AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The object of this course is to provide the essential knowledge on the logics that underpin the functioning of public administrations, the dynamics that characterize complex organizations as well as the main theoretical paradigms that inspired the reforms of the public sectors in many countries: New Public Management, Public Governance, and Nudge. The central themes will be administrative reforms and different approaches to changes and organization in a comparative perspective. In this sense this course will analyze different organizational solutions that have been applied in different institutional contexts.

The aim of the course is to develop the necessary skills for the design and development of changes in the public sector. Using tools and methodologies of the social sciences the main processes of diffusion of changes and innovations in public administration will be considered. The course will thus provide all the available knowledges necessary to develop a critical analysis of the processes of innovation in the public sector, the students will be asked to assess in a critical manner the specificities, solutions and effects that different models of organization have in different  institutional contexts.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course the students will be able to:

• Describe the dialectic relations between the political and administrative sphere in relation to the organizational models in order to detect the main problems related to the public/private sphere.

• Analyze the reforms and solutions within the complexities that interest the public sphere and administrative context.

• Identify both opportunities and constraints that technological innovations offer to public administrations.

• In the analysis of public administration activities and public administration reforms the students will be able to distinguish between judicial, political and economic logics identifying the prevailing logic that drives the changes.

TEACHING METHODS

The course will be carried out mostly online with frontal lectures. Students must get involved and participate also through online presentations based on their own analysis of singular cases that will be decided together with the course convener.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will be divided into two main parts.

In the first part the main themes addressed will be:

• Logics and Purposes of the functioning of public administrations
• Functions and changes of public institutions
• Actors that operate within the public administrations
• Main theories of decisional processes in public institutions
• New Public Management, Neo Institutionalism, Public Governance and Nudge
• Distribution of power and changes in the public sectors

In the second part we will concentrate on the reforms and organizational models of public administrations also relying on practical examples and case studies.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Compulsory readings:

- Francesco Longo, Alex Turrini, Giovanni Fattore, Maria Cucciniello, Elisa Ricciuti. 2018. Management pubblico. Egea, Milano (capitoli: 1, 2, 4, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)

- Natalini Alessandro, Di Mascio Fabrizio. 2018. Oltre il New Public Management. Le riforme amministrative tra meccanismi e contesti. Roma, Carocci.

Non compulsory readings, a selection between:

- Bassoli Matteo, Polizzi Emanuele. 2016. Le politiche della condivisione. La sharing economy incontra il pubblico. Giuffrè. Milano.

- Casula Mattia. 2017. Il nuovo associazionismo intercomunale. Sfide e risposte delle culture politiche locali. Carocci. Roma.

- Bolgherini Silvia, Dallara Cristina (a cura di). 2016. La politica della razionalizzazione. Il settore pubblico italiano negli anni dell’austerity. Misure/Materiali dell’Istituto Cattaneo, Bologna.

- Citroni Giulio, Lippi Andrea, Profeti Stefania. 2012. Governi privati. Le società partecipate dei comuni come strumento e arena del governo locale, Rubbettino, Soveria Mannelli.

- Maria Tullia Galanti. 2016. Sindaci e manager nel capitalismo municipale. Il Mulino, Bologna

- Nesti Giorgia. 2018. Trasformazioni urbane. Città intelligenti tra sfide e opportunità. Roma, Carocci.

- Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein. 2009. La spinta gentile. Feltrinelli, Milano

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LARA PENCO (President)

MARCO REMONDINO (President)

GAIA TAFFONI (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First Semester (September 17, 2018)

Class schedule

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The students that will attend the whole module will be examined according to their online presentation and a final oral exam.

For those that do not attend the module the final examination consists of a oral exam based on the whole program.

Exam schedule