MG214: Principles of Public

Sector Management

Introduction and Ass essment

Semester 2, 2020

School of Management and Public Administration

Faculty of Business and Economics
The University of the South Pacific
Produced by The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 2020.

Stock code: 5550000085699

First produced July 2020

Introduction & Assessment team for semester 2, 2020

Course coordinator Dr Maureen Karan
Electronic publisher Pranita Singh
Cover design Strategic Partnerships, Advancement and Communications Office

This material has been prepared by The University of the South Pacific for use by students
enrolled in the course for which it was developed.

It may contain copyright material copied under the provisions of the Fiji Copyright Act 1999 or
under license from rightsholders or their agents. Copyright in material prepared by USP is owned
by USP.

This material cannot be sold or copied for further distribution without the University’s
permission. Where provided in electronic format, it can only be printed by or for the use of the
student enrolled in the course.

MG214 (IA) 22019

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C o n t en t s

Calendar for semester 2, 2020 ...................................................................... iv

Your course coordinator ............................................................................... 1

Course introduction ...................................................................................... 2

USP graduate outcomes ............................................................................... 3

Your learning materials ................................................................................ 3

Your learning support ................................................................................... 4

How to login to Moodle ............................................................................... 6

Assessment overview ................................................................................... 8

Grading system ............................................................................................. 9

Submission of assignments .......................................................................... 11

Plagiarism ..................................................................................................... 13

Assignment 1 ................................................................................................ 15

Assignment 2 ................................................................................................ 16

Past examination paper................................................................................. 17

Student plagiarism cover sheet ..................................................................... 23

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Calendar for semester 2, 2020

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Your course coordinator
Warm welcome to you all!
Thank you for choosing MG214 as one of your courses of study at
USP.
I am Maureen Fatiaki Karan and I will be your course coordinator
this semester.
I was born and raised in Fiji. I have completed my Bachelor of
Arts in Management and Public Administration and Tourism
Studies, Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Public
Administration, Master of Commerce in Management and Public Administration
(Graduate Assistant Scholarship). I have also worked for various organizations such as
Tappoo Group of companies, Pacific Electronic Commerce (Subsidiary of TransTel
Fiji Limited) and the Quality office at The University of the South Pacific. I held
various positions in areas of Sales and Marketing, Human Resource and Quality
Administration.
As an Assistant Lecturer at the University of the South Pacific, I have been teaching
the undergraduate levels. In addition, I have published in the areas of Public
Enterprise Reforms and Human Resource Management.
I sincerely hope that you will enjoy the course and please make an effort to contact me
if you have any questions or concerns. My contact details are given below:

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me:

Room: S205, School of Management and Public Administration,
Faculty of Business and Economics,
The University of the South Pacific,
Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji.

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +679 3232245

Address: School of Management and Public Administration,
Faculty of Business and Economics,
The University of the South Pacific,
Private Mail Bag,
Suva,
Fiji.

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Course introduction
The course will provide students with an (1) overarching understanding of the
principles and practices of public sector management; (2) in-depth discussion of the
traditional model of public administration; and (3) how can be transformed by the
New Public Management (NPM) model. This course focuses on the importance of the
public sector, its environment and the key processes which impact it - public policy
analysis; budgeting, human resource management, capacity building etc. In particular,
the course examines how such processes have changed over time to more effectively
management. Attention is also directed to the public sector reforms in South Pacific
region countries that draw on NPM concepts.

L ea rn i n g o u t co me s
Through interactive and engaging lectures and tutorials, relevant assignments and case
analysis review, class presentations, and tests - final examination, the Lecturer shall
determine cognitive and effective learning outcomes for MG214 students. Students
shall demonstrate the following Course Learning Outcomes:

