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Public Administration

Code: 106189 ECTS Credits: 6
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OB 2

Contact

Name:
Nuria Suero Comellas
Email:
nuria.suero@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Most of the subjects are taught in English. A B2 level of English of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is required, although no specific test of English proficiency level is held to access the degree.


Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject is compulsory in the second year of the Degree in Contemporary History, Politics and Economics. The aim is to offer a general view of the main concepts and models that currently dominate the panorama in the analysis of public administration.


Competences

  • Describe and analyse the functioning of public administrations on different territorial scales.
  • Innovate in the methods and processes of this area of knowledge in response to the needs and wishes of society.
  • Manage and apply data to solve problems.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analysing and explaining the economic dimensions behind public policies.
  2. Analysing public policies, both in their elaboration and implementation processes.
  3. Collect and process data to critically analyse the process of formulating the public agenda.
  4. Collectively analyse public policies from a multidisciplinary perspective both in the process of production and implementation.
  5. Describing and understanding the functioning of the Public Administration on a state, sub-state and supranational level.
  6. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  7. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  8. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  9. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  10. Using different tools for the analysis and explanation of the formulation, decision, implementation and evaluation processes in public policies.

Content

Introduction

1. Historical origins of current administration

2. Reforms of State administration and European Union administration

3. Governance today

 

Administration and democracy

4. Accountability: the administration responsibility

5. Transparency, open government and anticorruption policies

6. Interest groups, conflicts of interest and public ethics

 

Regulation and service provision

7. The regulatory function of public administration

8. The service provider role of administrations: the welfare state

 

Spanish and Catalan public administration

9. The General Administration of the State

10. The Administration of the “Generalitat of Catalonia”

11. Local government

 

Human resources and public administrations

12. Human resource management in public administration

13. Motivation in public administration 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures, debates 29 1.16 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 15 0.6 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Type: Autonomous      
Reading, study and preparation 70 2.8 5, 7, 8, 9

The course will consist of:

- Presentations and discussions in the classroom, led by the lecturer in interaction with students.

- The writing and presentation of one paper.

- Sessions of practical application of the theoretical contents in the classroom. These sessions will involve group discussions and presentations.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Exam 50% 2 0.08 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Preparation of an essay and oral presentation 30% 20 0.8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Seminars 20% 14 0.56 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Continuous evaluation: 

Continuous evaluation of this course consists of the following parts:

-50%: Exam.

-20%: Classroom exercises. Attendance and participation in debates. This activity is not recoverable in any case.

-30%: Paper and short oral presentation. This activity is not recoverable in any case.

 

Evaluation: 

Evaluation of this course consists of the following parts: 

-65%: Exam.

-35%: Paper and short oral presentation. This activity is not recoverable in any case.

 

Additional information:

-Minimum 5 is required in the exam to pass the course. The reassessment qualification is always 5 regardless of the qualification obtained in the exam. 

-Students will need a 3,5 minimum and have presented two thirds of evaluation activities to participate in the reassessment

-On carrying out each evaluation activity, lecturers will inform students (on Moodle) of the procedures to be followed for reviewing all grades awarded, and the date on which such a review will take place.

-The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used.

-Students will obtain a “Not assessed/Not submitted” course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.

-Plagiarism: In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

-There is no official exams calendar, only recovery calendar. 

-Exam recuperation consists of a synthesis exam. It cannot replace papers or other assessment activities. 


Bibliography

Ballart, X. i C. Ramió, 2000. Ciencia de la Administración, Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch.

Ballart, X., G. Rico, G. Ripoll, 2016. La motivación en los servicios públicos: análisis empírico de sus antecedentes y de sus efectos. Madrid: Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública.

Bossaert, D., C. Demmke, K. Nomden y R. Polet, 2001, Civil Services in the Europe of Fifteen. Trends and New Developments. Maastricht, European Institute of Public Administration.

Colino, C. 2013. Gobiernos y Administraciones Públicas en Perspectiva Comparada. Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch.

Colino, C, S. Parrado, J.A. Olmeda, 2015. Las Administraciones Públicas en España, Valencia, Tirant lo Blanch

Del Pino, E. M. Villoria. 2009. Dirección y Gestión de Recursos Humanos en las Administraciones Públicas. Madrid, Tecnos.

Ferlie, E., Lynn, L.E. Jr and Pollitt, Ch. 2005. The Oxford Handbook of Public Management, New York: Oxford University Press.

Kuhlmann, S. and Wollmann, H. 2014. Introduction to Comparative Public Administrations. Administrative Systems and Reform in Europe. Cheltenham and Northampton, MA:  Edward Elgar

Longo, F. 2004. Mérito y flexibilidad. La gestión de las personas en las organizaciones del sector público. Barcelona: Paidós.

Moran, Rein and Goodin. 2006. The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, Oxford University Press

OCDE, Government at a Glance

Ongaro, E. 2009. Public Management Reform: Trajectories of Administrative Change in Italy, France, Greece, Portugal and Spain. London: Edward Elgar. 

Perry, J., Christensen, R.K. 2015. Handbook of Public Administration, London: Routledge.

Pollitt, C. and Bouckaert, G. 2004 Public Management Reform. A Comparative Analysis, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Journals

Governance, an International Journal of Policy, Administration and Institutions

International Journal of Public Administration

International Journal of Public Sector Management

International Public Management Journal

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis

Journal of European Public Policy

Journal of European Social Policy

Journal of South European Society and Politics

Journal of Policy Analysis and Management

Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory

Journal of Public Policy

Local Government Studies

Public Administration -An international quarterly

Public Management Review


Software

None.


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 50 English first semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 50 English first semester afternoon