COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

The field of public management has undergone a series of substantial changes within the last few decades. This seminar is designed to introduce you to the most current theories in public management while also maintaining a grasp on the literature in which it is grounded.

You will review a selection of influential literature and themes in each of several core areas of public administration, which will be complimented by case studies from Macedonia and a range of other countries. A major goal of the seminar is to provide you with the techniques and methods needed to prepare a case study on an issue pertinent to the administrative interests of Macedonia and other Balkan countries. All students will be expected to actively contribute to the class discussions.

This core course is a graduate-level introduction to methods of public policy analysis and the political contexts in which they are used. The course provides knowledge and skills that enable students to: (1) Conduct Policy Analysis: Students will achieve basic competencies in applying basic methods of policy analysis to real-world problems. (2) Understand the Political Context of Policy Analysis: Although economic efficiency is an important aspect of policy analysis, an understanding of the politics of policy making is essential. Politics govern the exercise of authority, power, and privilege to determine who gets what, when, and how. (3) Prepare Policy Documents: Competent analysis requires skills in developing well-organized, clear, and understandable policy documents, including policy memoranda and policy issue papers. (4) Plan and Present Policy Arguments and Briefings. Competent analysis also requires skills in developing policy arguments, planning oral briefings, and presenting them to diverse policy audiences. The final requirement of the course is a policy issue paper and oral briefing addressing a real-world problem facing Macedonia.

The purpose of the course Microeconomics for Public Affairs is to equip public policy professionals with the tools and ability to evaluate the economics of complex microeconomic scenarios. It goes beyond decision making by firms and households and presents microeconomic tools of analysis useful to policy makers and implementers, such as discounting externalities, project ranking criteria, efficient pricing, cost benefit analysis, and welfare analysis. Real world cases and projects from Macedonia and the United States are analyzed in detail using the tools presented in the course.

Quantitative Methods I, is a graduate-level introductory statistics course offered through the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. The course does not teach rote memorization or disconnected statistical concepts. Rather, we apply statistical methods, such as basic descriptive statistics, basic probability theory, hypothesis testing, and linear regression to policy-relevant issues.

Using innovative technology, the course is offered through a combination of “real-time” distance education, as well as, face-to-face interaction. Use of CourseWeb, an on-line course instruction management system, allows the students to access course information and additional instructional materials outside of regularly scheduled class hours.

It is no longer the case that analysts “manually” compute regression estimates. Statistical packages such, as Excel (Data Analysis ToolPak), SAS, Minitab, and SPSS compute more complicated statistical analyses, as well as basic descriptive statistics. Through lectures, in-class exercises, and the use of the statistical package SPSS we will develop many of the skills necessary for analyzing policy-relevant information. We will also gain an understanding of the statistical techniques that can be used to strengthen the policy-making process and frame the decisions that shape our world.

This course provides a broad overview of the importance and use of information and information technology in government organizations. The focus of the course is to provide a basic understanding of the concepts, terminology, and application of information technology while at the same time providing practical, hands-on use of computer systems. This includes discussions and hand-on use of online resource and databases, database management systems, geographic information systems, and decision support systems.

This course provides knowledge, skills, and experience in designing and carrying out public program evaluations. Methods of program evaluation covered in the course include quasi-experimental design and analysis, interrupted time-series analysis, narrative analysis, benefit-cost analysis, evaluability assessment, and other qualitative and qualitative methods. The final course requirement is a design—that is, a plan, framework, and model—that can actually be used to evaluate a real-world problem facing Macedonia.

This course introduces students to the basic financial management concepts and practices in the public sector. The purpose of this course is to familiarize administrators with these elements in financial management and how these various elements are, or can be, used to facilitate the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives. Accounting principles are used.

This course examines the economic, political, social, cultural, and legal factors that affect the development and implementation of strategies for decentralizing local government functions. An examination of the successes and failures of decentralization in various countries and settings provides a comparative basis for assessing opportunities and problems of local government reform in Macedonia. Strategic management consists of a set of tools to help decision makers systematically assess the threats and opportunities in their strategic environment and develop appropriate organizational responses. This course will help you to understand and apply the methods of strategic planning and management in government and nonprofit organizations. At the end of this course, you should be able to: (1) Understand the rationale, logic, and tools of strategic planning as a normative model of decision making; (2) Develop mission statements for organizations that convey long term visions but also are useful in day-to-day decision making; (3) Systematically diagnose the external environment of any organization to uncover emerging threats and opportunities; (4) Accurately assess the organization’s internal environment in order to document its core competencies, its weaknesses, and its comparative advantages; (5) Know when and how to implement organizational strategies of growth, retrenchment, stabilization, and collaboration; (6) Use various methods of strategy evaluation and control, especially the Balanced Scorecard technique; and, (7) Understand the limitations of strategic planning as well as its strengths. The course addresses strategic issues that typically confront managers who have substantial responsibility for organizational missions, objectives, and strategies.

Macedonia.

An examination of the various legal, political, cultural, and economic conditions that affect prospects for attaining EU accession. The course examines alternative strategies for maximizing the likelihood of EU accession and the implications and consequences for Macedonia of common policies in areas of economic development, technical assistance, education, finance, welfare, agriculture, and military security.

An inter-disciplinary, problem-focused seminar that integrates and applies to real-world problems facing Macedonia knowledge, skills, and experiences acquired by completing coursework required for the MPPM and CPPM programs: The final requirement is a management report, policy analysis, program evaluation, or policy issue paper prepared for an actual client in an agency or ministry of the Government of Macedonia.