Public Management
Public management deals with the management of public sector organizations. It includes institutions financed entirely through taxes and producing pure public goods (for example, the Department of National Defence), government-owned corporations competing in the commercial marketplace with special public service mandates (CBC and Canada Post), and government-funded and regulated non-profit institutions (for example, hospitals). Management of these institutions involves functions similar to those of private sector organizations, such as human resource and financial management, but the public sector context entails a number of crucial differences with private sector management, such as:
- the absence of profits as a performance measure
- ultimate accountability to voters and elected politicians
- less ability to use monetary incentives to motivate performance
- greater public visibility of internal operations, often referred to as management in a fishbowl
These contextual factors make public management particularly challenging, but the opportunity to be involved in decisions that affect all Canadians can make it particularly exciting and rewarding.
One obvious reason is in preparation for a career in public management, for example as a federal, provincial, or municipal politician or public servant. In addition, private sector firms, particularly in regulated sectors of the economy, deal with government on a daily basis, and a good knowledge of how government works is essential for private sector managers in the government relations area. Finally, knowledge of public management helps us all to fulfill our responsibilities as citizens in a democratic society.
Relevant courses include:
- MGTC42 Public Management
- MGTC45 The Changing World of Business-Government Relations
- MGTC55 Planning and Budgeting for Public Institutions
- MGTC56 Educational Finance and Economics
- MGTC59 Management Ethics
- ECMB35 Public Decision Making
- ECMB36 Economic Aspects of Public Policy
- ECMC31 Economics of the Public Sector: Taxation
- ECMC32 Economics of the Public Sector: Expenditures
Related Courses:
There are a number of related political science courses, including:
Award:
The Sandford Borins Scholarship in Public Management is awarded to the student in a specialist program in Management with the highest grade in MGTC42. The value of the award is approximately $800.
The news now is very good. Public services throughout Canada expect that approximately 40% of their current executives will retire by 2012, which will open up large numbers of middle-management and executive positions to new recruits.
The best Web site for finding out about careers in public management is that of the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (www.cappa.ca). The students’ page (www.cappa.ca/students.html) has links to articles about the hiring situation, a study of the federal government’s major recruiting programs, links to the federal and provincial public service commissions, and information about internships. The Ontario government’s internship program (www.internship.gov.on.ca/mbs/sdb/intern.nsf/) is of particular interest to UTSC graduates.
Strong career prospects in the public sector have led to the establishment of several new professional master’s programs in recent years. For example, as of fall 2007, the University of Toronto, York University, and Ryerson University will all be offering master’s programs. For a listing of all master’s programs and links to each, visit the master’s programs page of the CAPPA Web site (www.cappa.ca/masters.html).