Postgraduate Course: Designing and Delivering Public Services (fusion online) (EFIE11117)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh Futures Institute |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Public services not only comprise an important element of the economy of the developed and developing world, they are also essential for a vibrant economy and society. This course addresses the challenges of understanding and managing public services 'as services' whilst also asking what distinctive challenges their 'public' nature present. |
| Course description |
This course draws upon service management, service design, and public management theory in interrogating the nature of public services and their management. It also draws upon other key disciplines such as political science, social policy, marketing, and sociology. The course comprises 3 elements:
1) Individual, pre-intensive, component comprised of 5 elements:
(i) a reading pack of 10 papers - participants chose 4 of these to read, dependent on their interests, needs and background;
(ii) an introductory lecture introducing both the structure of the course and the key concepts to be utilised during the intensive component;
(iii) 5 podcasts by service managers and service designers talking about both public service design and delivery in general (3 podcasts) and the challenges of migrating the design and delivery of public services to a virtual/AI context (2 podcasts);
(iv) a 'public service' questionnaire, which participants will use to explore the nature of a real-life service encounter (as a practitioner or a citizen) and the service management processes embedded within it (for example, a social care, healthcare, or educational experience), and;
(v) an on-line group discussion workshop where participants will discuss the issues coming out of the readings, podcasts, and investigation (one each for synchronous and asynchronous students - the asynchronous students will have a dedicated discussion workshop at a 'cusp time').
2) The two-day intensive component.
The intensive component will start with an introductory seminar on the nature and challenges of public service design and delivery by the course tutor and two practitioners (one from design and one from delivery) - recorded for asynchronous to watch and discuss with a TA in an asynchronous group. The core of the intensive component will be an extended real-time case study consultancy. 2 or 3 different cases will be presented, depending on student numbers, with asynchronous student working independently on a case within time-zone 'cusps' (depending on numbers).
Students will be introduced to the public service cases by practitioners, including a 'public service challenge'. They will then work intensively in groups to design a response to the challenge presented, considering its digital/analogue dimensions, the impact of the public service ecosystem, the role of service users and citizens on the service, the key public service management and delivery issues (and how they might be resolved), and how it might be evaluated. In a closing plenary session, the students will present their response to the challenge to a panel of practitioners and academics. There will be a final plenary discussion to pull out the key issues form the exercise (a separate asynchronous presentation and discussion will be arranged, as well as a video of the on-campus presentation and discussion).
3) Individual post-intensive component of 4 elements:
(i) guided reading linked to the assignment - students will be offered a pack of nine readings and will choose a minimum of three to link to their assignment;
(ii) group tutorial linking reading, learning and the assignment - this will allow students to systematize their acquisition of learning and will also prepare the students for work on the assignments etc;
(iii) peer-support group work on one of four topics: public service design, value creation/destruction in public services, the role of the user in public service design and delivery, and evaluating public services from a service perspective - facilitated by an enabling TA and;
(iv) reflective questionnaire, exploring the learning of the participant and their future learning needs.
The student experience will integrate personal learning objectives within a group environment. It will combine individual study together with tutor and practice inputs, group seminars and tutorials, and an extended investigation of the process of public service design and delivery. It will link the experiences of the student together with a theoretical framework to understand the ecosystem of public service design and delivery and appreciate the central role of value creation to effective and sustainable public services. Asynchronous delivery will offer an equitable alternative to on-campus or synchronous study.
Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) - Online Fusion Course Delivery Information:
The Edinburgh Futures Institute will teach this course in a way that enables online and on-campus students to study together. This approach (our 'fusion' teaching model) offers students flexible and inclusive ways to study, and the ability to choose whether to be on-campus or online at the level of the individual course. It also opens up ways for diverse groups of students to study together regardless of geographical location. To enable this, the course will use technologies to record and live-stream student and staff participation during their teaching and learning activities. Students should note that their interactions may be recorded and live-streamed. There will, however, be options to control whether or not your video and audio are enabled.
As part of your course, you will need access to a personal computing device. Unless otherwise stated activities will be web browser based and as a minimum we recommend a device with a physical keyboard and screen that can access the internet.
