Public Services Management

Course Objectives

At the end of the course the student will have the ability to:

Apply techniques and strategies to improve the management of public services
Understand the main challenges that face managers in the process of improving public services
Appreciate the impact of politics and public policy on management decision making and implementation
Formulate policies and strategies for consideration by elected officials
Design appropriate organisational structures to support the management of public services
Implement organisational change.
Develop appropriate measures of performance management of public services

Course Content

Introduction

Government, politics and Institutions
Impact of political power and public policy
Co-ordination of public policy
Management and their role in the public domain
Ethical relationships between stakeholders, politicians, and public citizens..
The Organisation of Public Services

Public Organisations

Goals and the effectiveness of implementation of goals
Analysis of the environment of public organisations

Performance Management

Developing effective performance measures
Identifying outcomes and performance measures
Analysing performance data
Using comparative benchmarking measures
Improving quality, productivity and customer services
Budgeting and financial controls
Motivation and employee morale

Strategic Management

Strategic Management of Public Services
Mission Statements and situational analyses
Strategic decision making and evaluation
Community consultation
Strategic implementation and evaluation

Recommended Text:

Keen. Local Government Management – Open University Press. ISBN 97803 3519 8931

Joyce. Strategic Management for the Public Services – Open University Press ISBN 9780 33520 0474

T. Poister. Measuring Performance in Public and Non Profit Organisations – McGraw Hill ISBN 0-7879-4999-X

Supplemental Text

Mc Kevitt. A. Lawton – Public Sector Management. Theory, Critique and Practice – Open University Press. ISBN 0- 8039- 77131