POLITICS 704 : Political Management in Government

Arts

2023 Semester Two (1235) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Explores how politicians and their staff use management tools to help them achieve their goals within the constraints and challenges of the governing environment. It explores the nature of government, and the potential and limitations of branding, PR, market research, public engagement, strategy, government advertising, crisis management, media management and delivery management within the political environment.

Course Overview

Political Management in Government is a future-focused course as it seeks to prepare students for working in government. Students take on the role of a political manager within a Prime Minister’s Office (Strategy Director, Branding Director, Delivery Manager, Director of Communications or Crisis Manager). They learn about the nature of working in government, being a political advisor and workplace writing as well as political marketing and management strategies and tools.  

2-hour seminars are used to discuss, present and debate initial ideas in class, with student-led discussion, small groups discussion and presentations. For the assignments, students will firstly review academic research and international practice relevant to their role to identify best practice. Building on this understanding, they will then assess the use of political management by political leaders and create applied recommendations for future action.

Building on the graduate profile, the course uses a future focused teaching philosophy which is dedicated to developing students’ future capabilities and vision of who they may become, whether a practitioner or researcher. This is driven by research that conveys the realities of politics through interviews with political practitioners and awareness of emerging emphasis on employability. 

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Master of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Political skills understanding of current issues through discussing current political situations and behaviour (Capability 1.1 and 1.2)
  2. Policy skills understands context, applies objective reasoning, well-reasoned advice through writing the advisory report (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.3, 3.1 and 3.2)
  3. Advisory skills such as impartial neutral analysis and producing high quality reports by evaluating contemporary political behaviour using academic theory rather than personal opinion in the advisory reports (Capability 2.2, 2.3, 3.1 and 3.2)
  4. Analytical skills can project future issues/scenarios through discussions and case study/report assignments (Capability 2.1 and 2.3)
  5. Communication skills can deliver brief and concise presentations (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
  6. Interpersonal skills peer learning through small group work in seminars (Capability 4.3)
  7. Writing skills report writing (Capability 4.2)
  8. •Professional workplace attributes such as reliability, adaptability, able to work independently, respond well to feedback, and agility; through the courses stricter policies; new style assignments through the advisory reports, and learning cross-disciplinary theories and analysis (Capability 5.1 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Report 30% Individual Coursework
Report 30% Individual Coursework
Report 30% Individual Coursework
Participation 10% Individual Coursework

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.


Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely.

Attendance is expected and graded at a live interactive seminar which involves students being engaged in small groups and giving group presentations.

There are no lectures, or lecture recordings. Instead, seminars are a safe space for students to exchange ideas with each other and the convenor. 

As well as the participation at the seminars, 90% of the mark is written assignments completed in the students own time but submitted by a deadline. 

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

In response to student feedback the organisation of the canvas course will be restructured to be organised on a weekly basis.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 18/10/2022 09:25 a.m.