2018ExecutiveMaster of PublicAdministrationDeveloping the next generation of public sector leaders

About ANZSOG

The Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) is recognised globally as a leading provider of executive-level education for the public sector. ANZSOG was created by government for government, with the active collaboration of its partner universities.

ANZSOG delivers: ▶ Postgraduate education incorporating the core

disciplines that inform effective public administration.

▶ Executive education led by distinguished academics from the world’s leading education providers and senior officials from among ANZSOG’s ten member governments.

▶ Safe places for high performing senior practitioners to discuss and draw practical learnings from theory, research and case studies, to inform policy debates and service delivery reform.

▶ Supportive environments for senior practitioners across Australia and New Zealand to learn from one another and build lasting professional networks, benefiting governments, communities and citizens.

At the core of ANZSOG’s ethos is a deep and genuine commitment to good public administration, reflecting the aspirations of and our close relationship to our government owners.

Member governments

The ANZSOG Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) equips senior managers with the leadership and policy skills needed in today’s public sector.

The EMPA has been designed in collaboration with member governments and accredited by many of the leading universities in Australia and New Zealand with the aim of producing world-class public sector managers.

The EMPA:

▶ is a two-year postgraduate qualification combining intensive residential blocks with core and elective modules

▶ has a multi-disciplinary curriculum integrating theory and practice with real-world application

▶ is taught by leading local and international academics, with practitioners drawn from the senior ranks of a wide range of portfolios across the public, not-for-profit and private sectors

▶ facilitates the creation of networks of practitioners and peers for lifelong learning and support

▶ develops world-class leaders and public sector capability

▶ is accredited and awarded by ANZSOG’s university partners

Executive Master of Public Administration

EMPA students are exposed to the best in contemporary thinking about public administration as taught by internationally renowned academics and practitioners. Graduates have a strong understanding of management, service delivery and policy analysis across the spectrum of public sector activities.

Students examine and discuss the central concepts relating to public administration, public management and public policy. ANZSOG is able to provide dynamic and engaging learning environments, where the emphasis is on ‘live’ issues confronting government, within sound conceptual frameworks.

EMPA graduates emerge from their ANZSOG experience as confident, critical thinkers able to engage in informed debate on public sector issues and the complex challenges they face.

DSS, like many others, is undergoing major reform. For us, that reform is focusing on improving the lifetime wellbeing of Australians. Having EMPA graduates in executive level roles in our department brings fresh approaches, tools and thinking to help improve our policies and programs. Our EMPA graduates have developed strong networks across agencies and jurisdictions to draw upon to help solve problems facing our department.

Collaboration and peer learning are fundamental aspects of the EMPA and key to the value graduates provide back to their agencies and the wider public sector.

The EMPA is the leading program for experienced senior managers with the potential to become leaders in the public sector.

Mr Finn Pratt AO – Secretary Department of Social Services

Creating future leadersGraduates of the program find that they are better equipped to manage complex accountabilities and the shifting priorities of government against a backdrop of tight finances, a probing media, well-organised interest groups and, in many cases, entrenched organisational cultures.

The EMPA produces graduates who:

▶ are prepared for and committed to excelling in a public sector career

▶ have a comprehensive understanding of the public sector environment

▶ consider how to create public value within constraints imposed by the authorising environment and operational capabilities

▶ have a deep understanding of policy design, economics and the law, and how they affect the work of the public sector

▶ can draw on a theoretical base, practical frameworks and other resources in their day-to-day work

▶ take a strategic approach to the challenges of an evolving public sector

▶ have the skills to deliver better outcomes for stakeholders and citizens

▶ have established lasting, supportive connections with peers across departments and jurisdictions.

Why the EMPA?

Course structureThe EMPA is a two-year postgraduate qualification undertaken by high performing public sector managers.

Participants are required to complete:

▶ a core curriculum of eight subjects, including an applied research project

▶ a course in public sector financial management ▶ two other electives chosen from subjects offered by

partner universities.

DeliveryThis Masters degree is taught face-to-face in university campuses across Australia and New Zealand. The core subjects are taught in a residential setting, allowing participants to focus on their learning away from the office. This environment also fosters authentic peer-to-peer engagement.

MethodsStudents experience a range of teaching methods including:

▶ interactive case teaching ▶ structured group learning ▶ experiential learning ▶ self-reflection exercises.

The curriculum is multi-disciplinary and application oriented, emphasising technique, experience, judgement and values.

