Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management

Purpose

The Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management focuses on enhancing learner's problem solving, information management and people management expertise necessary for private- and public-sector managers.

The purpose of this qualification is to

• Prepare learners for professional and managerial leadership roles in the private, public, development and not-for-profit sectors;
• Enhance learner's values, knowledge and skills to act ethically and effectively in the management of organisations in these sectors;
• Enhance decision-making capacity in middle and senior levels of management in organisations in these sectors;
• Familiarise participants with conceptual frameworks and current debates in management and contemporary society; and
• Develop skills in the management of people and the management of change.

Rationale

The qualification is one of two existing contact qualifications at the Postgraduate Diploma level that selected for distance delivery. The institution recognises the ever-growing need for learning for middle- and senior management. There is a need for practical skills improvement, workplace-applicable knowledge, professional development, workplace competence, and career progression opportunities. The qualification will increase access to learners within sub- Saharan Africa. The online platforms offer an opportunity to take these courses into the international space to a far greater extent. The qualification targets learners who have at least three years of relevant work experience and an undergraduate qualification. The institution offers Masters qualifications articulated with the qualification, master's criteria by dissertation and doctorates by discourse.

The qualification is of relevance to the new civil services of Africa and related Non-Governmental Organisations. The institution already has significant contacts in the region in its areas of policy, access to the contact courses for many in Africa, however restricted by travelling and accommodation costs. Expanding the availability of this qualification into the online environment will help service the growing demand for the education and training of civil servants throughout Africa and even beyond. The online version should increase access substantially beyond this level. The flexible curriculum structure ensures that the qualification will be of value to civil servants (and related individuals) irrespective of their areas of functional specialisation.

Also, South Africa's regional and domestic context is of global interest and is likely to attract applicants from other developing countries in Latin America and Asia. Accessing these territories is not viable through the contact learning modality. Attracting even limited numbers from these territories will enhance the overall learning experience, offer increased opportunities for South-South research and generate increased foreign demand for the contact learning experience.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL applies to learners who fall outside of the regular admissions process; who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the institution that they have a suitably cognate qualification; or experiential- or work-based learning. The institution, may consider a learner for RPL for admission or for the recognition of prior accredited and/or prior experiential learning.

Learners who, after such assessment, deemed to have sufficient potential but need further academic development, may be required to broaden their curriculum to include preliminary programmes prior before to admission.

Entry Requirements

• Advanced Diploma in Public Management, NQF Level 7.
• Bachelor of Administration in Public Management, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at NQF Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 60 Credits

• Governance Leadership and Public Value, 15 Credits.
• Public Finance and Performance Budgeting, 15 Credits.
• Public Policy, 15 Credits.
• Development, 15 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 8, 60 Credits

• Monitoring Systems, 15 Credits.
• Evaluation, 15 Credits.
• Public Security, Justice and Rule of Law, 15 Credits.
• Social Security Financing, 15 Credits.
• Comparative Social Security Systems, 15 Credits.
• Foundations of Social Security and Protection, 30 Credits.
• Managing the Monitoring and Evaluation Practice, 30 Credits.

1. Demonstrate understanding of a comparative range of management frameworks and to evaluate their applicability to South African contexts.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of a broad range of conceptual and analytical fields within management.
3. Access, use and manage information.
4. Apply appropriate conceptual and analytical frameworks within different organisational management conditions.
5. Present a range of written, oral modes and genres appropriate to the audience.
6. Enhance leadership, problem-solving skills and expertise appropriate to complex and rapidly changing organisational environments.
7. Develop ethical and practical leadership skills, including abilities to exercise judgement within an environment of competing values.
8. Present exploration results of organisation work and suggest approaches to dealing with problems.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will assess the Exit Level Outcomes in an integrated manner

• Demonstrate an understanding of a comparative range of conceptual and analytical public management frameworks and the applicability to actual contexts.
• Show knowledge of conceptual and analytical fields within and connected with public management.
• Access, use and manage public management information.
• Demonstrate Relevance, applicability and precision in the choice of mechanisms for presenting information in a range of written and oral modes and genres appropriate to the public, development and not-for-profit sectors.
• Demonstrate insight into an understanding of the requirements for constructing leadership, problem-solving and expertise appropriate to complex and rapidly changing public sector organisational and public policy contexts.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the requirements for employing ethical and practical leadership skills, including abilities to exercise judgement within an environment of competing values.
• Present results of an exploration into how an organisation works and suggest approaches to dealing with problems faced by the public sector and related practitioners.
• Demonstrate originality and organisation in working alone or in teams.

Integrated Assessment

This qualification integrates learning and assessment. Continuous formative assessment is required to ensure that learners get feedback on their progress towards the achievement of specific learning outcomes. Summative assessment is concerned with the judgement of the learning regarding the exit-level results of the qualification. Integrated assessments assesses the learners' ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, competencies and attitudes that are represented by the Exit-Level Outcomes.

Learners will be required to write tests and examinations for each of the various courses completed throughout this qualification. Additionally, verbal and written assignments will be administered within the qualification to ascertain all skills have been tested accordingly within the qualification.