CIPA542 - Assessing Your Public Sector Organization

Course Description

Are public organizations different from private sector organizations? Do they require different sets of leadership skills or traits? In this course, Professor Seth Harris will provide you with a framework that you can use to better understand your organization. With this understanding, you will be well positioned to determine how you can be a more effective leader in your organization.

There are many elements that affect every organization and dictate the type of leadership skills needed to thrive. You will learn about societal factors that affect all organizations, such as technology, demographics, and cultural conditions, as well as how organizations and leadership are affected by these factors in areas like mission, resource availability, and process. Additionally, public organizations have certain unique external factors that private sector organizations don’t need to consider. These systems and structures, public expectations, and external influencers, which can have an enormous impact of the role of the public sector leader.

Lastly, you will explore the specific internal characteristics of public organizations, including factors such as the goods or service it provides and the types of employees who are attracted to public sector organizations.

At the conclusion of the course, you will have a detailed picture of your own public organization and how its defining characteristics influence the leadership skills and traits required for success.

You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

• Leadership Skills and Traits in Public Organizations

Faculty Author

Benefits to the Learner

• Explore societal conditions such as technology, culture and demographics, how they impact your public organization, and the leadership skills and traits necessary for success
• Assess external factors that uniquely affect public organizations, such as laws, public expectations, and political influencers and determine which skills and traits will assist you in managing these factors
• Investigate the internal characteristics of your public organization including its mission, people, and processes and determine the skills and traits that will help you navigate those internal characteristics

Target Audience

• People who work in or with public service or public policy organizations
• Leaders, aspiring leaders, and staff who work in organizations involved in public affairs or engaged with government at any level
• People who work in or with non-profits, education institutions, or NGOs
• People who work in or with law enforcement organizations

Accrediting Associations

• Project Management Institute (PMI) Approval Number 2646F08P85 10.0 Units