Elective modules
If you choose our two specialist modules in public commissioning, developed in partnership with the UK Government's OCS and the LGID, you will gain the Masters in Public Leadership & Management (Commissioning).
The modules
- Accountability, Governance & Stewardship
- Managers and leaders in the public services are subject to unprecedented and growing levels of both expectation and scrutiny. Develop your understanding of the challenges faced and of the values and structures that underpin excellent public service governance. Explore the development and growth of audit, inspection, and scrutiny activities and the implications of these trends.
- Finance for Commissioning
- Learn to critically evaluate the financial aspects of commissioning in the public sector, and analyse the impact of changes to commissioning and procurement policies on the operation of the Government. Explore the contributions of the public sector to the operation of the economy and the benefits and problems of private/public sector partnerships. Examine the conflict between economic, political, and social objectives of governments, local authorities, and the third sector, and the financial constraints considering the different perspectives of the commissioners and the commissioned.
- Markets, Public Service, and New Forms of Delivery & Organisation
- Take a wider perspective on current public service reform processes and identify the different forms being taken, the reasons for them, and the problems that they in turn are generating. Explore beyond current concerns and anticipate future developments. Please note this is a five-day module with additional assessment.
- Leading with Political Awareness
- Managers must be able to work not only with the formal institutions and representatives of the state, but also across and with a diverse range of organisations; political awareness is an increasingly important skill for all managers, whether located in the private, public or voluntary sectors. Political awareness is also sometimes described as political acuity, or political nous or savvy - learn more about it and how it can help you in your role.
- Local Government & Civil Renewal
- Consider the challenges facing local government managers interpreting and delivering the civil renewal agenda. Draw on theories of citizenship and civil society, and examine the different ways in which communities are framed as volunteers, partners in local governance, and participants in the political process. Explore the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches, and learn to appreciate the sometimes competing demands for joined up and efficient public services and community empowerment.
- Local Government & Partnerships
- Explore the emergence of the partnership agenda in local government, analysing the various forms which partnerships take, and the roles of different partners. Examine the perceived strengths and weaknesses of partnership working with a specific focus on the identification of the value added by partnerships, and issues of accountability and local democracy. You will assess the contribution of partnership working in your own authority and consider key factors which contribute to partnership effectiveness.
- Local Government & Scrutiny
- Examine in depth the post-1997 scrutiny explosion within the UK public sector, with particular reference to English local government. Explore the driving factors which produced this explosion; the form scrutiny has taken and its processes; the politics of scrutiny; and its management and impact.
- Managing People in Organisations
- Use human resource management theory to understand how to aim for high-commitment and high-performance workplaces. Study the evaluation of performance by individuals, practical frameworks for team-building, decision-making processes, problem-solving skills, and political judgement.
- Public Finance, Financial & Resource Management
- Examine the economic and fiscal basis of public services, and consider in detail processes of budgeting, accounting, and auditing. Gain confidence and understanding in reading and using budgets and accounts, and in analysing and presenting financial information. You will also explore the financial opportunities and challenges of partnership working including PFI and Public Service Agreements. Please note this is a five day module with additional assessment.
- Public Services & the Third Sector
- Gain a critical introduction to the changing nature of the third sector's role in public services, examining the shifts in commissioning processes and the theoretical and practical implications for third sector organisations. Specific focus will be on changes in government policy, the implication of recent policy for the role of the third sector outside public service delivery, measuring effectiveness in third sector service provision and promoting good commissioning practice.
A more detailed outline of some of these modules is available for download 108KB PDF.