The Nordic model of governance
Study Board of Political Science, Journalism, Sociology, and European Studies
Teaching language: English
EKA: B450027102
Censorship: Second examiner: None
Grading: 7-point grading scale
Offered in: Odense
Offered in: Autumn
Level: Master
Course ID: B450027101
ECTS value: 5
Date of Approval: 17-03-2020
Duration: 1 semester
Course ID
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Aim and purpose
Public governance refers to the formal and informal arrangements that determine how public decisions are made and how public actions are carried out. The principal elements of good governance refer to accountability, transparency, efficiency, effectiveness, responsiveness and rule of law.
This course aims to provide the students with an understanding of the principles of good governance and implementation in different governance systems in Nordic countries. The connection between public governance and public policies/social policies on the one hand and public administration systems will be also introduced. The purpose is to increase the student’s ability to understand, co-operate with, and/or become an active part of public administration systems at various levels.
The course complements outcome-focused courses such as ”Public Policy” Social Policies: Challenges and Solutions” and ” Science, Technology and Society”, by taking a perspective that focuses on the “quality of processes” that govern the decision-making. The course provides essential knowledge for specialization courses in the CPPWS master program, in particular, the courses ”Social Policies: Challenges and Solutions” and ” Science, Technology and Society”. The course can be taken as standalone course by students from other programs interested in the topic per se.
Content
The course will explore issues such as:
•What is public and good governance?
•What is the link between public sector and (good) governance? How are the Nordic public sectors structured?
•What is the link between public policies and (good) governance?
•What are the effects of public sector reforms on governance in different public sectors?
he course will rely on examples from practice and will adopt a comparative perspective, bringing in the experience of all Nordic countries.
Learning goals
Description of outcome - Knowledge
Description of outcome - Skills
Skills that enables them to conduct empirical analysis of public administration systems and public governance in general.
Description of outcome - Competences
Competences that enables them to critically analyze and discuss the concepts and theories pertaining to the public administration systems and public.
Literature
The literature used in the course will include a collection of articles and book chapters. All in all, about 600 pages.
The edited volume Nordic Administrative Reforms. Lessons for Public Management, edited by Carsten Greve, Per Lægreid and Lise H. Rykkja (2016) provides an overview of the type of topics to be addressed.
Other examples of relevant literature:
Pollitt, C. and G. Bouckaert. 2011. Public Management Reform. Comparative Analysis of New Public Management, Governance and the Neo-Weberian State. Oxford: Oxford University Press (367 p.)
Hood, C. (1991). A public management for all seasons?. Public Administration, 69(1), 3-19.
Pollitt, C., & Dan, S. (2011). The impacts of the New Public Management in Europe: A meta-analysis. http://www.cocops.eu/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/COCOPS_workingpaper_No31.pdf
Teaching Method
The students are expected to take active part in the lectures and exercises.
The course will be a combination of lectures given by the lecturer, guest experts, exercises and group discussions.
A description of these activities will be provided in the course plan (syllabus) by the beginning of the semester.
Besides the ordinary lectures, students are expected to participate in additional activities arranged in connection to the course for a total of 6-7 hours (blended learning). The schedule of these blended learning activities will be provided to the students at the beginning of the semester.
Workload
Scheduled lessons
7 x 2 hours
Workload
Confrontational classes (lectures): 14 hours
Preparation: 40 hours
Preparation – Portfolio components 40 hours
Additional activity: 7 hours
Exam: 34 hours
Total: 135 hours
Examination regulations
Exam
Name
Exam
Timing
Exam: January
Reexam: February
Tests
Exam
Name
Exam
Form of examination
Take-home assignment
Censorship
Second examiner: None
Grading
7-point grading scale
Identification
Student Identification Card - Exam number
Language
English
Duration
72 hours
Length
Max 10 pages (1 page equals 2,400 key strokes including spaces, appendixes, and notes, but excluding table of content and list of references).
Examination aids
All examination aids allowed.
Assignment handover
Via Digital Exam.
Assignment handin
Hand-in via Digital Exam.
ECTS value
5
Additional information
The assigment is based on a predefined task/exam question.
EKA
B450027102
External comment
Courses offered
| Offer period | Offer type | Profile | Education | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2020 | Mandatory | Master of Social Sciences in Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies, valid from September 1, 2020 | Comparative Public and Welfare Studies | Master of Science (MSc) in Comparative Public Policy and Welfare Studies | Odense | Fall 2020 | Exchange students |