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Political Advising (PADM90017)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Off Campus
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Overview
| Availability | May - Off Campus |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Political advising equips participants with the advanced understanding and skills required to excel in a political advisory role. Focusing on the interdisciplinary knowledge found in public financial management; whole-of-government policy development and implementation; and, in the real-politik found in parliamentary democracies, this subject explores the interconnected relationship between public management, public policy and politics.
The subject will particularly focus on understanding political advising and the strategic environment in which ministerial advisers operate. Participants will develop a deep understanding of advisers across the public sector and the strategic environments that shape their actions, and the relationships these advisers develop to deliver on the public policy challenges of the 21st century.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- ppreciate the connections between political advising and a range of disciplines including political science, law, and economics.
- Understand the foundations of political advising in the context of public policy and public administration, and contemporary debates related to this.
- Understand the strategic environment in which political advisers operate and the relationships they develop to deliver on public policy goals.
- Explore the local, national, and regional factors that impact on these advisers and their environment.
Generic skills
On successful completion of this subject students should have:
- A comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the interconnectedness and complexity of the fields of political advising, public policy and public administration, and the political environment in which advisers operate;
- A sound understanding of politics, economics and the law as they are connected to key ideas in political advising, particularly from a public appropriations perspective;
- A high-level ability to combine theory and practice in a meaningful way in order to address political challenges and analyse contemporary issues;
- A high-level ability to combine professional managerial and advisory skills with discipline-based expertise and to apply this complex synthesis to professional practice;
- Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills necessary to a range of professional activities including report writing, workplace discussions, negotiation and management and lobbying strategies;
- A comprehensive understanding of the accountability framework relating to ministerial advisers in the context of both the Westminster system of responsible government;
- A comprehensive understanding of the accountability framework relating to ministerial advisers in the context of both the Westminster system of responsible government;
- The ability to draw upon an extensive repertoire of advanced professional skills, in particular in decision-making, providing advice and collaborating across sectors.
Last updated: 10 November 2023
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Admission into the SC-PAADV Specialist Certificate in Public Administration (Advanced)
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
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: 10 November 2023
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Oral group presentation
| Week 8 | 30% |
Briefing paper for a Minister
| Week 11 | 10% |
Essay (Due 3 weeks after final week of teaching)
| At the end of the assessment period | 60% |
Last updated: 10 November 2023
Dates & times
- May - Off Campus
Principal coordinator Christopher Jones-Pidgely Mode of delivery Off Campus Contact hours Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 12 May 2022 to 25 August 2022 Last self-enrol date 2 June 2022 Census date 10 June 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 29 July 2022 Assessment period ends 15 September 2022
Time commitment details
170 hours (allowing for 2 hours of preparatory study per hour of face-to-face contact, 22 hours of face-to-face contact, 44 hours of private study, 6 hours of work on the briefing paper, 15 hours for the oral group presentation, and 39 hours for the final essay)
Last updated: 10 November 2023
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
Last updated: 10 November 2023