Training Course: Administration, Public Policy & Governance

Training Introduction

This Public Policy, Governance, and Administration programme are designed for public service employees who are interested in the creation and implementation of public policy. Participants will learn what governments do what they do,  why they (should) do it, and how they (should) do what they do. There are no formal prerequisites for this course which aims to give participants the knowledge, analytical skills, and tools necessary to think critically about matters associated with the making and implementation of public policy. This course will benefit those who have chosen a career in the public service and those who simply wish to increase their awareness of public policy making and implementation.

Course Objectives

• Describe the character of public bureaucracy.
• Provide an analysis of the contrast between a classic Weberian bureaucracy and the type of public bureaucracy advocated by the New Public Management (NPM).
• Explain the role of bureaucratic, political, and non-state actors in the policy process.
• Contrast the various policy instruments and service-delivery mechanisms used in policy implementation and explain the factors shaping the possibility of successful policy implementation.
• Explain the nature of accountability and comment on approaches to ensuring ethics in administrative governance.
• Explain the significance of social diversity to the making and implementation of public policy and be aware of the relationship between social diversity and the “differential impact” of public policy.

Course Outlines

Day 1

Introduction to Public Policy and Administrative Governance

• What is public policy?
• Concepts of public policy & administrative governance.
• The purpose of public policy and its use by governments.
• Public policy theories, ideologies, and context today.
• Public policy positioning.

Day 2

Public Bureaucracy in Theory and Practice

• Problem identification and definition.
• Policy formulation.
• Information research.
• Information analysis.
• Policy design.
• Policy recommendations.

Day 3

Government, Bureaucracy & Accountability

• Government governance.
• Do policies determine politics?
• Classification of public policy types.
• Dimensions distinguishing policy-politics relations.
• Policy institutions.

Day 4

Administrative Governance & the Challenge of Policy Implementation Today

• Social diversity’s impact on public policy features and governance.
• Keeping pace with change.
• Aligning governance frameworks with public management structures.
• Public policy, governance, and administration interplay.
• Performance delivery agreements.
• Accountability and compliance requirements.

Day 5

Code of Practice for the Governance of Public Bodies

• Oversight arrangements with parent departments.
• Alignment of statements of strategy.
• Business and reporting obligations.
• Audit and risk committees.
• Role and composition of boards and the role of the Chairperson
  • Board and Committee effectiveness.