Learning outcomes

The unit aims at developing students’ general understanding of public governance and public administration issues. In particular, it offers students theoretical and practical insights at how public sector organizations operate and produce knowledge.

The course is designed to favour critical analysis of public governance and public administration and to support real-word application of theoretical concepts.

Goals

The main objectives of the unit are:

  1. Understanding key concepts that relate to public governance and public administration.
  2. Applying these concepts to existing situations and cases.
  3. Better situating the role and activities of public sector organisations.
  4. Developing a critical approach to public sector organisations.

 

Content

This course takes place over a semester. It covers the following topics:

  • Main models regarding public administration, public management and public governance.
  • Politico administrative regimes (including state structure, type of governement, politico-administrative relationships and politicization, administrative culture and policy advice).
  • Administrative functoning and reforms (including organisation, human resources, finance and performance).
  • Knowledge production in public sector (including statistics, policy evaluation, policy foresight and public sector innovation).
  • Multi level governance in public administration.

Teaching methods

The course combines participatory ex cathedra sessions with supervised practical works (TP).

The ex cathedra session are supported by a powerpoint presentation and readings that are available on Webcampus.

The practical works focus, on the one hand, on a specific aspect of the course (i.e. : public service bargains) and, on the other hand, on a collective peer-review session of the collective paper (see evaluation).

Assessment method

In first session, the students are evaluated on :

  • a group work in which students will apply concepts to a case, through 5 questions distributed along the semester (50% of the final grade).
  • a written examination (multiple choice questionnaire) (50% of the final grade).

In the second session, students are evaluated through an oral examination.

Sources, references and any support material

All mandatory and optional references are available via WebCampus.

 

Language of instruction

English
Training Study programme Block Credits Mandatory
Bachelor in Law Standard 0 5
Bachelor in Political Sciences : General Standard 0 5
Bachelor in History Standard 0 5
Bachelor in Law Standard 2 5
Bachelor in Law Standard 3 5
Bachelor in Political Sciences : General Standard 3 5
Bachelor in History Standard 3 5