It is increasingly important for today’s public sector managers to adopt a global perspective and increase their international engagement. EMPA students have the choice to travel to Singapore to undertake a core unit with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and senior practitioners from the Singapore goverment.

Led by EMPA Academic Director, Professor Michael Mintrom, this unit will be an ‘immersive’ experience, with students engaged in case work within the Singaporean civil service. EMPA students will also benefit from working with their overseas counterparts and being exposed to the approaches other countries are adopting to similar issues in public management and policy.

The program

I believe the EMPA was instrumental in opening up opportunities I would never have considered. The learnings enhanced my ability to help shape and influence the direction of change, both within my organisation and in public policy and administration more broadly.Teena Blewitt First Assistant Secretary, Commonwealth Department of Finance

Curriculum

The EMPA curriculum has been developed in consultation with senior government officials from across Australia and New Zealand. These subjects have been designed to support a practical and effective approach to public sector delivery, with the aim of producing world-class public sector leaders.

Core subjectsDelivering Public Value

Core principles of public sector management are explored. Students consider the value their organisation creates, the impact of their authorising environment on operations and the capabilities involved in delivering value to stakeholders.

Outcomes: ▶ appreciation of the kinds of value that public sector

organisations provide to citizens and clients ▶ awareness of the various forms of operational

capability, and how they can be mobilised ▶ ability to recognise problems from symptoms,

identify opportunities for action and manage risks.

Managing Public Sector Organisations

This subject focuses on the internal and external organisational factors that influence the successful management of public sector organisations. It examines the distinction between routine problems and crises or ‘wicked problems’. Students explore techniques that enhance efficacy, system-thinking and contextual awareness in public sector managers.

Outcomes: ▶ ability to effectively design and structure team work

and broader operational capabilities ▶ strengthened communication and negotiation skills

to align everyday practices with organisational objectives

▶ ability to ensure that organisational practices are fit for purpose and adaptive.

Government in a Market Economy

Students examine key economic principles and their application to public sector activities – to support decisions in allocating scarce resources, pricing and delivering goods and services. This subject explores how government intervention, through both private sector regulation and the public provision of services, can be used to achieve the best outcomes for citizens.

Outcomes: ▶ appreciation of how market forces operate and how

government policies influence these forces ▶ understanding of the economic toolkit used to

assess decisions concerning the delivery and pricing of public services

▶ ability to apply the principles of cost–benefit analysis to public sector projects.

Designing Public Policies and Programs

This subject offers a framework for considering government responses to contemporary public problems. Students are encouraged to think analytically about problems, identify alternative ways of tackling them, and assess the likely results of changes in current policies and programs. Emphasis is given to the role of effective teamwork and clear communication in any well-functioning advisory system.

Outcomes: ▶ ability to design policies and programs that can

yield ongoing public benefit ▶ understanding of how to inform politicians,

stakeholders and citizens regarding necessary government actions

▶ knowledge of how to establish high-performing policy project teams.

Decision-making Under Uncertainty

Informed decision-making requires a critical appraisal of the available evidence. Students learn to dissect evidence to assess its quality and usefulness. Quantitative and qualitative sources of evidence and practical frameworks are analysed to determine how they can support informed action.

Outcomes: ▶ ability to accurately use, interpret and draw

inferences from evidence ▶ awareness of the strengths, weaknesses and

suitability of various methods for gathering evidence ▶ understanding of how the policy system and

organisational context affects the use of evidence and analysis.

Governing by the Rules

The development and implementation of public policy requires an understanding of the applicable elements of law, convention, practice and ethics. This subject develops the capacity of public managers to operate effectively and appropriately within a democracy governed by the rule of law.

Outcomes: ▶ appreciation of the nature, form, complexity and

limits to rules as a tool of government ▶ understanding of the interrelationships between legal

rules, administrative processes and policy outcomes ▶ consideration of the role, uses and control of both

discretion and regulation.

Leading Public Sector Change

This subject examines the role of leadership in assisting communities and organisations to deal with change. Contending perspectives on the complex nexus between leadership and change are used to examine the styles of leaders, the dynamics of leader–follower relations, and their implications for stability and change in the public sector.

Outcomes: ▶ understanding of the institutional, contextual and

interpersonal factors that shape the behaviour of political and public service leaders

▶ improved ability to diagnose, instigate or adapt to policy and organisational change

▶ ability to discern, reflect upon and cope with the ethical dimensions of exercising leadership.

