Public Administration

Course Code: PPA 5000

In this course, students will examine the machinery of governance - the processes used by citizens to make decisions about their collective lives. The instructor will use a variety of sources to establish principles of good governance and then examine key components of Canadian governance against those principles. Those components include: 1) the legislature, including both election and legislative processes; 2) the political executive, including policy and budget decision-making processes; 3) the permanent executive, including traditional and alternative administrative processes; 4) local governance; and 5) intra- and inter-governmental relations. Through class discussions, major assignments and examinations, students will have an opportunity to apply their understanding of good governance to both domestic and international cases.

Course Code: PPA 5001

This course is designed to encourage students to: be aware of the ethical dimension of public service; be ethical in a more thoughtful and thorough way whilst carrying out public service duties; and do more to encourage others to be ethical, particularly in the public service. The course begins by providing a theoretical framework within which to understand ethics and values in the public sector, students then have opportunities to apply the framework in the public service through a variety of case studies.

Course Code: PPA 5002

This course is designed to give students the opportunity to assess and discuss current issues affecting Canadian public administration and examine how those issues are addressed from a public management perspective. The course uses these issues to explore subjects such as electoral reform, ministerial responsibility, administrative accountability, intergovernmental relations and citizen-centred government. The course also includes a major studio component where students learn how governments deal with current issues of the day.

Course Code: PPA 5003

This course provides students with an orientation to government and the public sector from two critical perspectives. The first perspective asks students to look at governments as business entities, focusing specifically on their strategic plans, budgets, core businesses, and key administrative challenges. Students gain this perspective by completing a series of papers and presentations on governments and specific policy areas. The second perspective asks students to focus on the human behaviour that goes on within organizations and allows those organizations to achieve their goals. To this end, students are introduced to theories of organizational behaviour, management and development and are encouraged to explore the application of those theories to public sector workplace environments.

Course Code: PPA 5004

This course is primarily self-taught, where students access and master the material through the web-based training program, MyITLab. Student will work through weekly simulations to learn material with video and audio assistance to enhance learning. Tutorial assistance for all weekly assignments will be available in the lab time that is assigned to each student. All communication and course related assistance will be provided through the Learning Management System - Blackboard via the website.

Course Code: PPA 5505

This course provides students the skills and knowledge to deliver change to public administration organizations through the successful use of projects. Students will learn and apply project management methodologies, tools, and techniques required to initiate, plan, execute, and close public administration projects. This course will employ project management software.

Course Code: FIN 5501

This course introduces students to the tools and knowledge that public sector managers require to successfully use public funds to support good public policy. The course also emphasizes that public sector financial management is itself subject to policy considerations and constraints such as accountability, due diligence in the management of public funds and linking the use of public funds to their legislated purposes.

Course Code: HRM 5510

This course provides learners with the skills and knowledge needed to manage human resources in the public sector. Learners will also understand why it is critical that public sector organizations be dynamic, flexible, and adaptable to the changing workforce and the changing participants in the workplace. The course starts with an examination of the organization as a system and shows how human resource planning is a key component of the strategic planning process. Students then examine strategies, processes and practices for creating a positive and safe working environment, including: strategic human resource management (HRM); legislative responses, such as diversity and employment equity; human resource planning; human resource development; the learning organization; employee life-cycle management (including orientation to retirement); motivation and organizational structure; performance and reward systems; and the effectiveness of communication and dispute resolution.

Course Code: PPA 5500

This course introduces students to the machinery of governance in developing and industrialized countries, as well as in international institutions. Students will also use current theoretical tools to critique public administration innovations in selected countries and will explore the unique political, economic, social and historical characteristics of these administrative systems. The course concludes by giving students an opportunity to debate the efficacy of different theoretical approaches to understanding current issues in international governance.

Course Code: PPA 5503

This course provides an understanding of the critical role that communications plays in the public sector. Students will become familiar with how public administrators work with stakeholders and partners to meet the information needs of the public, the media, political staff and the bureaucracy.

Course Code: PPA 5504

This course examines the public policy process in general and teaches students how to use research and analysis tools to contribute to that process in particular. The course begins by fine-tuning students? research skills and then moves on to examine how governments develop, implement and evaluate public policies. Students learn about various research and analysis tools and have opportunities to apply them to various policies through assignments and in-class exercises.

Course Code: PPA 5506

This course prepares students to understand, contribute to, and manage partnerships in the public sector, broadly defined. By working with an active partnership in the public sector over the course of the term, students have the opportunity to experience first-hand how public sector organizations discover strategic opportunities for partnership, negotiate partnership agreements, and manage and evaluate partnership activities.

Course Code: PPA 5005

This course provides students with an overview of strategic planning processes in the public and non-profit sectors. Students will become familiar with who should be involved in planning and what steps need to be followed to achieve the strategic goals of public and non-profit organizations. The relationship between long- and short-term planning will be reviewed so that students are prepared for planning and managing strategically in the public and non-profit sectors.

Course Code: PPA 5006

This course introduces students to the methodological and conceptual issues associated with managing performance and ensuring quality in the public sector. The course is designed to explain what performance management is, how performance is managed in Canada, and to provide the skills and basic experience needed to work in the field of performance management in the public sector.

Course Code: PPA 5008

This course prepares students to understand and fulfill leadership responsibilities in the public sector. The course begins by having students assess their own leadership capacity, and then asks them to apply this understanding to the broader theories and concepts of leadership. Students will develop key leadership skills, including communication, coaching, conflict-resolution, team development and management skills, and will also get an opportunity to apply key leadership lessons to the public administration context.

Course Code: WORK 5009

This course provides students with an eight-week opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge gained in the Public Administration program in a specific workplace setting. With the instructor?s support, students are required to find a suitable organization within the public sector to host the placement. The foundation for this process is usually established in PAPD 512 Career Orientation/Speakers Series. The placement experience also allows students to prepare for employment in the public sector with on-the-job work experience and networking opportunities.

Course Code: WORK 5011

The purpose of this course is two-fold. First, it prepares students for placements and subsequent employment in the public sector by offering workshops in which they can sharpen employability skills like job search, resume preparation, and interviews. Second, students learn about long-term career prospects in the public sector from guest speakers who address the class on various aspects of government operations, including public sector management, human resources, policy development and program implementation.