Programme

The course examines International Relations as a field of study. The introduction focuses on the definition of international relations, also known as International Politics and World Politics; its sub-fields, and levels of analysis. It also discusses the principal actors, their interests and their influences. Globalization is discussed to understand the current international context within which the actors interact. The evolution of the international system highlights its historical developments. Also examined are International Organizations and International Law. Attention is focused on Treaties and Pacts, Protocols as the legal basis of international agreements. Foreign Policies of African States are examined too. Contemporary social issues are analyzed, especially contemporary problems including the
Refugee Problem; Foreign Aid; the Debt Crisis; the IMF and WB in the South; and the role of emerging economies such as China.

The course explores the origins, nature and evolution of regional co-operation and integration among states within the international system, highlighting new regionalism. It also examines the theories of regionalism and regional integration as well as regional economic communities in relation to promotion of development, especially in Africa. These include realism, functionalism, neo-functionalism, neo-liberalism and economic/market integration. Also emphasized are agreements between states, regional and sub-regional groupings such as the Lome Convention, Cotonou Partnership Agreement, Economic Partnership Agreements,
and Regional Economic Communities in so far as they are targeted at development. Similarly, new regionalism is also examined, in particular, spatial development initiatives, peace parks, trans-boundary natural resources management areas, and corridors.

This course is designed to help students become effective and efficient communicators by developing and understanding the written and non-written aspects of communications. It approaches effective communication both as an essential personal-professional skill and as an important function of management. The elements of communication (argumentation, structure, style, tone and visual appeal) and techniques for increasing effectiveness in each area are discussed. Students read, discuss and write about cases based on tasks that managers commonly face, such as explaining changes in policy, writing performance evaluations, analyzing survey results, and communicating with employees, shareholders, the press, and the public. Students will also be taught writing skills for academic and practical application at the work place.

This is a foundation course which primarily introduces the participants to the process of policy formulation and the role of an analyst within the political system and bureaucratic structure. To this end, the course will emphasize: Public Policy Environment Concepts, Models and their applications; Tools and Techniques of Policy Analysis for Practitioners; Public Policy Implementation and Evaluation; Techniques for Impact Assessment.

This course is designed to increase participants’ awareness of the role and assumptions of women in the development process and will adopt analytical approaches. It gives a broad overview of the integration of gender analysis to key development issues such as women’s role in agriculture, access to credit, the impact of technology, environmental degradation and macro-economic policies. The course will also provide a framework for discussing the role of women in small enterprise development. Issues arising from gender inequalities in employment, education, career/occupational advancement and property acquisition will be discussed. Practitioners will supplement the lectures with case studies and talks. The everyday use of the term “Development” assumes that societies are on a linear path of
continuous material improvement in terms of technology, economics, population growth, health, and education. Secondly, the phrase Gender and Development is usually understood to mean that women need to be brought on board the development project.  Critics of the linear approach to development argue that social change linked to colonialism and migration in the third world have contributed to these societies’ economic and social underdevelopment. Similarly feminists have argued that development for women is more complex than a simple process of adding women to general development.

Programs/Projects are the “cutting edge” of development. They provide solutions to critical development problems. A program/project epitomizes a framework for investing resources out of which flows a stream of benefits over a specified period of time. It is an undertaken or task that has a beginning and an end, and is carried out to meet established goals within cost, schedule and quality objectives. Projects are a widely used means of trying to allocate limited resources for specific development purposes as effectively as possible. It is therefore critical that public sector managers have a good appreciation of the rationale, context and methods of planning and evaluating development projects. The course seeks to deepen the understanding and practice on how to identify, analyse, design and implement projects effectively. The focus will include the generation and screening of project ideas, project proposals, criteria for project selection, project planning, project control, and project management techniques.

The human resource is central to organizational performance and should therefore be managed effectively. The course introduces the basic concepts of Human Resource Management emphasizing its importance in the Public Sector. It will take a broad view on Human Resources while introducing the current theories that inform the discipline. It will cover Human Resources analysis and planning: Job Roles, Design and Analysis, Recruitment, Selection and Replacement, Training and Development, Compensation Administration [job evaluation and performance appraisal], Labour and Industrial Relations Management, Welfare, Occupational health and safety management, Gender Issues, Organization, Employee Resourcing, etc.

The course also covers Concepts of Performance Management, which will concentrate on tools and techniques of performance management. It is designed with the view of inculcating in the client the respect of employer (organization) and employee agreements in which targets/goals are set and against which performance is measured. It is expected that the participants will understand what performance cycle entails and its raison d’etre.

The primary focus of this course is to provide an analytical understanding of the types and causes of conflict and war in the post-Cold War era; theoretical explanations of conflict and war; conflict management; and theoretical perspectives on post-conflict peacebuilding. The course aims to grasp the arduous task of building the peace in post-conflict countries and highlight aspects of post-conflict peacebuilding with case studies in relation to elections; reintegration of the displaced, child soldiers, women, etc; security and transitional justice. Actors, regional and global institutions engaged in post-conflict reconstruction will be examined. Case studies will serve as illustrations, especially from Africa.

This course outlines the fundamental philosophical issues and methodological frameworks relevant in the social sciences, as well as research design. This is complemented by the development of practical skills in developing instruments, undertaking scientific description and measurement, and the analysis and interpretation of social science data and information. It will also serve as a source of basic computer skills.

