PPA 240 Schedule
Public Management
California State University, Sacramento

 

Professor Nancy Shulock

Weekly Schedule of Readings and Assignments - Fall, 1998

  

Part I: Governance  

Part II: Organizations   

Part III: Practice    

Link to COW

PPA240-L ListProc

nshulock@csus.edu

 
PART I: GOVERNANCE
GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS
IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Week 1 - September 2
Introduction and Course Objectives

Overview of course at 6:00 p.m.

Technology Overview in SQU 316 (formerly called Science Building) starting at 7:15 p.m. covering course Web pages, creating a SacLink account, using e-mail, and conferencing on the Web (COW).

Week 2 - September 9
The Reinventing Government Movement

Readings

 

Questions

Why did "Reinventing Government" get written when it did? Why has it found such a receptive audience? Does it present a balanced view of the costs and benefits of these changes? Does the book reflect a particular ideology of government? Are some of these changes occuring in your organizations? Which have the most promise for reforming the public sector? Why?

Assignment

  • subscribe to class listserv. Click here for instructions.
  • send an e-mail message to the class listserv including your name, where you work and your position (if currently employed) . This is just a means of introducing each other while trying out the listserv.
  • register for COW account
  • e-mail question (by noon, Wednesday). SEND WEEKLY E-MAIL QUESTIONS TO ME (nshulock@csus.edu), NOT TO THE LISTSERV!
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)

Week 3 - September 16
Bureaucracy and democracy;
critiques of reinvention

Readings

  • Melvin Dubnick and Barbara Romzek, "American Public Administration," Chapter 2
  • Wamsley, et.al. in Hill, "A Legitimate Role for Bureaucracy in Democratic Governance" in The State of Public Bureaucracy, 1992
  • Linda DeLeon and Robert Denhardt, "The Political Theory of Reinvention," Paper presented at the 1997 Annual Meetings of the American Political Science Association, August, 1997.
  • Hindy Lauer Schachter, "Reinventing Government or Reinventing Ourselves," Public Administration Review, Nov/Dec 1995
  • Smith, Gerald and Carole Huntsman, "Reframing the Metaphor of the Citizen-Government Relationship: A Value-Centered Perspective, " Public Administration Review, July/Aug 1997

Questions

How does the reinvention movement challenge the traditional view of the role of the bureaucracy? To whom should the bureaucracy be accountable? Does the citizen as customer or as owner make more sense within your organization? What is your opinion of the value of reinvention theory to contemporary attempts to improve government effectiveness? What position does reinvention theory take on the "politics/administration dichotomy?"

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)

Week 4 - September 23
New Directions for Public Management

Readings

  • Moore, Introduction and Chapters 1-3
  • Schorr, Introduction, Chapter 1
  • Robert Behn "The Big Questions of Public Management" Public Administration Review, July/Aug 1995

Questions

What does the concept of "creating public value" contribute to the understanding of public management? Who defines "public value" for your organization? Does the public want bureaucrats to be technicians and experts, or to be the political strategists that Moore calls for? To whom would they be accountable for their value choices? How does Moore's view compare with Osborne and Gaebler in "Reinventing Government"?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)

Week 5 - September 30
New Directions for Public Management--Continued

****THIS IS A WEB CLASS PERIOD: DO NOT COME TO CLASS!!****

Readings

  • Moore, Chapters 4-5
  • Schorr, Chapter 3

Questions:

What challenges does the interest group environment pose for your organization? Do bureaucrats make public policy? Should they? Is the political management technique that Moore calls "public deliberation" attainable? Does your organization reflect any of the changes that Schorr calls for? How do the changes Schorr calls for compare to those called for by Osborne and Gaebler?

Assignment

This is web class period. Class does not meet.

  • Read the class lecture notes on class web page. Click here for notes.
  • e-mail me your question by noon Wednesday as usual.
  • Students assigned to lead discussions should post their questions to COW also by noon Wednesday.
  • All students are required to contribute at least two comments to at least two of the questions posted (total of at least four comments). Each question will appear as a "conversation" under the Week 5 COW topic. Discussion will end at midnight Friday.
  • Students are required to read all discussion topics after discussion closes. That is, you are not finished learning from the discussion after you contribute your own comments.
  • Students choosing to write a short paper this week may e-mail it to me, fax it to 278-7648, or bring it next week.


