Organising and managing in local government

Course structure 

This five-day professional development course explores contemporary trends of public sector administration and is designed to strengthen the knowledge and managerial practice of local government professionals. The program blends theory and principles with case studies, discussion forums and workshop sessions.

The sessions will provide foundational theory plus a range of perspectives on the practice and challenges of managing in local government. This course provides local public administrators with knowledge, skills and values that can help them to practice in a way that integrates local public service and democratic values with public management.

Topics covered include:

• The language of public administration
• Perspectives on public administration through the decades
• Democracy and Management
• Forms of accountability in public administration
• Local government capacity and capacity-building.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course you will have:

• Examined the nature and mission of public organisations, managerial practice and models of leadership
• Outlined how public sector efficiency and effectiveness has been applied and how this has influenced practices of accountability and equity
• Described the tensions in the administrative/political relationship and the impact of this on managing the political and organisational context of local government.
• Integrated democratic values and citizenship into public organisations and how leaders take account of the public interest.
• Identified and assessed how the local government sector in Australia is embracing democratic practice and applying participatory governance approaches.

COVID-19 Information

UTS is undertaking a number of social distancing initiatives, as informed by NSW Health advice, to help reduce social interactions in support of the government’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. As part of this response, some of our short courses may be postponed to a later date.

Please note however, bookings are open for all courses offered by the Institute for Public Policy and Governance (IPPG). If a course needs to be postponed, participants will have the chance to transfer to a later date, a new course or request a full refund. IPPG will also be offering a range of online or blended learning options facilitated via zoom video conferencing. If you have any questions in the interim, please do not hesitate to contact our team at ippg.learning@uts.edu.au.