Undergraduate Diploma in Public Management and Governance

Course Description

The aim of the Diploma in Public Management and Governance is to provide students with both a strong conceptual foundation for understanding and analysing problems of public management and governance and an effective tool-kit of skills and techniques required to operate in an increasingly complex managerial and organisational environment of public sector.

The overall course objectives are:

Knowledge:

• Give due consideration to legal, regulatory and ethical frameworks related to public sector.
• Understand the roles and functions of public management and governance.
• Understand the implications of micro- and macroeconomic theory on public management and governance.
• Evaluate and assimilate knowledge of human resource management communication skills, customer care and relevant professional responses in public sector setting.
• Develop the body of knowledge about ICT, social media and promotional tools for public entities including and prevalent trends related to business development and innovation.

Skills:

• Formulate responses to well-defined concrete and abstract problems and challenges related to public management and governance.
• Analyse and apply the essential rules and principles of public procurement taking relevant public procurement regulations into consideration.
• Recognise and assess the needs of public sector customers and understand the importance of applying customer care and communication skills to deal with customers and other stakeholders.
• Evaluate relevant specialist theory and practice related to community governance and leadership, public management and governance, collaborative strategy and public policy making.
• Examine ethical issues and regulatory aspects in context of public sector.
• Be able to apply fundamentals of public accountin.
• Examine and apply various record keeping fundamentals and conventions as applicable to relevant public organisations.

Competences:

• Manage communication with customers and/or other stakeholders by applying communication and problem- solving techniques where there are many factors, some of which interact and lead to unpredictable outcomes.
• Show creativity related to working with multidisciplinary teams in providing public services including use of ICT and social media.
• Assess the importance of ethics, administrative and constitutional law as well as relevant regulations in working within public sector.
• Develop a capacity for independent thought and be reflectively self-critical; · Develop HR and record keeping competencies applicable to and used in public sector.

Entry Requirements

Candidates who apply for this course must possess the following:

• a qualification at MQF Level 4 (one A-level or equivalent in any subject);

AND

• a pass in English Language and Mathematics at MQF Level 3 (O-level or equivalent).

Preference will be given to prospective applicants having a year of work experience related to the study programme.

Target Audience

This course is targeted at:

• Professionals within the public sector aspiring for professional and academic advancement in public management and governance;
• Mid-career break professionals looking for opportunities to return to or change their career;
• Other individuals who would find this programme suitable for their academic and professional path.

Career Paths

The possible positions for which this programme aims to prepare you for include:

• Executive secretary
• Supervisor
• Manager

Modules

You are required to complete all 10 compulsory modules (60 ECTS) to fulfil the requirements of the Undergraduate Diploma in Public Management and Governance.

How you’ll be assessed

The course comprises:

• Evening classes for part-time courses.
• Classes held throughout the day for full-time courses.
• Guided learning, presentations, comprising synchronous online discussions, tutorials and/or videos.
• Self-study hours comprising research, reading and assignment work.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out via two mandatory components:

• Modular Assessment
• Summative Assessment

The programme includes different forms of assessment which allow for and promote students’ critical engagement. The formative and summative assessment tasks may include an in-class assignment and/or a home-based written assignment using diverse assessment tools which may take the form of online and in-class discussions, examinations, case studies, reports, proposals, essays, and presentations, etc., as applicable to the diverse modules.