| CODE | PPL5113 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Policy Management Seminar | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Public Policy | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This unit provides an empirical orientation to the study of public policy. It aims to develop the conceptual, theoretical and analytical tools necessary for rigorous and critical assessments of public policy. Run in Seminar format to stimulate discussion, probing, debate and the communication of ideas, this unit draws from principles of management, social sciences, finance and economics to apply them to different policy areas. Planning, financing, sustainability, resourcing, monitoring and crises are some of the facets of a policy process that will be placed under scrutiny. Students are offered an opportunity to read for a hands-on unit in the practical dimension of policy-making. Seminars are designed to engage students with both contemporary and past policies as a platform for learning the contours and complexities of policy-making. Guest speakers may be invited to share experiences and address questions and concerns on specific policy areas. The literature is rich with textbook approaches to policy-making, yet each policy is bound to face both predictable and unpredictable outcomes due to its distinct nature. This unit takes a practical approach to understand both the dynamics and the complexities of policy-making by looking at real policies. Study-Unit Aims: This study unit is intended to: (a) articulate the fundamental concepts and methods relevant to policy management, reading and discerning policy documents and disseminating policy outcomes; (b) investigate key decisions made by individuals and institutions in the formulation of policy keeping a view at the legal, political, cultural and socio-economic pressures that they are faced with; (c) compare and discuss competing approaches to policy-making weighing in on the impact of various variables; (d) explore Governance issues in the whole policy-cycle highlighting problematic areas and suggesting avenues for mitigation; (e) integrate management and policy skills such as project management, consultation, political communication and decision-making on a wide range of policy issues; (f) collect, analyze and synthesize information to be able to inform the assessment of policy options. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) identify political and economic factors of policy-making; (b) recognize salient aspects of the policy-cycle and connect theory with practice in both local and international settings; (c) dissect data as an essential tool for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policy, locating it as an integral component of evidence based policy-making; (d) illustrate leadership patterns that shape the policy process; (e) locate and engage proper regulatory frameworks for policy propositions; (f) use analogies, create patterns, compare and contrast, and observe best-practices from existing and past policies. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) write a Policy report on a specific policy and acquire ability to trace key enablers and weaknesses thereby making recommendations accordingly; (b) acquire understanding of a Policy Audit, why it is used and how it is interpreted; (c) read and interpret ancillary policy tools such as Stakeholders Analysis and Impact Assessments; (d) conduct Policy Research in preparation for specific policy areas. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: (a) Textbook: - Birkland, T.A. (2016), An Introduction to the Policy Process: Theories, Concepts, and Models of Public Policy Making, Routledge, 4th ed., H97.B57 2016. (b) Recommended Books: - Bardach, E. (2012), A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis, Sage. - Buse, K, Mays, K. and Walt, G. (2012), Making Health Policy (Understanding Public Health), Open University Press. - Hill, M. and Varone, F. (2016) The Public Policy Process, 7th ed., Routledge. - Hogan, J. and Howlett, M. (2015), Policy Paradigms in Theory and Practice: Discourses, Ideas and Anomalies in Public Policy Dynamics. - John, P. (2011), Making Policy Work, Routledge. - John, P. (2012), Analyzing Public Policy, 2nd ed., Routledge. - Sales, R. (2007), Understanding Immigration and Refugee Policy, Contradictions and continuities, The Policy Press. (c) Leading Journals: - Journal of European Public Policy, Taylor and Francis. - Journal of Public Policy and Administration, SAGE. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Qualification: Bachelor of Commerce | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Marie Louise Mangion |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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