The attendance of this course does not require the successful completion of any other course. Nevertheless, a basic knowledge in Business Economics is recommended for a fruitful attendance of the course.
The main objective of this course is introducing the discipline and profession of public management. After attending this course, the student understands the institutional, political, organizational, and ethical context of public management, and understands the principle of sustainability in public interventions.
The course contributes to the learning objectives of the course of study, concerning the area of economic-management disciplines, in particular with respect to the analysis of public entities, and to a detailed understanding of public management.
Lectures are particularly focused on the challenges in the management of public organizations as well as on similarities and differences with the management of private companies.
The program opens with a description of the relevance of public sector, then details the economic and managerial theories about its role in the economy. A relevant part of the program is devoted to the measurement of outputs produced by the public organizations, and to explaining the concepts of cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The course is organized into six teaching units:
1. How relevant is public management in a worldwide perspective?
2. An introduction to public sector economics.
3. Theoretical perspectives on what is a public organization.
4. Theories of innovation in the public sector: New Public Management and New Public Governance.
5. The decisions about the use of public resources: Theories and Models.
6. Analysing sustainability of public interventions.
Furthermore, in-depth modules are provided by international professors and public management experts. For this year, seminars will cover the following:
1. Governance problems in the management of public entities.
2. Case study: universities.
3. Case study: airports.
All modules are taught by face-to-face lectures coupled with academic readings to be discussed. The course will be completed by seminars, namely a presentation followed by a discussion, dealing with single specific topics of interest.
In order to increase active participation in the course, the following are envisaged: a) classroom surveys; b) presentations, upon request by students or groups of students, of articles from the press or in-depth studies. The request to present an in-depth study must be made in advance, to take advantage of one of the slots granted by the teacher (in sufficient number to guarantee the presentation by all interested parties).
The exam consists of a project work, which will be assigned to groups of 3/4 students in the second week of the program, and developed by the teams over the teaching term. The project work refers to a case study of public sectors, among which the sovereign funds, hospitals, airports, universities.
Assessment takes place in three forms: i) class presentation and discussion (50%); b) written report to be delivered following the class discussion (50%); c) oral exam (on a voluntary basis, providing an extra valuation to be averaged out with the former ones).
Evaluation bonuses are provided to reward active participation during the course: a bonus for participation in classroom surveys (at least 75% of participations) and a bonus for participation in a press article, or a study in the classroom. However, students who cannot actively participate in the course are guaranteed the possibility of achieving the highest rating.
The exam rules are the same for both attending and non-attending students. Therefore also non-attending students are asked to take part to the projects (such project can be fulfilled on an individual basis, if the student requires it). Non-attending students are invited to contact the teacher for support in preparing the written exam.
If this course will be taught remotely, or according to a blend-teaching mode, changes can be implemented with respect to what is stated in the syllabus, to make the course and exams available.