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Management and Organisational Behaviour (MBA 20)

Management skills improvement is a basic module and will make you open up to various management areas. As a participant on the UMI program, it is important that you benefit from the wealth of knowledge sharing in management. There are various topics which should facilitate you to handle different management concerns. Through the rich methodology and discussion of relevant cases, you will be enriched to be a better manager.

This is a generic module that is aimed at developing the management capacity of all participants. Given that projects have scarce resources and are time bound, project managers are continuously working under stressful conditions. So, these management skills will thus enhance the capacity of the Project Managers and Monitoring and Evaluation Officers/Experts to understand other issues that may affect performance and how to deal with the people to ensure project success

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of projects are increasingly recognized as indispensable management functions. For many years, M&E of development projects in developing countries has been given little attention. Some of the main constraints that have hampered M&E in development projects include: weak interest and commitment to the evaluation function by both donors and civil society organizations, weak culture of carrying out, sharing, discussing and using the results of evaluation activities among NGOs and donors, a relative shortage of professional evaluation experts (in comparison with researchers, trainers), insufficient technical resources, limited monetary allocation to M&E work by governments and donors, limited training opportunities in evaluation as well as shortage of trained staff. However, it is important to note that the last few years have witnessed an increased interest in strengthening the M&E function by donors, Government and civil society organizations for the purposes of generating results. Many programs and projects have come up especially in developing countries which need to be run effectively and efficiently putting in mind value for money by the donors and governments. Such programs include but are not limited to humanitarian/relief programs, government programs, community programs, amongst others. The module is designed to enable aspiring M&E specialists and all those engaged in project work to demonstrate required standards of competence for professional practice in a key discipline and acquire essential knowledge and skills to track project performance. As a result of this increased interest, potential and current M&E practitioners and project managers need to acquaint themselves with the resilient requirements for designing and tracking project performance across the results matrix.

Virtually all activities we undertake in life have expected outcomes, are time bound and consume the available scarce resources and yet they are implemented in environments which need to be understood and appreciated. Hence project management has cemented its position as a key management Paradigm, enabling organizations to efficiently and effectively reach their intended goals in a constantly changing business environment complicated by risks, uncertainties and competitor pressures. The general environment within which projects are managed calls for a clear understanding of complexity inherent in the management of projects to enable the achievement of the intended project goals. The treatment of numerous undertakings today by organizations requires projects that call for clear understanding in which they are implemented.

This module is designed to address the challenges faced by project managers, programme managers, Administrators and those pursuing a career in Project management or monitoring of projects to grasp the environmental factors within which projects operate or exist. The module uses theoretical knowledge as well as case studies to address the concerns of the target groups in synthesizing the surrounding of a project from inception to closure following the Project management body of Knowledge (PMBOK) standards advocated for by the project management institute (PMI).

The module is hence designed to enhance knowledge and skills in understanding the projects in general putting into consideration the various sectors where projects are implemented. This module contains thirteen units.

MODULE RATIONALE
This module is designed to introduce Participants to how public services, which are prominent feature of modern society, are managed. The management of the public sector is arguably significantly more challenging than in the private sector, not least because of the intensity of the scrutiny by multiple and varied stakeholders and the competing priorities and conflicting objectives. The module recognizes the democratic environment of public organizations from rationality to practice. It also exposes participants to the idea that the public sector borrows from the private sector. Throughout all this, the course will emphasize the importance and challenges of managing the daily practice of the public sector
MODULE DESCRIPTION
This is a module that helps Participant to build and refine their understanding of the Ugandan public sector governance. The focus is on key governance institutions and processes, the efforts being made to reform them and the theories lying behind those efforts. Specifically, the course will examine reforms in areas such as service delivery, regulation, policy making. Budgeting, citizen engagement, decentralization, public sector ethics and accountability
MODULE AIM
The module aims to provide participants with a critical analysis of developments in public sector management, how these developments impact upon the task of public management, and to contextualise public management reform within an internationalised environment. The distinctive features of this module are the exploration of the limits and applicability of managerial and organisational concepts when applied to the public sector.

MODULE OBJECTIVES
The module takes a comparative and thematic approach to issues in public sector management, and encourages participants to consider their relevance to public governance and public sector reform. Specifically, the module shall ensure that participants:
• understand and effectively manage the business of government
• manage relationships for customer and business outcomes in government.
• Understand contemporary trends and developments in public sector administration and management in both developed and developing countries
• Apply relevant theories in explaining real world public administration and management problems
• Demonstrate skills needed to tackle problems and challenges facing public sector managers
MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the module, participants should be able to:
1. execute the goals of government and explain the role of different stakeholders.
2. examine the major drivers for public sector reforms.
3. assess the democratic environment of public sector management and its contemporary social, political and economic context.
4. critically review rational forms of public organisations & management and policy making.
5. develop a critical awareness of the presence and influence of management paradigms.
6. develop a critical understanding of the relationship between the theory and practice of public sector management.

SMEs is an important course for equiping people with skills