Master of Public Administration

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to

• Create a knowledge area in which learners are able to engage and critique current research and new trends in Public Administration towards contributing new knowledge to the field.
• Develop learner's abilities to not only produce research but to be research consumers with an ability to interrogate multiple sources and processes of knowledge and knowledge creation respectively in Public Administration.
• Mould a corps of public sector Public Administration specialists who are able to demonstrate an ability to identify, analyse and address complex Public Administration and governance problems drawing on the body of knowledge of the discipline and their specialised area (through the mini-dissertation).
• Produce public sector employees with ability to identify and address critical ethical issues through a systematic assimilation of critical reflection skills in deciphering complex ethical issues.
• Produce graduates with the ability to present and communicate academic ideas and critically review information and data gathering, analysis and management processes on critical problems in the Public Sector.

Rationale

Transformations in the public and development sector have, and continue to pose both exciting and challenging times for the field of Public Administration in general, and for the institution. South Africa and Africa's leadership, governance and developmental needs require effective and capable cadres to drive policies and interventions. The increasing need for evidence-based state interventions to promote development and the need for more effective state institutions are imperatives that also place demands on educational institutions to significantly play their critical role in human resource development and public administration discourse globally.

Calls for innovation and rigour in ensuring sustainability and relevance of academic departments in institutions of higher learning. This is coupled with the socio-economic and political contexts within which institutions the institution operate, characterised by high levels of societal developmental needs, skills shortages, unemployment, government service delivery challenges on one hand, increased need for access to higher education on the other.

Changes in government funding models have meant that, more so for the humanities and social sciences, resource issues and not just teaching, research and intellectual development, have become an integral part of strategic consideration for planners. The changing education and training needs of society and its institutions now requires not only the educating of 'traditional' students but also specifically targeted interventions aimed at institutional capacity development, calling for innovative responses from institutions of higher learning to effectively address the needs of academic, research, public and development sector institutions, hence this departmental self-review process map.

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) will attract policy makers and officials who may be qualifying learners, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), government departments, and any other related public institution. It seeks to impart the required skills towards contributing to the implementation of the government policies and programmes on development assistance towards ensuring innovative ways of solving complex governance and service delivery challenges through skills acquisition and research. The qualification aims to engage learners toward decisively dealing with complex problems through an analytical and systematic application of information and knowledge in the management of public institutions and resources. To this end the curriculum aims to expose students to the theoretical foundations of the discipline that will enable the application of skills, techniques and innovation in modern administrative and management practices towards the achievement of organisational and public service goals. Moreover, recent developments in South African governance and Public administration have been targeted on ways to make government work through improved government planning and monitoring systems as well as greater concentration on local government administration as the locus of services, towards a better life for all. To this end, the qualification has been adapted to respond to the need for highly competent, ethical, qualified manager and senior managers equipped with both technical and ethical aptitude to tackle the growing demand for good governance, leadership and service delivery in South Africa and the rest of Africa.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The admission requirements also promotes access and equal opportunity to tertiary education at all levels through the RPL policy. RPL will be applied in terms of granting admission to the qualification by learners who do not meet the admission requirements. This will involve the application of institution's RPL policy which adheres to clearly stipulated criteria in line with the institution's admission policy. As such, learners will be expected to provide portfolios on work experience and continuing education and/or short courses which will be assessed by the institution's RPL Committee.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Public Administration Honours, NQF Level 8.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 9 totalling 192 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 120 Credits

• Research Methodology, 16 Credits.
• Administrative Theories, 16 Credits.
• Public Policy Analysis, 16 Credits.
• Public Leadership Management, 16 Credits.
• Mini-dissertation, 96 Credits.

Elective modules, 32 Credits (Select two of the following)

• Local Government and Administration, 16 Credits.
• Public Sector Monitoring and Evaluation, 16 Credits.
• Public Human Resource Management, 16 Credits.
• International Administration, 16 Credits.
• Public Finance and Fundraising, 16 Credits.

1. Apply knowledge of leadership and management theories, styles, models and systems to solve contextual leadership challenges within the global, national and local governance context.
2. Apply research skills to identify, conceptualise, design and implement methods of research inquiry to address/solve complex and challenging problems in Public Administration and the public sector context.
3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the field of Public Administration, including the political context, the ability to produce and communicate information for public sector programmes and preparation for the sustainability of public sector programme implementation in different contexts.
4. Apply knowledge and concepts in Public Administration to solve public sector policy problems.
5. Demonstrate the ability to make interventions at an appropriate level within a system, based on an understanding of public sector monitoring and evaluation frameworks and Government-Wide Monitoring and Evaluation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Understand the principles and concepts associated with governance, good leadership and good governance in international, national, and local contexts.
• Develop innovative, creative strategies for leadership and management roles and functions as in dealing with various situations and challenges within governance contexts.
• Craft a distinct governance accountability profile in the discharge of public sector functions.
• Demonstrate interactional acceptable leadership, governance and ethical principles through applications in practical operations within the public sector.
• Identify, analyse and evaluate leadership propensity needed to challenge the prevailing leadership, governance, and ethical practices within organisations and boost tenacity to hold on to international acceptable leadership, governance, and ethical practices.
• Map out organisational strategies on how to deal with ethical and compliance issue in public administration and management contexts.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Evaluate and apply research methodologies, within various epistemological orientations and problems in the social sciences and in Public Administration.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply research designs, selecting, planning and proposing research projects.
• Select appropriate philosophies of the social sciences, to inform methodology, methods and research designs.
• Select appropriate sampling, research designs, identify, and formulate research problems.
• Operationalise the research problem, data collection methods, data analysis and interpretation.
• Compile a scientific research report.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Correlate theory and practice in Public Administration.
• Identify and apply administrative theories that are relevant to the study of Public Administration.
• Critically assess complex public sector policy and programme implementation challenges and proffer sustainable solutions at the international, national and local levels.
• Communicate information reliably, accurately and coherent in writing, verbally and the ability to reflect universal conventions in copyright and plagiarism.
• Build critical arguments and meaningful and critical discourse with officials and actors in policy development and implementation in the public sector.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Apply specialist knowledge, techniques and principles to identifying/engaging, managing, monitoring and solving public sector policy issues.
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge and awareness of the issues and concepts in public policy and policy analysis.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the complex nature of policy development, policy analysis, policy implementation, and policy application.
• Critically evaluate the role of policy analysis players.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to ethics and policy analysis.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Application of monitoring and evaluation frameworks in the public sector work environment.
• Develop programme and project development plans for specific projects or programmes aimed showing understanding of specific public sector programmes.
• Evaluate the development of monitoring and evaluation as a discipline.
• Assess organisational practices for monitoring and evaluation in Public Administration.
• Develop work plans and reports reflecting on effective participatory monitoring and evaluation, Government-wide Monitoring and Evaluation and tools for monitoring and evaluation in the public sector.

Integrated Assessment

Theory and practice are integrated in assessment through case studies of which simulate managing a system based on an understanding of the roles and relationship between elements with wider governance and administrative systems.