| CODE | PPL3181 | ||||||
| TITLE | Decision-Making | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Public Policy | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Decision-making is certainly the essential purpose of politics, and constitutes perhaps the most important element of public policy. Studies of decision-making seek answers to three vital questions: Who takes decisions? How are decisions taken? What motivates decision-makers? PPL 3181 examines selected models and techniques of decision-making in public affairs, considers leading policy issues, and introduces the notion of leadership. This set of lectures, tutorials and course work examines first the most important models of decision-making, before placing these in a political and institutional context. Our most important goal is that of understanding how policies are conceived (agenda setting), formulated (policy analysis, policy-making) and acted upon (implementation, evaluation). Decision-making is central to each of these elements of policy-making. We will introduce the case study method, which is useful to analyse decision-making and policy-making. We will also make use of biographical literature to examine the figure of the decision-maker. Reading List: The following books will provide the core readings about decision-making and policy-making for this unit: Colebatch, H K. 2002 (Second Edition). Policy. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-20971-8. Hill, M. 2005 (Fourth Edition). The Public Policy Process. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education. ISBN 0-582-89402-6. The following books provide core readings about policy-making in Malta as well as about public officers in policy-making and the figure (or figures) of key decision-makers: Gauci, V J. 2005. The Genesis of Malta’s Foreign Policy. Malta: Agenda. ISBN 99932-672-0-1. Mizzi, E. 1995. Malta in the Making, 1962-1987: An Eye-witness Account. Malta: Author’s copyright. ISBN 99909-68-01-2. The following books will provide the core readings about decision-making and policy-making for this unit: Colebatch, H K. 2002 (Second Edition). Policy. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. ISBN 0-335-20971-8. Hill, M. 2005 (Fourth Edition). The Public Policy Process. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education. ISBN 0-582-89402-6. The following books provide core readings about policy-making in Malta as well as about public officers in policy-making and the figure (or figures) of key decision-makers: Gauci, V J. 2005. The Genesis of Malta’s Foreign Policy. Malta: Agenda. ISBN 99932-672-0-1. Mizzi, E. 1995. Malta in the Making, 1962-1987: An Eye-witness Account. Malta: Author’s copyright. ISBN 99909-68-01-2. The following books provide useful supplementary reading: Dye, Thomas R. 2005. Understanding Public Policy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-117452-5. Hill, Michael (ed). 1997. The Policy Process: A Reader. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education. ISBN 0-13-616947-3. Three websites provide access to a wide variety of studies about policy-making, as well as official documents embodying policy proposals or reviews: www.policyhub.gov.uk www1.oecd.org/puma/links www.gov.mt |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Seminar and Tutorial | ||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Etienne Borg Cardona |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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