The course takes a comparative and thematic approach to issues in public sector management, and encourages students to consider their relevance to their own countries and workplaces. The course gives particular emphasis to issues of public sector reform and draws on leading-edge research by academic staff at the Crawford School
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- understand the key concepts, ideas, theories and terminology associated with public administration and public sector management;2 understand the main issues in key theoretical debates in public administration and public sector management.
- .apply relevant concepts and theories to individual cases in a comparative context. ;
- understand the main principles in public sector reform and apply them to individual cases.
- demonstrate improved capacity for critical analysis as well as for clear and effective communication, both written and oral.
- demonstrate improved capacity to locate and critically evaluate relevant academic sources.
Indicative Assessment
- There are two class notes of 500 words (worth 15% each) which require answers to questions based on tutorial readings. They will be assessed in terms of an understanding of general concepts and theories and the ability to apply them to specific examples drawn from particular countries. (15) [LO 1,3,5]
- A one-hour quiz (worth 20%) is held half way through the semester to assess students’ understanding of the concepts and theories covered in the first five weeks. It consists of short answers (paragraph length). (20) [LO 1,3,5]
- A final essay (worth 50%) requires student to analyse a particular public management reform, either actual or proposed, in terms of the concepts and theories discussed in the course. (50) [LO 1,2,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
10 X I.5 hour lectures and 10 X 1.5 hour tutorials.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
Set readings will be available electronically through Wattle.
Assumed Knowledge
Students are assumed to have several years experience working in the public sector.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4680 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6720 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.