Master's Certificate in Public Sector Management

Who should attend?

You may use the knowledge and skills developed through this program to prepare and enhance your leadership skills within the public sector, such as:

• Executives, managers and supervisors in the public sector;
• Leaders and potential leaders in police, EMT, fire and health care services;
• Project managers and team leaders in the public sector;
• Small business owners and industry advocates in the public sector;
• Those looking to expand their leadership and mentorship skill set, specifically in the public sector.

Required Courses

• The Challenge of New Trends Affecting Government

  Course description

  This course discusses the trends that will impact how municipal governments operate. These trends include globalization of the economy, increasing use of information technology in the public sector, demographic changes and immigration and the increased emphasis on accountability and transparency in the public sector. A public sector manager must be able to effectively manage the changes in the workplace resulting from these trends and motivate employees to embrace these changes.

  Learning objectives 

  • Exposure and familiarity with course subjects/materials
  • Develop innovative thinking skills
  • Review of Critical thinking skills relating to municipal management
  • Consider issues, initiate solutions and practical responses
• Conflict Management and Negotiation

  Course description

  This course will reflect on our own experience with conflict, and then proceed to learn about its causes, impacts, our own personal style in relating to conflict and stress; and then explore a variety of ‘tools’ and ideas to help participants deal more effectively with conflict in both their personal and professional lives. In addition, this workshop will focus on effective negotiation and presents key ideas such as ‘separating the people from the problem’, ‘determining interests not positions’, ‘inventing options’, ‘using objective criteria’, ‘developing a BATNA’ (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), ‘dealing with resistance’ and ‘the power of a positive no’.

  Learning objectives 

  • Understand how conflict arises in the workplace; and what the impact and costs are of conflict in motivational and financial terms
  • Describe many of the key ideas in the book, ‘Crucial Conversations’ as well as many other practical ‘tools’ for dealing with conflict effectively
  • Understand one’s own conflict style, as and the related strengths and weaknesses of that style
  • Describe the key components of Interest Based Negotiation and the related phases of conducting this type of negotiation
  • Understand several of the key issues that emerge in negotiations and how to handle these issues professionally.
  • Develop personalized action plans so as to conduct a “crucial conversation” and an “Interest Based Negotiation".
• Finance and Accounting for Public Sector Management

  Course description

  This course is designed to provide all professional managers with the key concepts and issues in relation to Public Sector Finances. This knowledge will assist managers in better managing and controlling their financial resources. An analysis is made of internal controls, budgets & forecasts, the financial information needed for managing your operations, and the manner in which accounting can provide useful information. This course will emphasize accounting and financial reporting as vital tools to be used by management.

  Learning objectives 

  • Understand the importance and the varied types of budgets and forecasts that are in use
  • Be able to use financial information to manage, evaluate and improve operational performance
  • Understand key finance and accounting concepts and related terminology used in the public sector
  • An introduction to the requirement for internal controls and other financial management forms. Leverage and enhance your relationship with the finance department
• Fundamentals of Project Management

  Course description

  The objective of this course is to understand the concept of project management, develop knowledge of managing different phases of the project delivery lifecycle, become familiar with the different knowledge areas, and learn the importance of communication in project management. This course material is based on best practices, tips, techniques, templates, and workshop exercises.

  Learning objectives 

  • Describe key project management terms and concepts. Identify project success and failure factors
  • Understand programs, projects, and phases
  • Describe the project lifecycle
  • Understand your role in Project Selection and understand when to use each model type
  • Be able to apply the Q‐short method for project selection
  • Review the weighted scoring method for project selection
• High Impact Communication Skills

  Course description

  This interactive course is packed with the tools, strategies, and techniques to produce understandable technical and business documents. This course will teach you how to get the results you want from writing, to reduce your preparation time and to organize your ideas in a logical manner.

  This course is specifically designed for busy professionals who write business documents, from emails to reports. It will enhance your ability to write clearly using the latest techniques of professional business writing.

  Learning objectives 

  • Refocus to your reader’s needs
  • Build relationships with your writing
  • Organize your thinking to approach every document with clarity from the start. Craft and produce effective documents
  • Produce professional writing quickly
  • Develop a clear writing style suited to your reader’s purpose. Receive confidential feedback on your own writing
• Leadership in the Public Sector

  Course description

  Is public sector leadership even possible in an environment constrained by labour unions, unresponsive incentives and disincentives? This course responds with an empathetic YES! and will explore why and how.

  This course will examine public sector leadership from different angles and focus on two fundamental problems: What are the roles of public sector leaders? What are the tools at their disposal to make a difference?

  Learning objectives

  • Discuss the various theories of leadership and how they relate to skills in the public sector
  • Discern the differences and opportunities that present themselves to public sector leaders
  • Analyze why leaders fail
  • Apply motivational methods to encourage performance
• Leading Teams and Change Management

  Course description

  Change is constant in public sector management and thus the ability to understand change is an essential skill for managers. Participants will consider organizational change management needs and the importance of acquiring the knowledge and tools to implement any change effectively. This course offers tools to implement changes more smoothly and to have those changes better accepted. It also offers tools for organizing change and understanding and managing people’s reactions to it.