Work-based Project

The capstone of the EMPA, this subject involves the practical application of the skills and knowledge gained throughout the degree. Designed to replicate specific aspects of the workplace environment in government, the work-based project requires students to bring a complex task to a successful conclusion within a team that spans working backgrounds, disciplines, organisations and jurisdictions.

Outcomes: ▶ practical application of the concepts, frameworks

and practices studied in the EMPA ▶ employment of the skills developed in evidence-

based analysis and policy design ▶ in-depth understanding of a real-life issue in public

policy or management.

ElectivesStudents complete three elective subjects offered by a partner university. One of these must be in the area of public sector financial management. The other two are selected by the student to bridge their past study and experience with the core curriculum, or to enhance their knowledge of a specific policy area.

Electives are generally drawn from postgraduate offerings of the faculties or schools of business, commerce, economics, government, law and political science.

I am more assured and focused when I tackle challenges at work. I have also applied the course learning to help myself, my team and colleagues to manage the ongoing changes to the organisation and the public service.Liem NgoPrincipal Manager, Project Coordination and Government Liaison, Transport for NSW

2018

SUBJECT

Delivering Public Value4.5 days – residential Melbourne

FEB

Managing Public Sector Organisations 1 day delivery Melbourne with Delivering Public Value1 day delivery Canberra or Singapore with Designing Public Policies and Programs

FEB JUN

Government in a Market Economy4 days over 2 monthsSelect: Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington

MAR APR

Designing Public Policies and Programs4 days – residential Canberra or Singapore

JUN

Decision-making Under Uncertainty4 daysSelect: Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington

OCT

2019

SUBJECT

Governing by the Rules4 days – residential Sydney

FEB

Managing Public Sector Organisations 1 day delivery Melbourne with Governing by the Rules1 day delivery Melbourne with Leading Public Sector Change

FEB JUN

Leading Public Sector Change4 days – residential Melbourne

JUN

Work-based Project0.5 day workshop Sydney with Governing by the Rules0.5 day meeting Melbourne with Leading Public Sector Change2 days – residential Wellington

FEB JUN NOV

ANZSOG reserves the right to alter this schedule at anytime

Indicative schedulefor core subjects

Faculty

High quality teaching has been the hallmark of the EMPA since its inception. The primary emphasis is on interactive, face-to-face teaching, including innovative use of the case teaching method. The EMPA’s most distinctive feature is the collaboration between academics and government partners, resulting in a blend of theory and practice, with great relevance.

The EMPA brings together a select group of public sector academics. Participants are exposed to the latest ideas and thinking about public administration, delivered by world-recognised experts.

Practitioners who contribute to the degree come not only from the public sector, but also the not-for-profit and private sectors which reflects the world that today’s public sector managers must operate in. In sharing their knowledge and experiences, they provide students with a unique set of perspectives and lessons to draw on.

Academic DirectorProfessor Michael MintromProfessor of Public Sector Management ANZSOG/Monash University

Professor John Alford Professor of Public Sector ManagementANZSOG/Melbourne Business School

Dr George Argyrous Senior Lecturer Evidence-based Policy MakingANZSOG/University of New South Wales

Associate Professor Michael Di FrancescoAssociate Professor of Public Sector ManagementANZSOG/University of New South WalesDirector of ANZSOG Case Program

Professor Arie Freiberg AMEmeritus ProfessorFaculty of LawMonash University

Associate Professor Nicole GillespieAssociate Professor of Public ManagementBusiness SchoolUniversity of Queensland

Professor Patricia RogersProfessor of Public Sector EvaluationRMIT University

Professor Danny SamsonProfessor of ManagementThe University of Melbourne

Professor Anne TiernanProfessor and Director of the Policy Innovation HubGriffith Business School, Griffith University

Dr Zina O’LearyWorkplace Integrated Learning CoordinatorBusiness Education ANZSOG/University of Sydney Business School

Professor Ross Guest Professor of Economics Griffith Business SchoolGriffith University

Professor Quentin Grafton Professor of EconomicsAustralian National University

Dr Veronica JacobsenChair, Government Economics NetworkMinistry of Business, Innovation and EmploymentNew Zealand

Dr Michael Macaulay Director of the Institute of Governance and Policy StudiesAssociate Professor in Public ManagementVictoria University of Wellington

Dr George Rivers Associate Dean, Research CollaborationDepartment of EconomicsMonash University

