public and private managment

(2) an individual report, of a maximum 3000 words, based on a public organisation, or partnership organisation/ project involving partnership working, chosen by the student, and providing an analysis of the relevant issues covered in the module(65%). The hand- in date is 10th December, 2013.
Word limit does not include Bibliography, and allowance of -/=10%
Can include Appendices but do not use to ‘get around’ the word count by including substantive points

Choose organisation- are you interested in it?; can you get information?
Public; partnership; or Private in working with public.
Give intro and background.
What are you most interested in from the module which you may apply to this organisation?
What information can you find?

(2) Individual essay (65%)
During the module you will need to be thinking of an organisation or areas which you might want to consider further through your own study. For example, you might choose a school, a hospital or a prison, or you might go for a partnership organisation. In some cases your choice might include elements of each- eg- a school which is in a partnership. This will require you to do independent research and find your own sources, which can be complimented by the generic sources given in the handbook. Advice on how to approach this will be given during seminars as the module progresses, and the final lecture session is set aside for assignment guidance.
If you wish to check that your chosen organisation or partnership project is an appropriate one to study, you may provide a short outline of your chosen study for your tutor to comment on. You tutor will discuss this further with you in your seminars.

Aim to spend no more than 750 words on introduction (this is an indication only- each case may well differ). The core of your assignment should then be an analysis in which you relate what you consider to be the most relevant topics that we have covered to your organisation, rather than being wholly descriptive. You should here be seeking to apply knowledge gained from the module and elsewhere in your studies to show understanding of the relevant issues that we have covered in the seminars.

Information sources
You may be able to get information directly, and in other cases it may be less clear- for example- you may not be able to find out how an organisation produced its strategy. However, here you can reflect on how it should, and what issues are likely to arise. You need to be pro-active in seeking out and retrieving information. Whatever your chosen subject, you will have essentially three broad sources of information: firstly, the organisation or partnership website(s); secondly, the organisations and their staff; and, thirdly, the media – probably local rather than national (unless the organisation covers the country, or deals with projects of national importance). This third category includes newspapers, radio stations, and TV companies.

Limited information? How to fill the gaps
You can use a combination of subject knowledge and intuition to fill in the gaps. In the case of strategy. For example, what are the strategic issues facing a School? The answer could be drawn from a strategic analysis involving two of the most vital steps in undertaking a strategic plan, namely a PEST analysis, followed by a SWOT analysis to reveal the adequacy or otherwise of the school’s competencies for dealing with perceived opportunities and threats. Therefore, it is not necessary for you to get answers to all your questions, provided you are willing to think creatively.