(1) Strategic Planning – Compare strategic, financial and personnel management

theories, applications and planning practices of the public sector;
(2) Problem-Solving – Propose public service based solutions to critical issues
facing the Pacific region;
(3) Self-Knowledge – Present findings of critical analysis application of PIC issues
individually and in groups;
(4) Government Role – Assess the professionalism, ethical foundations and over-
arching responsibilities of governments, SOE and NGO personnel;
(5) NPM Applications – Prioritize recommendations of current PIC socio-economic
problems as they relate to climate change;
(6) Academic Knowledge – Compare the differences between TPA and NPM in the
Pacific region;
(7) Technical Competency – Apply 1-dimensional problem-solving methods
(SWOT-PEST-4Ms);
(8) Research Literacy – Examine the inter-relatedness of strategic-financial-
personnel management applications;
(9) Management Skills – Differentiate among the roles of the public, private and
independent sectors in the Pacific region; and
(10) Leadership Applications – Justify public sector issue recommendations in
individual and group projects.

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USP graduate outcomes
The USP graduate outcomes are as follows:

1. Communication: Graduates will be able to communicate ideas clearly and

persuasively in structured formats using language and other modes of
communication that are appropriate for context, audience and specific disciplinary
conventions.
2. Creativity: Graduates will extend boundaries of current knowledge in a discipline
or profession.
3. Critical Thinking and Quantitative Reasoning: Graduates will be able to
evaluate multiple perspectives and arrive at a reasonable independent judgement
based on evidence.
4. Ethics: Graduates will demonstrate a commitment to high ethical standards in
scholarly, professional and socio-cultural practices.
5. Pacific Consciousness: Graduates will recognize the cultural heritage and
diversity of Pacific societies for sustainable development in a contemporary
environment.
6. Professionalism: Graduates will demonstrate the ability to carry out tasks to
acceptable standards within their profession and occupations.
7. Teamwork: Graduates will work together in a respectful and collaborative
manner to complete tasks within teams to achieve an outcome.

Your learning materials

You should have already received the following materials a week before semester
starts:
1. The Introduction and Assessment book, which you are reading now.
2. A Course Book.
3. MG214 Moodle page.
Contact your USP Campus or Centre immediately if you are missing any of the
materials mentioned in 1 and 2 above.
4. The prescribed textbook for the course is:
Hughes, O. E (2012) Public Management and Administration, 4th Edition, London;
Macmillan.
You will need to purchase this separately in addition to those mentioned above.
S u p p l e men t a r y ma t er i al s
These will be uploaded in Moodle.

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Your learning support
L o cal t u t o ri al s
To assist you with your studies, regular face-to-face sessions may be held with a tutor.
You should check with your Campus or Centre at the start of semester to see if face-
to-face tutorials will be held for your course.

S t u d y g ro u p s
Most people find it easier to study in a group or with a friend, at least for part of the
time. Working with others helps to motivate us. It provides a shared goal and reduces
feelings of isolation or boredom. Your local Campus or Centre will be able to put you
in touch with students doing this course and may help you get organised.

L i b ra r y se r vi ce s
Making good use of the library and its resources is vital for you to be a successful
student. Learn about library support and services and the importance of information
literacy at your Campus or Centre library.

S t u d en t L e a rn i n g S u p p o rt ( S L S )
Student Learning Support (SLS) provides necessary academic and study skills support
to assist students in their learning experiences. Your local USP Campus or Centre will
be able to connect you with a SLS Specialist.

Y o u r RE A CT se s si o n
Apart from local tutorials, USP uses a system known as REACT which allows you to
hear and see your course coordinator or tutor as well as your fellow students who are
located in the various campuses in the USP region. You may get presentations and
notes in addition to your scheduled session. These are commonly known as satellite
tutorials. You are encouraged to attend the scheduled sessions in the weeks shown in
your study schedule.
Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of these REACT sessions:
1. Note that before your REACT tutorial session begins your tutorial group will
be advised as to who all the participants are (regional and on-campus). Try to
note down names of your colleagues and which Campuses or Centres they are
listening from.
2. Speak slowly and pronounce your words clearly so that your colleagues can
understand what you are saying.
3. Be courteous and try to maintain a polite tone of voice.

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 4. When you want to address your tutorial group, press the "speak button", and
aim to maintain a 6-inch distance between your mouth and the microphone
whilst speaking. Please note that you may be using two different types of
microphones as shown below.

