MGX9330 - Privatisation

Leader: Professor Graeme Hodge

Offered

Not offered in 2007

Synopsis

This unit traces the development, evolution, reform and privatisation of public enterprise. The unit takes several different perspectives, including those of history, economics, sociology and politics as well as the consumer perspective, and contributions from each are noted. The challenge of the unit for students is in achieving greater awareness of some of the fundamental drivers of privatisation, appreciating the more useful theoretical frameworks for assessing privatisation performance, and gaining a better understanding of privatisation as a key plank of public policy and public administration reform in the 1990s.

Objectives

The learning goals associated with this unit are to:

• identify and explain the development of the use of privatisation and contracting in the public sector
• identify and explain the various models of privatisation and contracting that are in use including public private partnerships and private finance initiatives
• discuss and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of privatisation models in terms of public accountability and governance
• examine and develop understanding of the range of strategic management, implementation, and public accountability issues that are involved in privatisation, tendering and contracting
• explain how these strategic management, implementation and public accountability issues may be best managed.

Assessment

Individual assignment (3000 words): 30%
Group assignment (3500 words): 40%
Individual presentation (2500 words): 30%

Contact hours

3-hour class per week