Be a part of the solution and change the way the government works from the inside. The 18-month Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management (PDPM) at the Wits School of Governance, will prepare you for professional and managerial leadership roles in the public, development, and not-for-profit sectors. It will also provide you with the knowledge and skills to act ethically and effectively. Enhance your decision-making capacity, learn about conceptual frameworks for public management, and engage critically with the governance debates taking place today.
The PDPM is a post-experience diploma that provides you with key competencies in public management: governance, development, public management, public policy, ethics, and leadership. It focuses on enhancing your problem-solving, information management, and people management expertise that is vital for public sector managers and practitioners who work closely with the public, development, and not-for-profit sectors.
Feedback during this programme is constant and aligns with the exit level outcomes, and incorporates group assessments and peer feedback. Upon completion of this programme, you may qualify for entry to a Wits Master’s degree that demands a public sector qualification as an entry requirement. Entry into the Wits School of Governance Masters programme requires a 65% average.
* Module pricing is subject to change in January of each year.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module deals with contemporary conceptions of state and society. It seeks to provide students with a thorough understanding of government functioning and administration, government relations with the private sector and civil society, and government interaction within local, national and regional contexts. It examines the public sector and the complex challenges surrounding public administration, as well as the impact of different models of governance and leadership on the distribution of economic and other resources and the creation of public value.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module introduces students to key concepts in public finance and public sector economics and then analyses public finance issues in the South African context. Key topics include the role of the state in the economy; public expenditure and its impact on economic growth; taxation; fiscal policy; key areas of social policy, including education, health, and social security; and intergovernmental fiscal relations.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module deals with managerial systems, strategies and cultures; organisational management; human resources management; performance monitoring; and organisational development and change. It focuses on how bureaucracies should be managed to ensure effective policy implementation and examines the research and analysis needed for making effective decisions in organisational settings. The module also covers the development and validation of operational plans for effective and efficient service delivery.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module deals with managerial systems, strategies and cultures; organisational management; human resources management; performance monitoring; and organisational development and change. It focuses on how bureaucracies should be managed to ensure effective policy implementation and examines the research and analysis needed for making effective decisions in organisational settings. The module also covers the development and validation of operational plans for effective and efficient service delivery.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module covers the analysis and interpretation of quantitative data relevant to public policy research and practice. Students make decisions and communicate findings based on statistical approaches that enable the interpretation of data.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module covers the various forms and approaches to evaluation. Looking at the application of evaluation in a range of public and development management contexts and includes detailed debates around evaluation theory and practice. Issues in evaluation regarding sub-Saharan Africa are explored.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module introduces the concepts of routine data monitoring, data management (particularly data quality), and data reporting. Following this foundation, the module presents a range of monitoring systems that are used in different contexts, particularly in the public sector and civil society. It then teaches candidates how to design and implement a monitoring system. The module is especially aimed at programme and policy professionals who are responsible for commissioning, managing, designing and implementing monitoring systems.
Total Fees: R7,620
Credit: 15
This module revolves around the use of evidence in public policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. It addresses crucial questions of the use of research in public policy, including what it means to use research evidence, what influences the use of research in the policymaking process and, most importantly, what methods are available to us to strengthen the link between research and public policy. Monitoring data play a crucial role in establishing a solid base on which to draw when looking for what is likely or not to work. The module provides students with a solid grounding in theoretical and conceptual debates around monitoring and evaluation and its use for public policy.
An academic year runs from January to December and fees are subject to annual increases each January. It is recommended that sponsored candidates obtain two quotations for each year of enrolment due to the annual increments and inform their employers or sponsors thereof. Self-funded students are required to pay their course fees upfront per intake.
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