If you have questions or comments to communicate during your tutorial session you
can do so by speaking to a microphone or through the chat tool in REACT.

5. Try not to "steal the show". Remember that each of you will have important
points to add to discussions.

Contact your local USP Campus or Centre for further information on using the
REACT facilities.

O n l i n e l ea rn i n g
Moodle is USP’s learning management system and will be used to support learning in
some of your courses.

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How to login to Moodle
MG214 has a Moodle component, the instructions below will help you access the system.
You will need a computer connected to the Internet. The computer must have a Web
browser such as Firefox or Google Chrome. Such a computer should be available at
your USP Campus (if you don’t already have one at home or work). You will also be
given a username and password by your local USP Campus.
Step 1: Accessing Moodle
 Open your browser: Firefox or Google Chrome.
Type in the following at the address bar: http://elearn.usp.ac.fj/
 Press Enter.

 Alternatively, you can go to the USP website: http://www.usp.ac.fj/ and use the
Quick Links drop down menu to the left of the page and select
Moodle.

Step 2: Username and password

 You will come to a Login screen.
Type your student number in the
Username box.
 Type your student email (webmail)
password in the Password box.
 Click Login.
Step 3: Accessing your course
 You should now see a list of your courses. Click the Course Code and Title of
the course that you are enrolled in to enter. For example:

Lost or forgotten password

Contact your local ITS student Helpdesk or email: [email protected]

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 Study schedule
P l an n i n g yo u r w or k
To help you keep up with the course, we suggest you allocate at least 2 hours a day to
study. Plan your time using this study schedule.

Week no. and date Unit Assignments and tutorials

1 Unit 1: Introduction to Public Sector
06–10 July Management
2 Unit 2: Role of the Government
13–17 July
Unit 3: The Old Public Sector and the Satellite tutorial 1:
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New Public Management Wednesday 22nd July, 2020;
20–24 July
(NPM) Model * Time: 7pm‒8pm
4 Unit 4: Public Management
27–31 July
Unit 5: Public Policy Satellite tutorial 2:
Wednesday 5th August 2020; * Time: 7pm‒8pm
5
03–07 August
Assignment 1 due
Friday 7th August, 2020
6 Unit 6: Governance
10–14 August
Unit 7: Regulation, Contracting andSatellite tutorial 3:
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Public Ownership Wednesday 19th August 2020;
17–21 August
* Time: 7pm‒8pm
22 –30 August MID-SEMESTER BREAK
8 Unit 8: Stakeholders and External
31 August– Constituencies
04 September
Unit 9: Accountability Satellite tutorial 4:
Wednesday 9th September 2020;
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* Time: 7pm‒8pm
07–11 September
Assignment 2 due
Friday 11th September, 2020
10 Unit 10: Strategic Management
14–18 September
Unit 11: Leadership and Managing Satellite tutorial 5:
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People Wednesday 23rd September 2020;
21–25 September
* Time: 7pm‒8pm
12 Unit 12: Financial Performance
28 September– Management
02 October
Unit 13: E-Government Satellite tutorial 6:
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Wednesday 7th October 2020;
05–09 October
* Time: 7pm‒8pm
14 REVISION
12–16 October
15
STUDY BREAK
17–25 October

16 & 17 EXAMINATIONS
26 October– Check with your USP Campus or Centre for the exact time and date of your
06 November examination.

* Fiji dates and times (GMT + 12 hours)

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Assessment overview
This course is assessed in 2 ways:
Continuous assessment 50%
Final examination 50%
Total value 100%

C o n t i n u o u s a s ses s m en t
Continuous assessment makes up 50% of the final score and includes 2 assignments. It
is weighted in the following way:
Assignment 1 15%
Assignment 2 15%
Test 20%
Total value 50%

Mid semester test

You will be required to sit a mid-semester test in week 8 of the semester. This will
account for 20% of your total course mark and will be 2 hours in duration. Please
confirm the date and time with your Campus or Student Administrative Services. A
sample past test paper is available at the end of this book.

