Strategic Management and Public Policies

The entire Curricular Unit is taught in a “hybrid” environment, namely at a distance, due to the problem of COVID-19 and with the presence of a limited number of students in the classroom, aiming at a real and effective preventive attitude against the virus. All sessions are online and, in the classroom, with interactive and group management methodologies that encourage debate, questioning and the consolidation of knowledge and skills are prioritized. The use of initial brainstorming as a participatory stimulus will be valued and encouraged as well as research and problem solving. Residual expository methods in close correlation with active methodologies will be predominant.

In terms of evaluation, this will be carried out in three stages. One with the realization of an individual essay written and later presented orally in class; the second for carrying out a critical report that focuses on the essay by one of the colleagues; and a third by performing a test.

The objectives of this Course Unit consist of: Addressing the different concepts of strategic management and Public Policies, stating their main differences; Provide an updated view of the different phases of strategic management; Contribute to the clarification, importance and differences between the different phases of strategic management and public policies; Highlight the importance and expectations of Stakeholders in the organization; Identify the usefulness of strategic management as a sustainable development tool; Recognize the importance of existence in the creation of public policies; Identify the different sectorial public policies in Portugal; and Knowing how to identify the different phases in the formation of public policies.

The development of this curricular unit aims to enable students to acquire a set of skills, namely: Systematically understand the entire environment in a strategic management process and in the definition of public policies; Be able to critically analyze this issue, integrating and interrelating acquired knowledge; Acquire the skills and abilities required in the context of research in the field of public policies; and Know how to assess and correlate the conceptual interdependencies underlying public policies in force or under construction.

Part 1 Strategic Management
1 The concept of strategy: The need for strategic management in the Public Sector
2 Components of the strategic management process
2.1 Vision, mission and values
2.2 Objectives: characteristics and types
2.3 External analysis (SWOT analysis, PESTAL and Porter’s five forces)
3. Strategy formulation
3.1 Collaborative and competitive strategies
3.2 Involvement and expectations of stakeholders
3.3 Diversification of funding sources
3.4 The importance of knowledge management in the public sector
4 Strategic implementation, evaluation and monitoring
4.1 Short-term goals and action plans
4.2 Assessment in the context of the Public Sector
Part 2 Public Policies
1 The study of Public Policies
2 The categories of Public Policy
3 Policy makers: framing
4 Policy Formation: Problems, Agendas and Formulation
5 Budget and Public Policies
6 Policy Implementation
7 Public Policies: impact and evaluation

NAO