As part of your course, you will need access to a personal computing device. Unless otherwise stated activities will be web browser based and as a minimum we recommend a device with a physical keyboard and screen that can access the internet.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 10 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
13/01/2025 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 4,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 6,
Online Activities 4,
Other Study Hours 12,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
66 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
Other Study: Scheduled Group-work Hours (hybrid online/on-campus) - 12
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Summative Assessment:
The course will be assessed by means of the following assessment components:
1) 2000 Word Case Report (100%)
Students will write a 2,000 word paper. This will explore the case that the student was part of during the intensive component of the course (or its asynchronous equivalent). It will link the approach that was adopted in the presentation and critically explore its research and theoretical underpinnings. It should examine the public service ecosystem of the public service involved and the implications of this for value creation, the processes of public service design and delivery (including both any key digital and/or data driven elements and the role of the citizen and/or service user), and how their proposed public service response might be evaluated in practice. |
| Feedback |
Feedback on the formative assessment may be provided in various formats, for example, to include written, oral, video, face-to-face, whole class, or individual. The course organiser will decide which format is most appropriate in relation to the nature of the assessment.
Feedback on both formative and summative in-course assessed work will be provided in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course.
Feedback on the summative assessment will be provided in written form via Learn, the University of Edinburgh's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Students will received feedback at various points during the course:
- Through formative feedback from the course tutor on their reflective questionnaire and on their 1-page assignment plan (formative feedback);
- During personal tutorials and group seminars;
- Though responsive email and/or personal contact with the course tutor and/or Teaching Assistant;
- By written feedback on their assessment case study (summative feedback). |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Express a critical understanding of the practice and challenges of public service design and delivery and their location within a public service ecosystem
- Demonstrate understanding of the key managerial roles, and the roles service users play in public service design and delivery.
- Critically evaluate the processes of public service design and delivery, including analysing equity of access to services.
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Reading List
Indicative Reading List:
S Osborne (2021) Public Service Logic (Routledge, London)
B George (2021) Making Public Organizations Work (Owl Press, Gent)
J Trischler & J Westman-Trischler (2021) 'Design for experience - a public service design approach in the age of digitalization' Public Management Review (https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2021.1899272)
S Osborne, G Nasi & M Powell 2021 'Beyond co-production: value co-creation in public services' Public Administration (https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12718)
K Strokosch & S Osborne 2020 'Co-experience, co-production and co-governance: an ecosystem approach to the analysis of value creation' Policy & Politics (48, 3)
Best B, Moffett S & McAdam R (2019) Stakeholder salience in public sector value co-creation Public Management Review (21, 11) 1707-1732
Brandsen, T & Honingh. (2016). Distinguishing different types of coproduction. Public Administration Review, (76, 3)
Donetto, S., Pierri, P., Tsianakas, V., & Robert, G. (2015). Experience-based co-design and healthcare improvement. Design Journal, (18, 2) 227-248.
Dudau A Glennon R & Verscheure B (2019) Following the yellow brick road? (Dis)enchantment with co-design, co-production and value co-creation in public services Public Management Review (21, 11)
Engen, M., Fransson, M., Quist, J., & Skålén, P. (2020). Continuing the development of the public service logic: a study of value co-destruction in public services. Public Management Review, doi:10.1080/14719037.2020.1720354.
Lember, V., Brandsen, T., & Tonurist, P. (2019). The potential impacts of digital technologies on co-production and co-creation. Public Management Review, (21, 11) 1665-1686.
Laitinen, I., Kinder, K., & Stenvall, J. (2018). Co-design and action learning in local public services. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, (24, 1) 58-80.
Petrescu, M. (2019). From marketing to public value: towards a theory of public service ecosystems. Public Management Review, (21, 11) 1733-1752.
Powell, M., & Osborne, S. (2020) 'Social enterprises, marketing, and sustainable public service provision'. International Review of Administrative Sciences, (86, 2) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course will equip participants with the following graduate attributes and skills:
- The capability to evaluate information thoroughly; identifying assumptions, detecting false logic or reasoning and defining terms accurately in order to make an informed judgement (critical thinking).
- The ability to create, identify and evaluate options in order to solve complex problems by both by analysing facts and situations and apply creative thinking to develop the appropriate solutions and by asking questions (problem solving). |
| Keywords | Public Services,Public Administration,Social and Healthcare,Value Creation,Service Design,Delivery |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Katharine Aulton
Tel: (0131 6)50 8074
Email: Katharine.Aulton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr David Murphy
Tel:
Email: dmurphy7@ed.ac.uk |
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