PA-245: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
COURSE TITLE: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
COURSE CODE: PA - 245
SEMESTER: 4
PROGRAM: BS MANAGEMENT
CREDIT HOURS: 3
PREREQUISITES: A SCIENCE OF SOCIETY-I, II
Learning Outcomes
This course is designed to introduce students to the theory and practice of public administration
and public management. Students learn significant aspects of the transformation of the public
sector over time and across various countries. They learn about the foundations of public
administration and public sector ethics, probe historical and contemporary questions concerning
the field, and analyze practical and ethical challenges facing public administrators. It covers
essential elements of public administration, including public ethics and values, organizational
theory, human resource management, leadership, program evaluation, public budgeting, and
citizen participation. Students will be expected to demonstrate their understanding of the ideas
presented in the course and apply their knowledge to critically evaluate the decisions of public
administrators/managers and governmental actors from an ethical perspective. By the end of the
course, the students will be able to:
• Identify and comprehend the core concepts of public administration.
• Familiarize themselves with relevant concepts, debates, and discussions on private
and public sector organizations.
• Critically evaluate the ethical dimensions of administrative decisions and also
understand the role of public administrators in a contemporary society.
• Familiarize themselves with the different management functions of the government.
• Learn how public administration has evolved from its historical roots to contemporary
manifestations of ethically engaged and socially responsible citizens
• Understand the features and relevant issues related with the public sector
organizations in Pakistan from an analytical perspective.
• Develop critical thinking for understanding the structures and workings of the public
sector organizations in the context of Pakistan.
Contents
Unit 1. Course Introduction
1.1 What is Public Administration?
1.2 Managerial, Political and Legal approaches to Public Administration
1.3 What Do Public Administrators Do?
1.4 Why Study Public Administration?
1.5 Issues in Public Administration Theory and Practice?
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Unit II. The Political and Administrative Context of Public Administration
2.1 Administrative Organizations and Executive Leadership
2.2 Relationships with the Legislative Body
2.3 The Policy Process
2.4 Types of Policy
2.5 Legislative Supervision: Structural Controls
2.6 Relationship with the Judiciary
Unit III. Planning, Implementation & Evaluation
3.1 Planning
3.2 Steps in Planning
3.3 The Logic of Policy Analysis
3.4 Steps in Policy Analysis
3.5 Implementation
3.6 Evaluation
Unit IV. Budgeting & Financial Management
4.1 The Budget as an Instrument of Fiscal Policy
4.2 The Budget as an Instrument of Public Policy
4.3 The Budget as a Managerial Tool
4.4 Approaches to Public Budgeting
4.5 Aspects of Financial Management
4.6 Accounting and Related Information Systems
Unit V. Management of Human Resources in the Public Sector
5.1 Merit Systems in Public Employment
5.2 Hiring, Firing, and Things in Between
5.3 The Changing Character of Labor-Management Relations
Unit VI. The Ethics of Public Service
6.1 Approaches to Ethical Deliberation
6.2 Issues of Administrative Responsibility
6.3 Ethical Problems for the Individual
6.4 Managing Ethics
Unit VII. Designing and Managing Organizations
7.1 The Organizational Context
7.2 Images of Organizing in the Public and Non-profit Sectors
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7.3 The Functions of Management
7.4 Recognizing Human Behavior
7.5 The Organizations and its Environment
7.6 Organizational Culture, Organizational Learning, and Strategic Management
7.8 Post Modern Narratives on Management
Unit VIII. Leadership and Management Skills in Public Organizations
8.1 Leadership and Power
8.2 Communication
8.3 Delegation and Motivation
8.4 Group Dynamics
Unit IX. Administrative Reform, Productivity & Performance
9.1 New Public Management, Reinvention, the Management Agenda and Non-
profit Reform
9.2 Information and Communication Technologies
9.3 Performance Measurement
Unit X. Opportunities for the future: Globalization, Democracy and the New Public
Service
10.1 The Importance of Public Service
10.2 Trends in Public Service
10.3 Globalization
10.4 Ethics and the Imperatives of Good Governance
Textbooks and Suggested Readings*
• Denhardt, R.B., Denhardt, J.V., & Blanc, T.A. (2013), Public Administration: An Action
Orientation by. 7th edition. Cengage Learning.
• Rosenbloom, D. H., Kravchuk, R. S., & Clerkin, R. M. (2022). Public Administration:
Understanding Management, Politics, and Law in the Public Sector (9th Edi.). Routledge.
• Government and Administration in Pakistan edited by Jameelur Rehman Khan:
Published by Peace Publications, 2017
* The contents and suggested readings may include but are not limited to the above-mentioned
list. The instructors may add/change suggested contents and relevant books & research articles
to the course outline to effectively achieve the learning objectives of the course while keeping
the students abreast of the latest research and trends in the field.
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