This course will help students understand the nuances, complexities and challenges of leading the delivery of services for a public purpose. Through the use of case studies, students will view challenges from the point of view of how various leaders (the President of the MTA in NYC; the Chair of the EEOC; the Mayor of Indianapolis; the Assistant Director of Airport Security at Logan Airport) have handled the optimization of service delivery in an environment where demand from the public is increasing and resources are scarce. The course will introduce key concepts, issues, strategies and analytical methods to prepare students for a leadership role in delivering services to the public.
Specifically, the course is designed to enable students to:
• Gain insight into the dynamics of leading service delivery, with practical lessons that can be readily applied;
• Understand theories of organizational processes and how they apply to the delivery of services to the public;
• Lead issues related to waiting for the provision of public services;
• Become familiar with the opportunities and pitfalls of privatizing public services;
• Understand how positioning the consumers of public services as customers has the potential to increase accountability;
• Learn basic concepts of supply chain management and how they apply to the provision of public services