Uganda Management Institute Masters in Public Administration MPA Course

INTRODUCTION:

This programme is designed to enhance the skills of accomplished senior officials, who hold key positions within their organizations and those aspiring to have a specialized career in public administration. The curriculum provides a broad range of analytical and conceptual skills in critical areas needed for managing in a changing global environment. The programme curriculum uniquely gives skills in managing the critical human, financial and material resources of public sector organizations. The Master in Public

Administration degree shall consist of three semesters of coursework along with the completion of a dissertation or a seminal paper publishable in an international journal.

The taught component is made up of 13 core courses and any 2 specializations obtained from a range of choices in different sectors of the public arena. In addition to the taught curriculum, students complete a dissertation or a seminar paper relating to their specific selected field of specialization but using skills and knowledge obtained from taught courses. The dissertation or seminal paper is written up as part of the second year of the degreeprogramme and specific guidelines will be provided to the students.

PROGRAMME GOAL:

The goal of the programme will be to train and develop participants with a thorough knowledge of the legal, ethical, institutional, economic, technological and political environments of public administration in a changing environment. Participants, who undertake this programme will be equipped with theoretical and practical skills in administrative functions of local and central governmental agencies and will gain special expertise in the theoretical foundations of public Administration, effective public service management, administrative law and ethics, public policy making, strategic planning, advanced management techniques, program design, monitoring and implementation and results-based leadership that emphasize efficiency and effectiveness .

Specifically, the Master of Public Administration aims at producing a skilled administrator who:

@Demonstrates awareness and knowledge of the political context of working in the public service,

@Understands and appreciates the theoretical foundations of public administration,

@Displays practical knowledge of all facets of public sector work,

@Exhibits technical competence, and conducts oneself ethically, recognizing the broad responsibility toward serving the public interest in contrast to a more narrowly defined self-interest.

By the end of the programme, participants for this programme will be able to:

@Effectively manage the human, financial and material resources of public sector as well as other organizations.

@Apply the best public administration skills and best practices in delivery public services.

@Mobilize resources for public, private and NGO sector programmes and conduct effective evaluation of these programmes.

JUSTIFICATION:

Improving the performance of Uganda’s public service for efficient and effective service delivery continues to be a priority agenda for the government. Since the 1980s various policy initiatives have been undertaken by government, including decentralization (services and authority), creation of oversight institutions, public sector reform programme, etc. At the ministerial and departmental levels, a number of performance measures have been put in place to improve service delivery. However, the efficiency and effectiveness of these interventions have been seriously questioned from a number of fronts. Among the culprit factors include the skills and competencies of the human resources who manage different public service delivery systems. These challenges have been elaborately presented in the recently formulated National Development Plan (2010).

The MPA degree is designed to provide the participants with an understanding and knowledge of government management in an environment of global dynamics and demands of accountability from a number of internal and external stakeholders. As a professional program, emphasis is placed upon learning those administrative concepts, processes, and techniques that are associated with managing the public’s business in an efficient and effective manner putting the citizens who benefit from government services at the forefront. Designed with the learner’s expectations at the forefront, the programme is essential to prepare public administration students who blend the theoretical concepts with practical dimensions of administration and encourages a broadened academic and professional perspective.

PROGRAMME CURRICULUM:

The MPA programme taught component will have the following core and specialization modules offered within three semesters and Dissertation or Semester paper in the third semester:

MODE OF STUDY: Weekends: (Saturday & Sunday) 8.30 a.m. – 4.00 p.m.

COURSE CODE: HDD: 601-3