PART II: ORGANIZATIONS
ARENAS FOR MANAGING
THE PUBLIC ENTERPRISE

 

 

Week 6 - October 7
The Meaning of Organizations--Part 1

Readings:

  • Morgan, Images of Organization, chapters 1-4
  • Kofman and Senge, "Communities of Commitment: the Heart of Learning Organizations"
  • Senge: "Rethinking Leadership in the Learning Organization"
  • Optional: The Learning Organizations homepage

Questions:

Which of the three metaphors (machine, organism, brain) best capture how the leaders of your organization seem to understand it? How do the different metaphors bring to light different issues facing your organization? What makes "learning organizations" different from other organizations? Do Moore and Senge see the challenge of leadership in the same way? What changes would you make (if you were in charge) to move your organization toward becoming a learning organization?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)

 

Week 7 - October 14
The meaning of organizations--part 2

Readings:

Morgan, Images of Organization, chapters 5-7

Questions:

Does the organization as culture metaphor help you understand your organization? What about the organization as political system metaphor? How would you describe your organization's culture? How is cultural change best accomplished? What is the relationship between leadership and organizational culture? How is power best attained and used in your organization? How do decentralization and information technology affect power relationships in organizations?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)

 

Week 8 - October 21
Organizational Change

 

****THIS IS A WEB CLASS PERIOD: DO NOT COME TO CLASS!!****

Readings:

Questions:

What characteristics of a plan or a planning process increase the chances that a plan will actually be used? What does it mean to use a plan? What is a vision and how do public managers best contribute to its adoption? How can public managers best promote innovation? Is it more difficult to change and innovate in the public than the private sector? Is innovation rewarded in your organization?

Assignment

This is web class period. Class does not meet.

  • Read the class lecture notes on class web page. Click here for notes.
  • e-mail me your question by noon Wednesday as usual.
  • Students assigned to lead discussions should post their questions to COW also by noon Wednesday.
  • All students are required to contribute at least two comments to at least two of the questions posted (total of at least four comments). Each question will appear as a "conversation" under the Week 8 COW topic. Discussion will end at midnight Friday.
  • Students are required to read all discussion topics after discussion closes. That is, you are not finished learning from the discussion after you contribute your own comments.
  • Students choosing to write a short paper this week may e-mail it to me, fax it to 278-7648, or bring it next week.

PART III: PRACTICE
CHALLENGES OF
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

 

Week 9 - October 28
Accountability

Readings:

  • Lisbeth Schorr, Chapters 4,5
  • Francis Leazes, "Public Accountability: is it a private responsibility?," Administration and Society, September, 1997
  • Kathryn Newcomer, "The Changing Nature of Accountability: the Role of the Inspector General in Federal Agencies," Public Administration Review," March/April, 1998
  • U.S. Department of Transportation, FY 1999 Performance Plan, Executive Summary (click on Executive Summary)

    or go directly to the Acrobat Reader version:

Questions:

To whom is the public manager accountable--citizens, legislators, chief executives? Why has accountability become such a large part of public sector reform? How is accountability different in the public and private sectors? How does accountability relate to innovation? What kinds of accountability activities are occuring in your organization?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)
  • begin working on group project using COW. Each group is a separate topic. Please participate only in your assigned group.

 

Week 10 - November 4
Performance Measurement

Readings:

  • Robert Kravchuk and Ronald Schack, "Designing Effective Performance-Measurement Systems under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993," Public Administration Review, July/August, 1996
  • Warren Stone and George Gerard, "On the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B: Measuring and Rewarding Agency Performance in Public-Sector Strategy," Public Productivity and Management Review, March, 1997
  • David Ammons, "Overcoming the Inadequacies of Performance Measurement in Local Government: the case of libraries and leisure services," Public Administration Review Jan/Feb 1995
  • Osborne and Gaebler, Appendix B
  • California Department of Parks and Recreation, "Performance Based Budget," (through p. 21). (Click on "MOU" toward the bottom of the page.)

Questions:

Is your organization putting a lot of effort into performance measurement? Is this effort worthwhile? Are there dangers in focusing on performance measurement? What is the connection between performance measurement and accountability? What would be good outcome measures for your organization? How do these differ from input or process measures? Is performance-based budgeting likely to win favor in the California legislature?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)
  • continue working on group project

 

Week 11 - November 11
Privatization, Reengineering, and TQM

****THIS IS A WEB CLASS PERIOD: DO NOT COME TO CLASS!!****

Readings:

Questions:

What is driving the growing interest in privatization? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this strategy? What values are driving the push for privatiziation, reengineering, etc.? How do these reforms affect the public manager's relationship with the external domain? How does Moore's concept of reengineering public sector production relate to these views of public sector reform? What is Schorr's view of these strategies? Which, if any, of these strategies is your organization pursuing, and to what effect?

