Handbook home
Administrative Challenges in Practice (PADM90001)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 25On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | February |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject is a capstone in the Melbourne School of Government's Master of Public Administration program, bringing together expert contributors from the Faculties of Arts, Law, and Business and Economics. The Melbourne MPA is an interdisciplinary, globally-focused degree program for managers that work within or with government.
The subject provides a unique opportunity to bring together theory and practice through the selection of a specific cases which highlight the interdisciplinary nature of administrative and management challenges at the local, regional, and global level. Syndicate groups work together prior to the subject and during it, to address the challenges of a specific case of administrative/managerial action drawing together their learning from the other MPA subjects and professional expertise.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject should:
- Understand the management and administrative challenges that confront public managers;
- Appreciate the interconnected nature of these challenges, and the power of applying interdisciplinary approaches to them;
- Understand the strategic environment in which managers operate and the relationships they develop to deliver on complex public policy goals; and
- Explore the local, national, regional, and global factors that impact on these managers and their environment.
Generic skills
On Completion of this subject students should have:
- a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the interconnectedness and complexity of the theory and practice of public management and administration in a global environment;
- an ability to combine theory and practice in order to address local, national and global managerial challenges, analyse contemporary issues of administration, and reflect critically on one’s own professional practice, applying learning from previous subjects in the MPA;
- well-developed interpersonal and communication skills necessary to a range of professional activities including report writing, workplace discussions, negotiation and management and lobbying strategies;
- the ability to draw upon an extensive repertoire of advanced professional skills including skills in leadership, negotiation, decision analysis and strategic management, in order to most effectively address administrative and managerial challenges that emerge at the local, regional and international level;and
- the ability to use creativity and initiative in combining theory and practice in order to address the complex challenges of management, working autonomously and in teams and taking an interdisciplinary approach.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Please note that to enrol in this subject:
- Students must be admitted to the Master of Public Administration, or Master of Public Administration (Enhanced).
- Students must have successfully completed the three pre-requisite subjects listed below
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
PADM90005 | The Nature of Governing | July (Online) |
12.5 |
PADM90006 | The Rule of Law | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
PADM90007 | The World of Public Administration |
February (On Campus - Parkville)
July (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Previous study in public policy, political science, management, law, business, economics, international relations, non-profit management or cognate area.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Case diagnosis paper where students undertake an initial diagnosis of the challenges presented in the case for the subject
| Due three weeks after first intensive teaching period | 20% |
Assessment Task 2: Syndicate project (group presentation equivalent to 2000 words per student (20%) and individual group strategy paper of 2500 words per student setting out their group strategy to address the case challenge (20%)):
| Due at the conclusion of the second intensive teaching period | 40% |
Assessment Task 3: Strategy paper where students explore the strategy, or a specific part of it, from the syndicate project work during the intensive
| Due four weeks after the final day of face to face teaching | 40% |
Hurdle requirement: Students are expected to attend 100% of classes in order to pass this subject and regular class participation is expected. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- February
Coordinator Sue Olney Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 340 hours Pre teaching start date 6 February 2020 Pre teaching requirements Students will be able to access the LMS subject page and related materials. Teaching period 20 February 2020 to 27 March 2020 Last self-enrol date 7 February 2020 Census date 21 February 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 27 March 2020 Assessment period ends 24 April 2020
Time commitment details
340 hours
Additional delivery details
The subject has 35 hours of face-to-face seminars over five full days on campus, in two intensive teaching blocks.
Teaching Block 1: February 20 and 21, 2020
Teaching Block 2: March 25, 26 and 27, 2020
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Readings will be provided online through the subject's LMS page prior to the commencement of the subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Public Administration (Enhanced) Course Master of Public Administration - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required.
Last updated: 3 November 2022