  Learning objectives

  • Master strategies for building support for the planned change
  • Learn how to use WIIFM (the individual motivators for a change) effectively
  • Ensuring that people involved and affected by the change understand the process change. Understand everybody's personal change journey.
  • Gain methods for leading change project status meetings, how celebrate a successful change and sharing the results & benefits of the change
  • Master strategies for aligning people with change, appealing to emotions & facts
  • Identifying and agreeing the success indicators for change, and ensuring they are regularly measured and reported on
• Local Government Reform and Performance Improvement

  Course description

  You will learn about the reforms of the public sector at the local level. Particular emphasis is placed on customers' needs and community participation in local government. Special attention is given to applications of private-sector management practices to public-sector organizations. This course also deals with performance improvement in a public sector organization. As a public sector manager, you will use the newly acquired skills in many situations involving your project team, steering committees, customers, and other stakeholder groups.

  Learning objectives

  • Understand reform and council‐staff relationships
  • Discuss reform and municipal powers
  • Understand performance and operational reform
  • Consider reform and the provincial municipal relationship
• Managing in a Unionized Environment

  Course description

  This course will look at the Human Resources skills needed by every public sector manager. It will start with initial recruitment decisions that respect the collective agreements, and current Human Rights legislation but still allow managers to hire for fit. After the recruitment process, managers need to have an understanding of the nature of compensation and benefits programs, reward and recognition, the creation of positive work environments and how to best address various labour relations issues.

  Along the way, the nature of performance management including the importance of training and development and an awareness of the importance of ethics and integrity are also part of an outstanding manager’s responsibilities. All of these topics will be covered, giving participants a better sense of the importance of these HR matters as part of their daily responsibilities.

  Learning objectives 

  • Learn to improve your leadership skills as they apply to managing within a unionized environment
  • Improve your skills in interpreting and understanding various provisions of a collective agreement
  • Understand the process by which staff in the public sector become unionized
  • Better motivate and empower staff while managing performance through the process of simple discussion and coaching skills
  • Understand the nature of recruitment, compensations and benefits as they apply to the frontline manager
  • Appreciate the importance and value of an ethics program in your organization, conducting your management practices ethically and encouraging
• Operational Productivity and Continuous Improvement

  Course description

  Learn to develop and manage continuous improvement strategies, set realistic goals, overcome resistance to change, secure buy‐in, and sustain momentum. In order to understand the current state and be able to set targets and visualize improvements, concepts related to performance measures, benchmarking and best practices and their use will be discussed. This course goes through a step‐by‐step process for assessing current processes, services and programs and for recommending improvements related to quality and performance measurement.

  Learning objectives

  • Understand the origins of continuous improvement
  • Be aware of the key elements to operational productivity and continuous improvement
  • Understand the steps that will lead you to improvements
  • Understand the specific process steps toward improvement
  • Be able to apply techniques of process mapping
  • Be able to apply techniques to help you prioritize and focus
• Policy Analysis

  Course description

  This course will examine the practice of policy analysis in the broad context of the theory and practice of public policy. What steps can ensure policy success? Why do policies fail? What does it take to ensure that policies stay relevant and responsive? The course will focus on the particularities of municipal management, but will draw on examples from all levels of government that have an impact on local issues.

  Learning objectives

  • Discuss the various theories of public policy and how they shape the approach to policy analysis Explore the various opportunities for analysis offered by the policy cycle
  • Examine the merits of various policy "tools"
  • Discern the impacts of policy on programs and vice versa Apply a standard method of policy analysis
  • Probe the reasons why policies fail or succeed
• Public Sector Reforms

  Course description

  This course provides the rationale for government restructuring and foundations for public sector reforms. It helps public sector leaders understand and appreciate service quality and accountability. A public sector manager must be able to understand the external environments in which he/she operates. This course emphasizes the origins of government reforms in the 1980s and 1990s and how these changes laid the foundations for a major restructuring in the public sector.

  Learning objectives

  • Consider factors that affect local/regional government
  • Explore the impacts of society, public and private sectors and globalization on local administration Accept that sectors of society are inextricably intertwined
  • The federal and provincial governments are important to understanding the context of local/regional government
• Strategic Management for the Public Sector - 2 days

  Course description

  This course offers the participant an overview of the terms and language with strategic management and business planning, along with information to recognize and capitalize on the benefits gained from a successful strategic plan. This course will assist managers to incorporate strategic planning into business planning, budgeting and performance goals. In this course, we also discuss how to analyze strategic business needs and opportunities, consider appropriate issues and stakeholders, and use the SWOT review to analyze a company’s situation.

  Learning objectives

  • Understand the concept of strategic management and business planning and how it relates to public sector management.
  • Identify current organizational needs and interests.
  • Review the key elements of developing and implementing a successful strategy plan. Create and execute an effective strategic business plan.
  • Discuss the relationship between strategic vision vs. a mission statement.
  • Evaluate an organization’s external environment, external resources and current initial conditions.
• Sustainability Strategies for the Public Sector

  Course description

  This course will explore the subject of sustainability (or sustainable development), its meaning and origins and how it relates to different sectors of society, with a focus on local governments. The various roles of local government in fostering both corporate and community sustainability will be explored and strategies will be developed to achieve these roles. Finally, the matter of corporate culture will be considered and a change strategy developed.

  Learning objectives 

  • An enhanced understanding of sustainability from the personal, business and government perspective;
  • Ability to identify sustainability roles for local governments (both corporate and community roles; Development of strategies for municipal leadership in sustainability;
  • Understanding of approaches for creating a culture of sustainability in the public sector, and
  • Personal commitment to becoming a change agent.

Program Information

• Schedule
• Fees, discounts and registration
• Online delivery
• Policies

Requirements

• Application and admission requirements
• Successful completion
• Technology and materials

Funding Options

You may be eligible for funding under the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, you can find more information on our website.

Contact our Continuous Learning funding experts to determine your or your organization’s eligibility for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant.  We can customize programs specifically for your organizational needs. Contact us for more information.