Final examination
The final examination will consist of a 3 hour paper at the end of your course. This
will account for 50% of your final course mark. Please confirm the date and time with
your Campus or Student Administrative Services. A sample past final examination
paper is available at the end of this book.

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Grading system
(a) The following grading system will be used by all faculties in awarding final grades
for academic performance in a course:
i. Pass grades

GRADE PERCENTAGE (%) DESCRIPTION

A+ 85+ Pass with Distinction
A 78‒84 Pass with Distinction
B+ 71‒77 Pass with Credit
B 64‒70 Pass with Credit
C+ 57‒63 Pass
C 50‒56 Pass

ii. Other Pass Grades

GRADE DESCRIPTION
R Restricted Pass
AEG Aegrotat Pass
COM Compassionate
CMPT Competent (for competency
based assessment)
NYC Not yet competent
PAS Pass or Competent
Recognition of prior learning Recognition of prior learning
S Satisfactory Satisfactory
T Credit Transfer
Note: PAS and S are used in circumstances where graded passes are inappropriate
such as in postgraduate thesis and Professional Diploma in Legal Practice

iii. Fail Grades

GRADE PERCENTAGE DESCRIPTION

(%)
D 40‒49 Work below the standard required
for a failure to meet course
minimum requirement
E 0‒39 (less than) Very weak performance or failure to
complete to the satisfaction of the
examiner such practical, field or
other work as may be prescribed
EX Failed because student did not sit the
final
NC Not completed

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 NV Null and Void: This is awarded for
plagiarism or dishonest practice
U Unsatisfactory
Fail Failure to achieve a pass in a thesis
Note: Fail and U correspond with Pass and S above respectively.

iv. Provisional Results

GRADE DESCRIPTION
I Incomplete
IP In Progress
SE Special Exam Granted

(b) Students shall be awarded an Aegrotat or Compassionate Pass if they satisfy the
conditions prescribed in clauses 6.4 or 6.5 of these Regulations respectively.

(c) Students may be awarded a Restricted Pass if they satisfy the conditions
prescribed in clause 8.

(d) Students who have been granted an extension of time (before the start of the
following semester/trimester) past the last day of lectures to complete work
required for the final assessment of their course shall be awarded:

(i) the provisional grade of I (Incomplete) for an undergraduate or postgraduate

course assessed by coursework; or

(ii) IP (In Progress) for a Supervised Research Project or thesis for a Master’s
degree or a thesis for a PhD degree. At the end of the period of extension the
relevant Assessment Board shall determine a final grade.

(e) Students who have not submitted their Master’s or PhD thesis or Supervised
Research Project by the end of the maximum period of candidature prescribed in
these Regulations shall be awarded the grade of NC (Not Completed).

(Extracted from the 2020 Handbook & Calendar, https://www.usp.ac.fj)

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Submission of assignments
Moodle
You are advised to submit all your assignments before the dates given in your study
schedule or on your course Moodle page to allow for a similarity report from Turnitin,
giving you ample time to make any necessary changes that may be required before the
final due date. Please upload them in the correct assignment drop box. Your
assignment file must be carefully labelled (see below).

Turnitin currently accepts the following file types for upload as an assignment:
MS Word (.doc, .docx), PostScript (.eps), Portable Document Format (.pdf), HTML
(.html), Rich Text (.rtf) and Plain Text (.txt).

Note: Turnitin does not support the following file types: Excel (.xls, .xlsx),
Powerpoint (.ppt, .pptx) or Zipped (.zip, .rar).

Hard copy
You should submit all assignments by the dates given on your study schedule. Please
submit them in the correct order and address the envelope to the Course Coordinator.
For each assignment, you should fill out a yellow assignment cover form which you
collect from Student Administrative Services (SAS). If you do not have assignment
covers, contact your USP Campus.

PleFor Suva based FLstudents, all assignments are to be posted or dropped off
at the allocated boxes in your Faculty at Laucala Campus.
The only assignment(s) that are to be posted or dropped off at Student
Administrative Services at Laucala Campus are for the Agriculture courses.
For all other FLstudents, please confirm with your Course Coordinator
about your assignment submission.

