MASTER OF SCIENCE IN PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE (MPPG)

Module Code	Module Name	Description
MPPG501	Public Sector Reforms and Governance	Good public sector governance serves as the bedrock of national development. These concerns are echoed in national constitutions, national development strategies and global best practices. Chapter 9 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe of 2013 underscores the need for a developmental-oriented public administration that is anchored on high standard of professionalism. Education 5.0 and the National Development Strategy 1 underscore good public governance as key to propelling the nation towards industrialisation in line with Vision 2030. The need for good public sector governance is also critical when viewed against the background of the adoption of the seventeen (17) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which enjoin nations of the world to strive for a ‘future world’ that is anchored on fairness across generations and ‘leaving no one behind’ (UN 2015; UNDP, 2022). The 21^st century public sector is also under immense pressure to ensure just and inclusive transitions in response to Climate Change risks, Green Economy, Artificial Intelligence (A1) and Corruption. Students should also note that in the wake of transitions from Traditional Public Administration (TPA) to New Public Management (NPM) in the 1990s and then New Public Governance in the post-2000 era, public sectors are expected to maximise public value through networking, hybrid-governance, co-designing, co-producing, co-creation and innovation in service provisioning. Against this backdrop, the module provides students with an opportunity to reflect on the structural and situational challenges that are confronting African countries as they institute reforms in response to shifts in demands in the local and global environments. At the end of this module, students should be able to identify success factors for good public sector governance.
MPPG502	Public Policy Analysis and Research in Africa	This module is designed to introduce students to public policy analysis in a public sector setting. It will examine the various tools and stages of policy analysis and development that may be conducted in different governance contexts whether rational, advisory, or participative. The module will also review critical thinking skills associated with policy analysis work. The course will examine the value policy analysis provides to the government’s decision making and governance in general. The module has 250 Notional Hours equal to 25 Credits. The dissertation module will have 1000 Notional Hours equal to 100 credits. And will be taken in the final semester. Teaching constitutes 20% of the time allocated to this module; seminars and or practical work 30% and independent study 50%.
MPPG503	Public Finance and Resources Governance	Public finance and resources governance deal with the finances of the public as an organised group under the institution of government. The subject matter evolved over time, ferreting theories, concepts, principles, and precepts from a raft of disciplines; a process that lent a multi-directional approach to its study. Its macro concerns span issues relating to the rationale of public financing, value considerations as well as legal and institutional frameworks. At the micro level, the course adopts a practical thrust, examining strategies and practical challenges in the mobilisation, utilisation, and control of financial resources within government ministries and public bodies. Particular attention is paid to both tax and non-tax revenue sources as well as internal and external expenditure control systems. More importantly, the resource governance strand will also delve into the management of natural resources in socio-economic development. The role of international finance and efforts directed toward keeping public debts within sustainable limits are also interrogated and analysed. While Zimbabwe is used as the entry and main point of reference, issues of managing public finance should be appreciated within regional and global context, taking into cognisance international best practices of public sector finance and resources governance. The interdisciplinary and comparative-analysis approach adopted in this course is meant to ensure that students are more pedantically and pragmatically on a vantage point to critically relate public finance and resource governance scenarios in their localities to regional and global trends and practices.
MIDSB501	Information Digital Skills for Postgraduates (University Wide Module)	The module introduces students to the use of information technologies and their application in academic research.
MSSRM501	Advanced Social Science Research Methods (Faculty Wide Module)	The module aims to provide advanced skills in research methods for graduate students. It enhances postgraduate students’ knowledge and skills for conducting, analysing and interpreting research in the field of sociology, anthropology and gender studies. The module focuses upon both qualitative and quantitative techniques and the knowledge gained, will be useful for conducting research and as tools for professional practice. The module will also equip learners with the use of digital technologies in data collection, processing, analysis and management. Students to conduct gender sensitive research for the relevant government institutions, UN agencies, NGOs and communities to inform gender policies and programming.
MPPG505	Strategic Project Planning and Management	The module deals with more specifically, definition of objectives and deliverables in a project environment, proposal writing, planning methods including the work breakdown structure (WSB), importance of developing alternate plans and emergency procedures, graphical methods for presenting project schedules and plans, developing preliminary budgets and project controls, basic understanding of team dynamics and responsibilities and factors that influence project success and the introduction of risk will be emphasized
MPPG506	State, Policy Sustainability and Innovation	Policy sustainability and governance issues occupy a central place in the contemporary global development discourse. This module exposes students to the theories, principles and practices of policy sustainability and governance as well as State initiatives to institutionalise a culture of policy sustainability and governance in state institutions. Some of the critical questions at the heart of this module include: What are some the strategies of policy sustainability? What are the common challenges affecting policy sustainability and policy governance? How best can the state address constraints and challenges to policy sustainability and governance?
MPPG507	Leadership and Public Accountability in Africa	One of the decisive variables in driving national development and public sector performance is the aspect of public leadership. Following this realisation, this module gives special attention to the leadership question in the public sector, specifically focusing on how it has played out over time, theoretical paradigms that shape it, and how it can be re-shaped to suit complexities of public sector settings, particularly in Africa. The module further dwells on how public leadership upholds the governance tenet of public accountability. The module will benefit from references and in-depth study of case experiences and international best practices of leadership and public accountability
MPPG508	Public Policy, Politics and Governance	This is a senior module in the MPPG programme with special focus on public policy, politics and governance. As the module title suggests, the module stands on two pillars:politics and governance of public policy. Consequently, the module has a double agenda: exposing students to the institutional, political and ideological context and processes of public policy-making, in Zimbabwe and elsewhere; and ensuring that students are proficient in one or more techniques of public policy analysis – quantitative or otherwise. This twin agenda is based on the premise that effective policy development depends not only upon the effective use of state-of-the-art techniques but also upon an array of contextual forces which actively facilitate or constrain in any decision situation. Made aware of these opportunities and constraints, a public servant is better able to understand, cope with, and contribute to the policy field in which s/he operates.
MPPG570	Dissertation	Through their dissertations students will be able to show case their ability in conducting innovative research. Each student is expected to come up with a research topic, write the research proposal, clearly articulate either the qualitative research methods or the quantitative research methods or both, the research design(s), research tools, data management and analysis, presentation and discussion of research findings. This module will produce a graduate who is able to undertake research with recommendations that will enhance policy and programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.