Professor Paul ‘t HartProfessor of Public Administration and Associate DeanUtrecht University/Netherlands School of Government

Dr Christopher Walker Head of the School of Social SciencesUniversity of New South Wales

Dr Amanda Wolf Deputy Head of SchoolSchool of GovernmentVictoria University of Wellington

PractitionersPrevious practitioner presenters have included:

Dr Subho Banerjee Deputy SecretarySkills and TrainingCommonwealth Department of Education and Training

Dr Peter Boxall Former Chief of Staff to Peter Costello Chair Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal and Member, Commission of Audit

The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG Former Justice of the High Court of Australia

Robyn Kruk AM Former CEO and Commissioner, Mental Health Commission and Director-General, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet

Dr Nina Terrey Partner ThinkPlace and Adjunct Associate ProfessorInstitute for Governance and Policy AnalysisUniversity of Canberra

Anthea Tinney PSMFormer Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts

I was fortunate enough to do the EMPA with some incredible people not only from Victoria but around Australia and New Zealand, many of whom I am still in touch with today and some of the lessons I have learnt from them were equally as important or as profound as the content I learnt from the lessons and tutorials.Simon Phemister Deputy Secretary, Economic Policy and State Productivity, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria

Cohort snapshot

Health & Human/Social ServicesPrimary Industries, Regions and Environment & HeritageEducationDefence/PolicePrime Minister/Premier & Cabinet and PS CommissionBusiness, Innovation and Employment/State Development

Family & Community ServicesLegal/JusticeTransportTreasury and Finance/AuditSport and Recreation/CultureForeign Affairs & Trade

In 2016, the EMPA cohort is made up of students from a wide range of portfolios across the public sector.

I challenge us all to nurture public sector leaders who are able to walk in many worlds, leaders with the ability to engage productively with diverse stakeholders who hold different values and norms, without having to sacrifice their own cultural philosophies.

Ehara taku toa i te takitahi engari he toa takitini. My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success but success of a collective.

Tui Marsh Te Puni Kōkiri, New Zealand Dean’s Prize Winner

Dean’s Prize – Overall Academic AwardEach year ANZSOG recognises the outstanding achievements by students in the EMPA. A subject prize is awarded to the best performing student in each subject. The best performing student in the entire cohort is recognised with the Dean’s Prize for overall academic achievement.

EMPA Awards and Dean’s Prize

Winners of the Cisco Systems Prize for Work-based Project Kate Byrne, Kate Carlson, Jeremy Johnson, Matt Morcom, Rhianna Lawson, Alison Duncan with ANZSOG Dean, Professor Gary Banks AO

Studying for a top-level graduate degree can be challenging to fit into a busy life. The EMPA offers major advantages in this regard.

Academic All subjects are informed by the latest thinking on public management and public policy. The residential sessions allow participants to focus intensively on their studies in collaboration with experienced peers who share their passion for leadership in the public sector.

Professional Participants are encouraged to apply what they are learning to current workplace challenges. These continual opportunities to reflect on real-world challenges allow participants to share their own experiences and draw on the knowledge of their peers during the program and for years to come. Teaching is supported by ANZSOG’s renowned public sector case library, where participants explore actual public service conundrums for decision-makers.

PersonalThe EMPA provides participants with the flexibility needed to balance work and study with contributions elsewhere in their lives. By studying with other busy managers, participants learn many useful life skills from one another. Life-long friendships are made, and students expand their professional networks.

Mentoring The mentoring component of the EMPA is an important aspect of supporting students’ learning and leadership development. Students are required to nominate a mentor from their agency who can provide guidance and encouragement during their studies. This relationship can provide an invaluable ongoing resource.

The journey

The EMPA brought a really good theoretical and academic perspective but it also had such a practical application; every subject that you did you were asked to think about how to apply the frameworks and the theories to the work that you were doing at the time. Katherine Whetton Acting Deputy Secretary, Strategy and Performance Group, Department of Education and Training, Victoria

They are a group of articulate, intelligent, passionate people who have outrageously interesting jobs across governments. The Masters program is an outstanding offering. I couldn’t recommend it more highly.Natasha Ryan Assistant Secretary, Medical Specialist Services, Commonwealth Department of Health

EMPA alumniThe ANZSOG experience reaches well beyond the classroom. The national and international networks established during the EMPA are invaluable for participants as their careers progress and they move into more demanding roles. ANZSOG’s Alumni Program helps participants maintain and build on these peer-to-peer relationships.

