Current issues in public management and social enterprise
On this page
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
Public organisations and social enterprises such as charities are going through increasingly rapid change. This course allows you to choose two current management topics and work with other students to capture current practice relevant to your own context. The course modularity is designed to provide you with choice, to facilitate collaboration and to assist you in tailoring it to your specialist field or employer requirements. The modules are likely to include such topics as partnership and multi-agency working, evidence-based management, stakeholder engagement and governance. Collaborative activities and tutoring will be provided online – facilitating support by specialist tutors and networking with other students addressing similar issues.
Course content
This course is designed for anyone who has an interest in researching and applying contemporary thinking and practice in the domain of public services (for example, hospitals, education institutions, armed forces) and social enterprises (for example, charities, NGOs, civil society organisations, not-for-profit companies). During the course, you will work with other students from different backgrounds to investigate two current topics in depth. This phase will involve online collaborative working and independent research. Much of the detailed subject content of the course will be generated by you and your fellow students as you build upon the introduction we provide. The two topics you choose will be drawn from a group of five that reflect contemporary management and policy issues. These topics will vary from presentation to presentation, but may include areas such as governance, stakeholder relationships, partnership working, social marketing, managing performance improvement and evidence-based management.
You will learn about: contemporary issues in management and policy and their applicability to your own context, the location of sources of current thinking and how to evaluate these opinions and online collaborative team working.
Vocational relevance
The course is particularly suitable for those following a career as a manager or practitioner in the international, national and local public and voluntary sectors, and the private agencies that work alongside these sectors.
Entry
If you are studying for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) you are strongly advised to study Shaping public policy: contexts and processes (B856) before this course. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Outside the UK
You will be exploring policy, cultures and procedures in a variety of settings and the topics you choose can be applied in a local, national or international context so making the course equally suitable for studying in the UK or elsewhere.
Preparatory work
If you have not studied Shaping public policy: contexts and processes (B856) you should obtain a copy of its set book – L. C. Budd, J. A. Charlesworth, and R. C. Paton, (2005) Making Policy Happen, Routledge, London, ISBN 0415397685.
Qualifications
B857 is a compulsory course in our
B857 is an optional course in our
- Postgraduate Certificate in Systems Thinking in Practice (C72)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Systems Thinking in Practice (E28)
- MSc in Systems Thinking in Practice (F47)
Some postgraduate qualifications allow study to be chosen from other subject areas. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Online course materials including study guide, computing guide, guide to the OU library, course website, and online forums. Some materials will also be available in hard copy.
Computing requirements
This course has online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
Your tutor will provide online tutorials and support to you and to your student group throughout the course. There will be 25 hours of tutorial support, made up of group tutorials, group work support and individual tuition. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Study support
Your tutor will provide online tutorials and support to you and to your student group throughout the course. There will be 25 hours of tutorial support, made up of group tutorials, group work support and individual tuition. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.
The end-of-course assessment takes the form of a formal research report.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in May 2009. We expect it to be available once a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
A postgraduate course in Business and Management and Health and Social Care.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Got a question?
Contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service
Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90
Browse the prospectus
Request a print prospectus
Share
This PageThe University wishes to emphasise that, while every effort is made to regularly update this site, the material on it is subject to alteration or amendment in the light of changes in regulations or in policy or of financial or other necessity.