| CODE | PPL1606 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Local Governance | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Policy, Politics and Governance | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will focus on the principles and applicability of Local Governance. In order to fully understand the concepts relating to and the relevance of local governance, a review of the macro environment relating to public governance and the international institutional framework (such as the United Nations, the EU Committee of the Regions and the several bodies dealing with local democracy of the Council of Europe) will be included as part of the study-unit. This holistic approach will aid students to fully understand and critically analyse local governance in the wider context of public governance, including the applicability of the concepts of Good Governance. The study-unit will be structured as follows: - Principles of Local Government; - Decentralization; - The Macro Environment; - The European Charter of Local Self-Government; - Good Governance 鈥� Principles and Applicability; - Local Government Legislation; - Fiscal Responsibility and Fiscal Autonomy; - Business Planning; - The Administrative Machinery of Local Administration; - Policy Making and Local Legislation; - Strategic Management and Risk Management; - Leadership, Innovation and Creativity. Study-Unit Aims: - To familiarize the student with the principles underpinning local governance; - To evaluate the relevance of local governance within the macro environment (including international regulatory regimes, such as the UN, the European Union the Council of Europe); - To critically study local government legislation in light of the principles of local autonomy, fiscal responsibility , transparency and accountability, and supervisory controls; - To examine the importance of good leadership for the effective and efficient delivery of local services; - To discuss Policy Making, Strategic Management and Business Planning as important local governance tools; - To discuss in what ways can Innovative and Creative Thinking give value added services to end users. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Reflect and interpret the principles of power decentralization and local governance; - Assess the relevance of local governance in the context of multi-level governance; - Evaluate the performance of local governance in Malta and gauge their level of autonomy from central national government; - Apply the principles of Good Governance in the field of local governance to enhance quality of service delivery; - Utilize a variety of management tools, including Strategic Management, Risk Management and Leadership at local governance level; - Develop a sense of innovation and creative thinking to improve the operations of local governments. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically assess the functions and operations of a local authority within the context of legality and good governance practices; - Identify the manner in which a local authority exercises its financial responsibilities; - Critically appraise the manner in which local autonomy and oversight are complimentary measures to ascertain Good Governance on a national level; - Critically evaluate published reports (such as the Report by the Auditor General on the Workings of Local Government). Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Recommended Readings: - ALONSO Angel Iglesias, 鈥楽trategic Planning as a management tool in local government鈥�, article published in Cuadernos de Gestion, Vol. 10(1), pp. 101-120 [Peer Reviewed Journal], 01 May 2010. - ATTARD Natalino, 鈥楾he Role of Local Authorities Within the Framework of the European Union Institutions鈥�, Magister Juris in European and Comparative Law thesis, Faculty of Laws, University of Malta, September 1995. - CLARK Gordon, 鈥楢 Theory of Local Autonomy鈥�, Annals of Association of American Geographers, vol.74, 1984. - CONZELMANN Dr Thomas, 鈥楾owards a new concept of multi-level governance?鈥�, University of Maastricht, 25 September 2008. - OLSEN Hans Bjorn, 鈥楧ecentralisation and Local Governance, Module 1: Definitions and Concepts鈥�, paper, external consultant to the Swiss Confederation, November 2007. - PAGE E., 鈥楲ocalism and Centralism in Europe鈥�, Oxford, OUP, 1991. - PRATCHETT L., 鈥楲ocal autonomy, local democracy and the 鈥榥ew localism鈥�, De Montfort University, 2004. Statutes: - Code of Ethics for Locally Government Elected Representatives, Fourth Schedule to the Local Councils (Association) Regulations, SL 363.06, Laws of Malta. - Constitution of Malta (viz. Chapter X A). - European Charter of Local Self-Government, Council of Europe, 1985. - Local Councils Act, Chapter 363, Laws of Malta. |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Fldw, Ind Online Learn, Lect, Seminar & Tutorial | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Natalino Attard Mario Thomas Vassallo |
||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||