It is very important that you keep to the study schedule and complete the assignments
so that you get regular feedback on your progress through this course.

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C o r r ec t l ab el l i n g o f a s si g n m en t s
Please be very careful to correctly label your assignments. On each assignment cover
or e-copy file that you send in or upload for marking, you should write or type:
 the full name you used to enrol in this course;
 your student identification number;
 the correct course code and title; and
 the assignment number.

Correct labelling will help ensure that the marker receives your assignment on time,
and that you get the credit for the work that you do. If your marker receives one of
your assignments late because you did not label it correctly, you may lose marks.

L at e as si g n men t s
If you expect to be over two weeks late in submitting an assignment, write to your
course coordinator. You should explain why you are late and suggest a revised
schedule that will allow you to complete the remaining assignments on time.
Your course coordinator may mark a late assignment if there is a good reason for its
delay. In deciding whether to mark late assignments, your course coordinator will give
greater consideration to students in remote areas with little or no access to their USP
Campus, Centre or tutorial help.
USP reserves the right to decide whether or not to mark late assignments. It is in your
interest to send in your assignments on time. The assignment schedule gives your
course coordinator time to provide you with regular feedback on your progress, before
it is too late for you to use this information constructively in your studies.
Your course coordinator will not mark any assignment received after the final
examination.

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Plagiarism
(a) Plagiarism is the copying of another person’s creative work and using it as one’s
own, without explicitly giving credit to the original creator. Work copied without
acknowledgement from any written source including a book, from another
student’s work, from the internet or from any other source, is plagiarism.
(b) Plagiarism includes:
(i) Copying of the published or unpublished works of another writer without
acknowledging the source using acceptable reference citation methods. Thus,
to ‘cut and paste’ from internet sources or ‘lift’ sentences, ideas and sections
from a textual source.
(ii) Lifting or cutting and pasting extracts without quotation marks and
appropriate acknowledgement of sources.
(iii) Paraphrasing of content and ideas without proper acknowledgement of the
source.
(iv) The use of images, diagrams, photographs and material from any source
including blogs and social networks, without acknowledgement.
(v) Copying part or all, of one’s own or another student’s assignment. In this
instance, ‘student assignment’ refers to a piece of academic work submitted
for assessment purposes for any course, in past or current years at any
educational institutional including USP or any other university.
1.2 Cheating
(a) Cheating involves acting in any way that directly contradicts the explicit rules and
guiding principles of that form of assessment. It applies in any form of
examination including short tests, quizzes and final examinations.
(b) Cheating includes:
(i) Doing anything to gain an unfair or illicit academic advantage in any
assessment or examination;
(ii) Possessing, referring to or having access to any material, or to access the
internet ‘crib’ notes or device containing information directly or indirectly
related to the subject matter under examination other than what is explicitly
approved for examination purposes;
(iii) Using a mobile phone to communicate with any other student or person
inside or outside the examination venue;
(iv) Copying from another student in a test or examination enabling another
student to cheat in a test or examination;
(v) Soliciting a person to sit a test or final examination in place of the student
enrolled, or sitting a test or final examination in the place of another student;
(vi) Manipulation of scores in tests or examination or in any other form of
assessment; and
(vii) Enabling another student in any, or a combination of any, of the above.

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1.3 Collusion
(a) Collusion means working with someone else to deceive or mislead to gain an
unfair academic advantage.
(b) Collusion includes:
(i) Submission of a paper that has been written by an author other than the
author credited for that piece of writing. This includes the use of paid
services of a student, or any other person who has been solicited for that
purpose.
(ii) Facilitating or enabling another student to plagiarise or cheat in any way.
1.4 Mandatory use of Turnitin – plagiarism detection software
(a) Students are required to submit all written work through Turnitin via Moodle
online to check their work for originality and to ensure that appropriate
referencing and citation is used. Turnitin currently accepts the following file types
for upload:
 Microsoft Word™ (DOC and DOCX),

 Corel WordPerfect®,

 HTML,

 Adobe PostScript®,

 Plain text (TXT)

 Rich Text Format (RTF),

 Portable Document Format (PDF),

 OpenOffice (ODT)

 Hangul (HWP)

 Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX, and PPS).

