Back into the future - Civil Service Reforms and Policy Outcomes in the European Union - Einzelansicht

Das Seminar fällt wegen zu weniger Anmeldungen leider aus!

Wenn Sie an dem Seminar teilnehmen möchten, schreiben Sie bitte im Voraus eine kurze E-Mail an Nora Carstens ( ncarstens@uni-potsdam.de ).

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Civil Service reform on the central level is actually – differently to wide held perceptions - a fascinating subject. It challenges many popular assumptions, increasingly puts into question traditional characteristics of public administration systems, but leaves us puzzled as to the outcomes of all reforms and also as to the future of civil services as such. Are we moving back to ”Leviathan”, or towards the privatization of Government? Is the reform process leading to new converging civil service models, or rather towards more differentiation?
What are the forces behind current reform trends? What do we actually know about the effects of comparative civil service reforms?  
In the course, we will start with a discussion on the legitimacy for a specific civil service that differs to private sector models? What are the arguments pro/contra differences between public and private sector employment features? When looking back in time, do we still need a specific civil service, or is the ”Beamtentum” a dying species?
In a second step, we will analyze current changing factors and reform trends. Here, we will take the field of Human Resource Management as a case study (and discuss reforms of organizational structures, reforms in the field of ethics and conflicts of interest, changes in status developments, civil service employment, changes as regards the composition of the workforce, new leadership challenges, demographic developments, the impact of austerity policies in the field of HRM, and the future of merit and justice perceptions). At the end, students should have an understanding about why civil services are changing.e third block covers a discussion on reform outcomes and reform effects. What do we know about the effects of reforms? How to measure reform outcomes?
One assumption in our course is that different contexts as well as different budgetary pressures have a considerable impact on the way civil service reforms are implemented in the Member States of the EU. Consequently, the relevance of context and diversity have important implications for the concept of mutual learning and best-practices. As a consequence, also the concept of ”administrative models” is in need of revision. Are we currently moving from popular best-practices to popular best-fits? The discussion around these issues will take place in the last part of this case.

COURSE GOALS

At the end of the course, students should have an understanding about the nature and the effects of civil service and HR-reforms in the wider political context. Moreover, students will also learn why so many reforms fail, or produce unintentional or paradoxical reform effects. If possible at all, we all should also have an idea about the future of civil services. Are we moving towards a return of ”Leviathan”, or towards a total privatization of Government, Or…?

This course will be taught in English.

Maximum number of participation is 30 students. I accept the first 30 notifications.

REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION

Students are expected to come class having completed all the assigned readings. Make sure to allow sufficient time for class preparation.
I expect students to attend all meetings and to arrive to class on time. For oral presentations, I will support student with literature research, including literature not covered in the bibliography. I normally make announcements concerning  deadlines and assignments at the beginning of  class.
Students who use laptops in class must do so exclusively for the purpose of note taking. I expect that students neither do not surf the web.
Regular attendance is required. Please arrive on time. Should you have to miss a class, please notify me in advance.
 

PRESENTATIONS

Presentations should be no longer than 15 minutes per person and not longer than 30 minutes per team. The max. number is 3 students per presentation. First comes (meaning: the first notifies me about a selected topic), first picks the topics. Normally, I do not allow for two students/group holding presentations about the same topic.