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This module examines contemporary approaches to public management in a rapidly changing global environment. Drawing on theories from organisational and management studies, sociology, public administration, politics, students will develop a critical understanding of public sector organisations and the unique challenges they face in delivering public value.
Public sector management has undergone significant transformation in recent decades, with traditional bureaucratic approaches giving way to new models influenced by increased global competition, technological disruption, and evolving societal expectations. This module provides students with theoretical foundations and practical frameworks to navigate the complex interface between politics, public administration, and service delivery across diverse contexts. In this regard ethical matters and concerns are acknowledged as key elements of public sector organizations.

This module is designed in recognition of the urgent need to strengthen public service capabilities. Recent public inquiries in the UK have revealed significant challenges in government capability. The module aims to contribute to rebuilding public service skills by fostering critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and an ethos centred on public value creation and ethical service delivery.
The module emphasises the distinctive nature of public sector management, challenging the assumption that management skills are entirely generic and transferable between public and private sectors. While acknowledging overlapping capabilities, the module explores how public management operates in a distinct democratic and institutional context that requires specific considerations beyond generic management skills.

Public services face unprecedented challenges, from rising demand, chronic underinvestment, declining public trust and global challenges like climate change and economic uncertainty. The ability of our public services to cope with these challenges and other demands of tomorrow will be determined by policy and managerial decisions made today. This module will prepare students future leaders and innovators in government, public sector and non-profit organisations.

Across the UK and internationally, policymakers and practitioners are developing pathbreaking new policies, ideas and ways of working to make public services fit for the future. This module will expose students to the cutting-edge of public service innovation, undertaking a collaborative and theory-based exploration of leading innovations in human-centred and relational public services, place-based and whole-system working, strategic transitions to sustainability and wellbeing, digital transformation and responsible AI.

Students will develop a grounded understanding of contemporary public service innovation, understand conceptual differences to prior eras of reform such as the New Public Management, and will specialise in an area of practice closely related to their role in an experiential and applied research project with partner organisations.

This is a 30-credit workshop capstone running at the end of year 2 of the programme. The two-day workshop will cover four main areas of learning: philosophies of knowledge, common qualitative methodologies for business, qualitative methods, and qualitative research ethics.
The first day will be split into two parts. This first part will extensively cover debates surrounding what is ‘science’ and the philosophies of knowledge underpinning different kinds of qualitative inquiry. The second part will include an in-depth discussion of three key qualitative methodologies - case study, grounded theory, and phenomenology – to examine the philosophical underpinnings, research aims/capacities, and the means of implementing each in research.

The second day will start with experiential learning whereby students will be introduced and then practice engaging with different qualitative methods in groups. Following which, students will discuss what it was like and what they learned among different approaches. The workshop will end with a discussion around issues of researcher positionality and ethics in qualitative research. Over the two-days, you will consider the applications of qualitative approaches for your own research with organizations and in the field/discipline.

In this module, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of policy and governance procedures as well as a historical comprehension of developments in terms of local government and devolution. You will explore how environmental challenges, social responsibility, and ethical decision-making intersect with strategic governance issues and public policy, all underpinned by the core themes of public management, state control, neo-liberalism, the third way and austerity. Key topics include the evolution the public sector and in relation to wider national and international political dynamics.

You will learn to critically analyse the impact of political and societal shifts on the public sector and how these factors shape policy-making, governance and ethical considerations. The module also equips you with the skills to understand governance frameworks that balance profit, public interest, and social value, ensuring diverse stakeholder voices are heard. Through case studies, interactive exercises, and group projects, you will develop practical strategies for effective stakeholder engagement and communication, embedding ethical practices in decision-making across sectors.

This module is focused on place-based policies which are government approaches to support local economic development and regeneration in particular places. They are distinct from traditional regional policy in that they are multi-disciplinary, drawing on the support of various government agencies across policy domains, focused on partnership working, and acknowledging that different places require different policy mixes. You will therefore gain an understanding of how different public sector bodies can come together to design and deliver appropriate policies to meet the specific needs of places. You will explore the complex nature of policy challenges in cities and regions, the development of alternative solutions over time, and the recent emergence of place-based policy as a tool for policy integration. Key topics include regional economic development, urban regeneration, partnership working, and policy innovation. The module will examine typologies of policy and how they combine in different policy mixes, but will also examine the leadership roles of different organisations including public agencies and universities.

The module will introduce you to case studies drawn from cities and regions in the UK and beyond, with a practical understanding of how local partnerships have identified challenges and developed solutions. You will work together in group projects to understand the role of different stakeholder groups including the public sector, universities, civic society and business.