Assignment

This is web class period. Class does not meet.

  • Read the class lecture notes on class web page. Click here for notes.
  • e-mail me your question by noon Wednesday as usual.
  • Students assigned to lead discussions should post their questions to COW also by noon Wednesday.
  • All students are required to contribute at least two comments to at least two of the questions posted (total of at least four comments). Each question will appear as a "conversation" under the Week 11 COW topic. Discussion will end at midnight Friday.
  • Students are required to read all discussion topics after discussion closes. That is, you are not finished learning from the discussion after you contribute your own comments.
  • Students choosing to write a short paper this week may e-mail it to me, fax it to 278-7648, or bring it next week.

 

Week 12 - November 18
Leadership

Readings:

  • Gary Zajac and Ali Al-Kazemi, "Reinventing Government and Redefining Leadership," Public Productivity and Management Review, June, 1997
  • Moore, Chapters 6,7, conclusion

Questions:

How important is leadership, compared to institutional reforms, in making the changes being called for in state and local government? What is the difference between leadership and management? How does the reinvention movement affect the expectations for leaders? Does successful government reform require "heroic" leaders? Does your organization invest in leadership training? Is it effective?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)
  • group project due at start of class.

 

Week 13 - November 25
THANKSGIVING--NO CLASS!!

 

Week 14 - December 2
Civil Service and Personnel Management

Readings:

  • Cristy Jensen, "State Civil Service Reform," California Policy Choices, vol. 8, John Kirlin, Editor, University of Southern California, 1992
  • Legislative Analyst's Office, "Reinventing the Civil Service"
  • Little Hoover Commission Civil Service Advisory Committee, agenda item and Executive Summary of "Too Many Agencies, Too Many Rules"
  • Robert Maranto, "Thinking the Unthinkable in Public Administration," Administration and Society, January, 1998
  • Robert Durant, "Rethinking the Unthinkable: a Cautionary Note," Administration and Society, January, 1998

Questions:

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a civil service system as a way of hiring, rewarding, and terminating public employees? Who favors reform and who opposes it? Is there a half-way position, or incremental reforms that could be implemented? What values are paramount for reformers? How do these values relate to those embodied in the reinventing government movement?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)

 

Week 15 - December 9
Ethics; Wrapping Up

Readings:

  • APSA code of ethics
  • Montgomery Van Wart, "The Sources of Ethical Decision Making for individuals in the Public Sector," Public Administration Review, Nov/Dec, 1996
  • James B. Bowman and Russell Williams, "Ethics in Government: From a Winter of Despair to a Spring of Hope," Public Administration Review, Nov/Dec, 1997
  • Mary Kweit and Robert Kweit, "Ethical Responsibility for Reinvented Bureaucrats: Working for Custormer/Citizens," paper delivered at American Political Science Association annual meeting, August, 1997
  • Steven Cohen and William Eimicke, "Is Public Entrepreneurship Ethical? A Second Look at Theory and Practice," paper delivered at American Political Science Association annual meeting, August, 1997
  • Lisbeth Schorr, chapter 9--but skip or skim pp. 320-359 on the seven case studies. (Chapters 6,7,or 8 optional for those with interests in those policy areas)

Questions:

How has the reinvention movement affected the focus of public sector ethics? Do you think that the public supports entrepreneurial activities by public managers? Are ethical challenges different in the public and private sectors? What ethical issues have you or your colleagues faced? Do you find the ASPA code of ethics helpful in thinking about those issues?

How does Schorr's vision for effective govenment compare to Moore's and to Osborne/Gaebler's? What ideas from the course and readings have you found most productive for promoting effective and responsive government? Do you share Schorr's optimism about the prospects of rebuidling communities?

Assignment

  • e-mail question
  • discussion question (if assigned)
  • short paper (if you choose this week's readings)

 

 

Week 16 - FINAL PAPERS DUE 6 PM--Dec 16
NO CLASS MEETING

OVERVIEW / ASSIGNMENTS / INSTRUCTOR / RESOURCES / SYLLABUS
DEPARTMENT / CSUS


Page updated: November 10, 1998