The course aims to develop core skills in using, critiquing and developing research relevant to research in the social sciences. It seeks to enhance understanding of the logic of qualitative research methods and quantitative research methods, and a mixture of quantitative-qualitative research methods.

This is an introductory course to the Concept of Strategic thinking and competitive advantage and their application to the business/government planning, decision-making, control and operations. Being an integrative course, it will endeavour to use case-study approach, covering analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation of strategies using comparative frameworks and strategy models such as Boston Consulting Group, M. Porter, ANSOFF, etc.

The course introduces Concepts of Governance and Leadership with emphasis of societal leadership; Models of Leadership; Leadership and African development; Governance Profiles (NEPAD, AGOA). The course seeks to: Examine key issues in leadership and governance in relation to conflict prevention, peace building and peace keeping and the promotion and maintenance of good governance; focus on leadership relationships between the public and private sectors and within civil society, and in development; discuss the
dilemma facing most African or developing countries in determining the way forward in every aspect of leadership. The issue is whether to embrace the old traditional ways or to abandon them all together or to try to find a middle ground.

The course offers Principles of Decentralization; Administrative Decentralization; Fiscal Decentralization; Models of Governance and Decentralization; Legal Framework; Participation of Civil Society and non-state Actors; Women, Decentralization and Local Government. It is expected that the participants will master the advantages/disadvantages of decentralization in order to enable them select an optimal mode in a given context.

The course is an introduction to structure and functioning of public administration, the systems of norms, rules, institutions, and procedures that regulate the interaction between administrators and between administrators and citizens. Administrative law includes constitutional and other laws, and regulations, orders, rules and directives. Moreover, the course discusses the nature of administrative acts and principles of legality and rationality. It also examines the structure and operations of public administration. A discussion of remedies or punishment for administrative actions will be undertaken as well.

This is a basic course designed to introduce the participants to the origin, the development, the strengths and weaknesses of Public Sector Management as practiced in Africa with particular emphasis on: Definition of Public Sector: Understanding the framework; Historical, Cultural and Social context; Issues in African Economies; Public Policy and Analysis; Comparative Analysis; Politics: the Role of the State. The course provides the nexus between politics and public sector management. It endeavors to evaluate the nature of the leadership between the sectors and governance issues with the focus on impact of politics on PSM; interface between political actors and public sector managers; Accountability to the
Public Sector managers; and the management of the political environment. It is hoped that the participants will, at the end of the course, have a general appreciation of the challenges facing the public sector in Africa.

This is the first course in the Public Sector Management Training Programme designed to introduce participants to an overview of the public sector in Africa. The aim is to expose participants to the context of the public sector in Africa so as to appreciate the historical developments, current challenges, and future prospects. This is therefore the foundation course to prepare participants for the subsequent courses in the programme.

The course introduces the concepts of entrepreneurship and its role in the contemporary African public
sector environment, identifying and analyzing market opportunities, sources for finance, planning for a successful business, basic marketing skills. It will also emphasize the public and private sector partnership as an alternative for efficient management of the public good.

It is envisaged that he participant’s entrepreneurial spirit will be kindled and applied to enhance the performance of the public sector enterprise.

The course introduces participants to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications and basic ICT concepts. Additionally, this course introduces participants to the usage of ICT as an innovative tool for the public sector. MIS concepts, its evolution, impact factors and benefits also discussed. The focus will include organizational information system as it applies to public sector; issues of Information Technology governance; information technology resources acquisition and Applications; Information technology legal framework and E-governance. Management Information Systems (MIS) concepts are discussed and analyzed in relation to public sector management. The focus is on e-Governance, Organizational Information Systems, ICT resources acquisition, applications, governance issues and legal framework for the public sector.

This course examines the thorny issues of Ethics and Professionalism, and the origins of ethics. It also discusses the interrelationship between ethics, society and civic or social responsibility; ethics and morality; and ethics, morality and law. Additionally, the course examines the significance of professionalism to the public sector, especially, in relation to servicing the public.

The course examines the activities of government as one of the key players in the economy in terms of its sources of finance to meet its expenditures to ensure economic welfare of the population. It covers Financial forecasting and planning; Financial Analysis; Government Accounting and Auditing, Investment Finance; Externalities/Social Cost and Benefits; and the Analysis of Public Goods. The course also seeks to ensure economic growth and development and promote equitable distribution of resources, the government taxes, subsidizes, and spends. This course deals with how the government raises its revenue and spends to achieve this objective, among others. It is expected that the participant will familiarize him/her with the government main sources of finance, its expenditure goals, and the challenges it faces in accomplishing them.

This is a course that is designed to examine both the nature of trading blocs, commercial policies, and the international economic institutions and arrangements [WTO] under which nations trade on one hand, and to introduce the fundamentals of trade theories; but also to expose the participants to the international financial system, international financial institutions [World bank, IMF, etc] and balance of payments and its determinants. Globalization and Development, International banking, Exchange control and foreign
exchange markets, Governance and International Organizations shall prominently feature. This course also deals with the theory and practice of international trade and finance. Upon completion of this course, the participant is expected to be familiar with role of each major international institution, and the role of globalization in national development.