PADM 202 - Public Management and the Delivery of Public Services (4 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
This course introduces students to the subjects of public management and the delivery of public services. It combines theoretical and practical approaches, allowing students employed in public service organizations to apply their own experiences in analyzing the operations of public-service agencies and evaluating how these bureaucracies meet the needs of diverse urban populations. Students identify the range of human services required by city dwellers and examine the social agencies and institutions that deliver those services. In doing so, they seek to understand what public managers do and how they do it. They analyze the structure and operation of local bureaucracies; evaluate fundamental theories and styles of leadership and decision-making; and explore strategies for making organizational change. They also examine the influence of public-sector unions in determining the nature and structure of public management and the delivery of public services. In the latter half of the course, students examine concepts and theories of social welfare and the development of social welfare policy in the U.S. Topics include: the role of government and government regulation, the role of social-service professionals, and the privatization of public services. Students will identify challenges in service delivery; discuss legal and ethical questions confronting service providers; and identify the professional and technical skills required to function effectively as service providers.