding of the theoretical literature which underpins contemporary approaches to citizen-centric public administration;
- a framework which they can apply to thinking about how organisations can become more responsive to their clients;
- an understanding of the institutional and cultural constraints of this approach to public administration;
- insights into its practical application in different organisational settings.
On completion of the subject students should have developed:
- a clear understanding of the theoretical literature which underpins new approaches to citizen-centric public administration;
- a framework which they can apply to thinking about how organisations can become more responsive to their clients;
- an understanding of the institutional and cultural constraints of this approach to public administration;
- insights into its practical application in different organisational settings.
Generic skills
On completion of the subject students should:
- be able to demonstrate competence in critical, creative and theoretical thinking through essay writing, seminar discussion and presentations, conceptualising theoretical problems, forming judgments and arguments from conflicting evidence, and by critical analysis;
- be able to demonstrate proficiency in the application of policy analysis skills to empirical problems;
- be able to demonstrate an understanding of the academic protocols of research and presentation.
Last updated: 3 November 2022