Staying connectedANZSOG is committed to fostering a dynamic Alumni Program that sustains professional networks and learning. The School has a number of active jurisdictional chapters, which regularly provide tailored professional development and networking opportunities. Alumni events host visiting academics and senior government alumni who discuss current issues. These offer a unique opportunity to

engage on contemporary challenges and build on their current knowledge as part of ANZSOG’s commitment to lifelong learning.

Refresher program The exclusive refresher events for alumni are run annually. The EMPA Refresher provides alumni with an opportunity to engage with distinguished scholars, practitioners and other alumni, to both extend their knowledge and strengthen their collaborative networks.

Lifelong learning

ALUMNI BY JURISDICTION (DECEMBER 2015)

EMPA applications are coordinated through each jurisdiction. The program costs, including a tuition fee, subject materials, meals and accommodation for the residential subjects, are paid by the sponsoring government or agency.

Further information, including details of fees, application deadlines and the application form are available from jurisdictional coordinators. For more information, visit our website.

Application criteriaAll EMPA applicants must demonstrate:

▶ strong evidence of leadership potential, including potential to contribute at the senior executive level as part of the next generation of public sector leaders

▶ work performance consistently above average and sound management capability or potential

▶ a strong commitment to career development and to a career in the public sector

▶ a commitment to contribute to class learning and share knowledge in the workplace

▶ capability to complete a rigorous Masters program (normally evidenced by successful completion of an undergraduate degree)

▶ at least five years’ relevant work experience.

Applicants must also meet the Masters degree entry requirements of partner universities. This is facilitated through ANZSOG and more information is provided at the application stage.

Find out more – speak with alumniWe have alumni based across Australia and New Zealand who can provide an insider’s perspective of what it is like to participate in the EMPA. Potential participants are invited to discuss the experience and seek the advice of one of our alumni.

To arrange this, please contact ANZSOG.

More informationTo learn more or to apply, please contact the Programs Team

T +61 3 8344 1990 E programs_team@anzsog.edu.au

or visit our website: anzsog.edu.au/empa

Applications

Developing strategic leadership skills in public sector managers requires a different educational framework to those applying to private sector managers. While business schools teach how to create ‘shareholder value’, ANZSOG’s mission is to help public sector managers learn how to create ‘public value’.

Executive Fellows Program (EFP) The EFP is an intensive, three-week residential program for senior public service executives. With an emphasis on enhancing strategic capabilities, the EFP focuses on leadership, relationship and management skills required to effectively lead in an increasingly complex public sector.

Towards Strategic Leadership (TSL)TSL is specifically designed for people moving from an operational role to a strategic leadership role, and for those facing senior executive responsibilities for the first time. At this level, thinking and acting strategically become central.

InternationalThe School delivers a suite of customised executive level leadership programs in partnership with foreign governments in the Indo-Pacific region, and consistent with the foreign policy objectives of the governments of Australia and New Zealand. These programs create valuable peer-to-peer networks and institutional linkages, and contribute to ongoing engagement with each country.

CEOs ForumThe CEOs Forum brings senior government leaders in New Zealand and Australia together to reflect on their work with the aim of improving practices and performance. The program centres on strategic management techniques and how to apply these in the world of government.

Executive EducationANZSOG delivers specialised executive workshops designed to meet the practical needs of middle to senior public sector managers across a range of disciplines. Workshops are offered ‘open to market’ and are available for specific jurisdictions or agencies on request.

Applied LearningCurrently operating in New Zealand, Tasmania and WA, Applied Learning works in partnership with member governments to provide learning opportunities that bring challenging and fresh ideas in public policy and public management to wide and diverse audiences of practitioners.

Case ProgramThe Case Program is an internationally acclaimed centre for the promotion of interactive teaching. It hosts one of the world’s largest libraries of public policy and management teaching cases with a special focus on current events and issues in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

ResearchANZSOG research draws on its network of scholars and practitioners in Australia, New Zealand and overseas to address issues of importance to member governments in the areas of public administration, policy development and management.

For more information about these programs and other ANZSOG activities, visit anzsog.edu.au.

ANZSOG

Contact usANZSOG Level 4 204 Lygon Street, Carlton Victoria 3053 Australia

PO Box 230, Carlton South Victoria 3053 Australia

T +61 3 8344 1990 F +61 3 9650 8785 E anzsog@anzsog.edu.au anzsog.edu.au

ABN 69 102 908 118

05.2016

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