MSLV4400 Strategy in the Public Sector Course description

Comprehensive thinking, collaboration and implementation ability are important in the public sector. For several decades, the public sector has attempted to become more 'strategic' than before and the strategy concept is currently used by many public institutions in different contexts. This course studies what strategy is and how strategic thinking, management and leadership can be used in the public sector. The course examines different definitions of strategy and various related traditions and tools, and studies how this can elucidate strategic management and leadership in the public sector. The course also examines how policy and the public sphere influence strategic management and leadership. Through studies of basic problems relating to strategy and the characteristics of the public sector, as well as practical skills training in the use of strategy tools such as internal and external analysis, competitive analysis, value chain analysis and stakeholder analysis, the course defines grounds for using strategic management and leadership in planning, cooperation, reorganisation and renewal in the public sector.

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Knowledge

The student

• has advanced knowledge of strategic management and leadership and specialised insight into strategic management and leadership in the public sector

• is capable of using knowledge of strategic management and leadership in new areas of the public sector

• is capable of analysing relevant issues on the basis of strategic management¿s history, traditions, distinctive nature and place in society

Skills

The student is capable of

• analysing existing theories, methods and interpretations relating to strategy and working independently on practical and theoretical problems of relevance to the public sector

• analysing and taking a critical approach to different sources of information and using them to structure and formulate arguments in the field of strategic management in the public sector

Competence

The student is capable of

• carrying out an independent, limited research or development project under supervision and in accordance with applicable research ethical standards

The teaching is session-based in the form of lectures, student presentations, discussions, group work, seminars and excursion(s). Students will write assignments between the sessions. A high degree of independent activity is expected. The teaching will be problem-based using examples and cases from the students' practical experiences. The lectures may be given in English if there are participants who do not master the Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, Swedish)

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The students are to write a 10-15 pages course paper, in groups of two-three students, which will be used for the formal assessment. The students will be able to submit a draft paper for comments within a given date.

All aids are permitted for the exam provided that norms for citations are followed.

A grade scale with grades from A to E for pass and F for fail is used.

All answer papers are assessed by an internal examiner. External examiners are used in cases of doubt about whether a pass grade should be awarded and for spot check assessments of approx. 25% of the answer papers. The grades awarded for the answer papers assessed together with an external sensor form the basis for determining the level for awarding the different grades. The internal examiner shall take the external examiner's assessment into consideration in the grading of all the exams.