Learning Outcomes:

1. understand how administrative systems have evolved and operate, as a key context for and instrument of contemporary public policy-making;
2. be able to critically evaluate the main elements of academic debate on different module themes, such as agencification, network governance, implementation, and public sector reform generally;
3. be able to apply findings and theories to real-world policy issues.

Indicative Module Content:

Topics include, for example:
- Why public administration matters
- Public Administration and Policy-Making
- Agencification, Autonomy and Control in Public Administration and Policy
- Network Forms of Governance
- Sub-national public administration
- Transnational public administration

Student Effort Type	Hours
Lectures	24
Autonomous Student Learning	200
Total	224

Not applicable to this module.

Equivalents:
Public Administration & Policy (CSSL40010)


 

Assessment Strategy  

Description	Timing		Component Scale		% of Final Grade
Assignment: Assignment 1: Essay title and guidelines in the course outline	Week 8	n/a	Graded	No	50
Assignment: Assignment 2: Essay title and guidelines in the course outline	Coursework (End of Trimester)	n/a	Graded	No	50

 

Resit In	Terminal Exam
Spring	No

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

Comments online via Brightspace

1) Introduction: The role of Public Administration – Why it Matters
• Peters, B.G. and J. Pierre (2012 and 2003) ‘The Role of Public Administration in Governing’ in B.G. Peters and J. Pierre (eds) Handbook of Public Administration, London: Sage.
• Hague, R. M. Harrop and J. McCormick (2013) Comparative Government and Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave (Chapter 19).
• Hardiman, N. and C. Scott (2012) ‘Ordering Things: The Irish State Administration Database’, Irish Political Studies, Vol. 27(1), pp. 1-22.


2) The Reform Tradition in Public Administration: From Weber to Public Choice to NPM
• Hill, M. and F. Varone (2017) The Public Policy Process, Harlow: Pearson (Chapter 12 on ‘bureaucracy: organisational structures and processes’) (available on Brightspace).
• Pollitt, C. and S. Dan (2011) ‘The Impacts of the New Public Management in Europe: A Meta-Analysis’, COCOPS research report, Work Package 1 – Deliverable 1.1 (available at www.cocops.eu).



3) Comparative Public Administration

• Pollitt, C. and G. Bouckaert (2017) Public Management Reform. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Chapter 3) (available on Brightspace).
• Chandler, J.A. (ed) (2000) Comparative Public Administration. London: Routledge (Chapter 1) (available on Brightspace).

4) Public Administration and Policy-Making
• Johnston Miller, K. and D. McTavish (2014) Making and Managing Public Policy, London: Routledge (Chapter 1) (e-book)
• Cairney, P. (2012) Understanding Public Policy: Theories and Issues, Basingstoke: Palgrave (Chapter 5, and other chapters on specific frameworks) (available on Brightspace).
• Hill, M. and F. Varone (2017) The Public Policy Process, Harlow: Pearson (Chapters 9 and 10 on ‘agenda setting’ and ‘policy formation’ on classical frameworks and discussing the role of civil servants) (available on Brightspace).


5) Public Administration and Implementation
• Hill, M. and P. Hupe (2014) Implementing Public Policy, London: Sage (Chapters 3 and 4) (available on Brightspace).
• Matland, R.E. (1995) ‘Synthesizing the Implementation Literature: The Ambiguity-Conflict Model of Policy Implementation’, Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, Vol. 5(2), pp. 145-174.


6) The Public and Public Administration: User Involvement, Co-Production & Participation

• Bovaird, T. (2007) ‘Beyond Engagement and Participation: User and Community Coproduction of Public Services’, Public Administration Review, Vol. 67(5), pp. 846-860.
• Brannan, T., P. John and G. Stoker (2006) ‘Active Citizenship and Effective Public Services and Programmes: How Can We Know What Really Works?’, Urban Studies, Vol. 43(5-6), pp. 1083-1101.

7) Agencification, Autonomy and Control in Public Administration and Policy
• Verhoest, K., P.G. Roness, B. Verscheure, K. Rubecksen and M. MacCarthaigh (2010) Autonomy and Control of State Agencies: Comparing States and Agencies, Basingstoke: Palgrave (Chapters 2 and 3) (e-book).
• Van Thiel, S. (2012) ‘Comparing Agencies across Countries’, in K. Verhoest, S. Van Thiel, G. Bouckhaert and P. Lægreid (eds) Government Agencies: Practices and Lessons from 30 Countries, Basingstoke: Palgrave (available on Brightspace).

8) Public Administration and Network Forms of Governance
• Rhodes R.A.W. (1997) Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability, Buckingham: Open University Press (Chapters 2 and 3) (available on Brightspace).
• Börzel, T.A. (1998) ‘Organizing Babylon: On the Different Conceptions of Policy Networks’, Public Administration, Vol. 76(2), pp. 253-273.
• Klijn, E.H. and J. Koppenjan (2012) ‘Governance network theory: past, present and future’, Policy & Politics, Vol. 40(4), pp. 587-606.



9) Public Policy and Administration at the Sub-national level
• John, P. (2001) Local Governance in Western Europe, London: Sage (Chapter 1) (available on Brightspace).
• Denters B. and L.E. Rose (eds.) (2005) Comparing Local Governance: Trends and Developments, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (Chapters 14 and 15) (available on Brightspace).
• Hooghe, L. and G. Marks (2003) ‘Unraveling the Central State, but How? Types of Multi-level Governance’, American Political Science Review, Vol. 97(2), pp. 233- 243.


10) The role of the EU and International Organizations in National Public Policy and Administration

• Dolowitz, D. and D. Marsh (2000) ‘Learning from abroad: The role of policy transfer in contemporary policy making’, Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration, Vol. 13(1), pp. 5-23.
• Sahlin-Andersson, K. (2002) ‘National, International and Transnational Constructions of New Public Management’, in T. Christensen P. Lægreid (eds.) New Public Management: The transformation of ideas and practice, Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing (available on Brightspace).
• Knill, C. and D. Lehmkuhl (2002) ‘The national impact of European Union regulatory policy: Three Europeanization mechanisms’, European Journal of Political Research, Vol. 41(2), pp. 255-280.

Name	Role
Mark Callanan	Lecturer / Co-Lecturer