(b) Students are actively encouraged to use Turnitin to check drafts of their written
work to improve their writing and guard against unintentional plagiarism.
Submitting other students’ work is strictly not allowed.
(c) All Turnitin reports will be reviewed. A score of 20% or more on Turnitin will
trigger a discussion between the Course Coordinator to evaluate the findings with
consequences if plagiarism is proven. In some cases, work with a score of 20% or
less can still contain significantly plagiarised content e.g. 10–15% from one
source, to which penalties will apply if proven.

(Extracted from the 2020 Handbook & Calendar, https://www.usp.ac.fj)

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Assignment 1
Due date: Friday 7th August 2020 (Week 5) 4pm (Fiji day and time)
Value: 15%
Length: 1,000 words overall excluding reference list

“Late assignments will attract a penalty of 10% (of assignment mark) mark
deduction per day of delay. If you delay, notify the coordinator with the proof
of the delay (e.g. sick-sheet etc...) and a draft of whatever you did on
assignment before or by the due date”. The Course Coordinator will only allow
extension if the excuse is justified and evidence is provided. It is in your best
interest to submit timely assignments. Assignments delayed by two weeks or
more will not be marked.

Question:

Write an essay to discuss Max Weber’s theory and its relevance to the public sector.
You must discuss the six principles outlined by Max Weber. Use relevant examples
from the Pacific to explain your answer.

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Assignment 2
Due date: Friday 11th September, 2020 (Week 9) ‒ 4pm (Fiji day and time)
Value: 15%
Length: 1,500 words overall excluding reference list

“Late assignments will attract a penalty of 10% (of assignment mark) mark
deduction per day of delay. If you delay, notify the coordinator with the proof
of the delay (e.g. sick-sheet etc...) and a draft of whatever you did on
assignment before or by the due date”. The coordinator will only allow
extension if the excuse is justified and evidence is provided. It is in your best
interest to submit timely assignments. Assignments delayed by two weeks or
more will not be marked.

Write an essay in which you will critically analyse whether public private partnership
is working or not in the Pacific Island Countries. For this question you will have to
discuss the advantages and disadvantages of public private partnerships and give
relevant examples from the Pacific.

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Past examination paper
You are given the following past examination paper to help you to prepare for your
final examination. However, remember that the examination paper that you will take
this semester may not follow exactly the same structure, format or content as this one.

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Student plagiarism cover sheet
Statement of originality
Course: …………………………………………………………………………
Item of assessment attached here: ………………………………….......................
Student name: …………………………………………….....................................
Student No: ………………………………………………………………………..
Campus: …………………………………………………………………………...

I have read and understood The University of the South Pacific’s, School of
Management and Public Administration policy on academic misconduct and
plagiarism. I am aware of the following:
 The view taken by the Head of the School of Management and Public
Administration is that failure to acknowledge or inadequate acknowledging the
work of another will result in a student receiving an official written warning and a
mark of 0 for that piece of work.
 If the plagiarism case is regarded by the Head of School Management and Public
Administration as substantial (for example a significant failure to acknowledge a
source) it will be forwarded to the Student Development Committee of Senate (the
Discipline Committee).
 The School of Management and Public Administration has introduced a database
of those students who have been reported to the Head of School of Management
and Public Administration for plagiarism and the penalty that was imposed and
that repeat offenders (regardless as to the extent of the plagiarism) will be
automatically referred to the Discipline Committee.

I confirm that the work contained in the attached item of assessment is entirely my
own work except where I have specifically acknowledged another’s work and the
source of that other’s work.

Signature: ………………………………

Please note submission of this declaration is a requirement for all pieces of

written coursework assessment (Attach this sheet with Assignments 1 and 2) and
marks may be withheld for failure to submit a completed declaration.

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