Governance Models Applied

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Classes combine theoretical exposition with guided discussion, encouraging critical analysis of key public governance models. Teaching includes structured presentations, examination of real cases and comparative debate of public and private governance approaches, fostering active student participation and the application of concepts to administrative modernisation and current governance challenges.

Learning Outcomes

The course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the key concepts, models and approaches that shape contemporary governance in the public sector. Students are expected to become familiar with and compare different national and international governance models, recognising their implications for administrative modernisation and for the organisation and functioning of public institutions. The course also seeks to distinguish the specificities of public and private governance, identify the actors, levels and dynamics of multilevel governance, and critically analyse current challenges related to governmental capacity, coordination, accountability and the quality of public policies.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Introduction to governance models and the historical evolution of the concept in the public sector. Public vs. private governance: principles, rationales and organisational implications. Main public governance models: Weberian bureaucracy, New Public Management, Neo-Weberian State, New Public Service, Public Value Management, Governance and New Public Governance. Private governance models: technocratic, financial, pluralist and ombudsman perspectives. Critical comparison of governance models: assumptions, instruments, coordination capacity and impact on administrative modernisation. Coordination mechanisms in public service delivery: hierarchies, markets and networks, and their role across different institutional contexts. Contemporary trends: collaboration, multilevel governance, public-sector innovation and the coexistence of multiple models in complex environments.

Head Lecturer(s)

Maria do Céu Colaço Santos

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Attendance: 5.0%
Synthesis work: 10.0%
Research work: 35.0%
Frequency: 50.0%

Bibliography

Base Rodrigues, C. (2011). Governação de Organizações Públicas em Portugal. Pedago. Torfing, J., Andersen, L. B., Greve, C., & Klausen, K. K. (2020). Public Governance Paradigms: Competing and Co-existing. Edward Elgar. Recomendada Agranoff, R., & Kolpakov, A. (2023). The Politics of Collaborative Public Management. Routledge. Benz, A. (2021). Policy Change and Innovation in Multilevel Governance. Edward Elgar. Bryson, J. M., Crosby, B. C., & Bloomberg, L. (2015). Creating Public Value in Practice. Taylor & Francis. Pierre, J., & Peters, B. G. (2020). Governance, Politics and the State. Red Globe Press. Pollitt, C., & Bouckaert, G. (2017). Public Management Reform. Oxford University Press.