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:

Book Title -: Local Government Management
Author -: Keen
Publisher -: Open University Press
ISBN No -: 97803 3519 8931

Book Title -: Strategic Management for the Public Services
Author -: Joyce
Publisher -: Open University Press
ISBN No -: 9780 33520 0474

Book Title -: Measuring Performance in Public and Non Profit Organisations
Author -: T. Poister
Publisher -: McGraw Hill
ISBN No -: 0-7879-4999-X

Supplemental Text

Book Title -: Public Sector Management. Theory, Critique and Practice
Author -: Mc Kevitt. A. Lawton
Publisher -: Open University Press
ISBN No -: 0- 8039- 77131