Insegnamento a.a. 2018-2019

• Introduction to Accounting in the public sector.
• Budgetary accounting: main principles and budgeting processes.
• Accounting techniques: cash and commitment accounting.
• Accruals accounting: main principles, technique and concepts.
• Reading and analyzing accruals-based financial statements.
• Pros and cons of different accounting systems in the public sector.
• Introducing and implementing accruals accounting in the public sector: critical issues.
• Pros and cons of different accounting systems in the public sector.
• The goals of financial management in the public sector.
• Funding and financing public investments.
• Public Private Partnerships.
• Cash Flow analysis.
• Investment decisions.

• The fundamentals of performance measurement in the public sector.

• Main challenges and specificities for measuring performance in the public sector.

• How to design appropriate indicators to measure performance at different levels of public sector activities.

• How to incorporate and use performance information for managing public sector organizations.

• Prepare, use and read a budget (in the form used by the main public organizations).
• Discuss and interpret different political strategies in term of budget preparation.
• Recognize, implement and analyze the existing public accounting basis.
• Discuss, analyze and select different funding strategies in the public realm.
• Perform and comment financial analysis.
• Prepare and discuss financial plans based on innovative sources of funding.
• Design and implement performance measurement systems.
• Appreciate performance management issues in the public realm.
• Solve performance management dilemma in the public realm.
• Revise performance management systems at different levels.

• Recognize the different use of budgeting information that can be done.
• Be ready to discuss different accounting techniques and their meanings and implications for the public sector.
• Comment budget and accounting document in a critical and technical way.
• Evaluate different and funding options and support public administration in selecting specific solutions for new investments.
• Implement performance management systems, considering public sector specificities and criticalities.
• Judge public performance and discuss managerial implications of measurement and evaluation techniques.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Exercises (exercises, database, software etc.)
• Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)

• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance). Guest lectures featuring high-profile individuals are organized throughout the course. Informative, and stimulating, these talks aim to open student’s eyes on the relevance of the topic discussed in class, support their professional development and help them build network of contacts.
• Exercises (Exercises, database, software etc.) Throughout the course students engage in a exercises on public accounting, financial and performance management. The final aim is to foster active learning through immediate application of concepts discussed in class.
• Case studies/Incidents (traditional, online). Case studies and incidents are regularly used to highlight the relevance of the contents discussed as we all as strengthen students’ ability to apply acquired knowledge to solve real life challenge.
• Group assignments. Group assignment is overarching three pillars of the course (public accounting, financial and performance management) and it is based on a management game devided in three separate but interrelated parts. Students are asked to prepare the budget (in the form used by the main public organizations); prepare and discuss financial plans based on innovative sources of funding and design a performance measurement system of selected projects. The instructions are given at the beginning of the course and specific guidelines explained at the before each part. Students have approximately 2-3 weeks to work on each part.
• Interactive class activities (Role playing, Business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls). Students have the chance to participate in a role playing discussion and simulations of financial analysis for public investments.  

1. Group assignment (40% of the final grade). Students take the role of experts in local government who are required to:
   • Prepare the budget through participatory budgeting process.
   • Assess the financial feasibility.
   • Design a performance measurement system for selected projects in strategic areas of activity.  They are required to deal with an unstructured problem without a unique solution for which various positions can be argued. They must identify relevant information and organize this information effectively. The group assignment, through management game, enables students to discuss and interpret different political strategies in term of budget preparation, prepare and discuss financial plans based on innovative sources of funding and solve performance management dilemma in the public realm. 
2. Written exam (60% of the final grade), consisting of exercises and open questions aimed to assess students’ ability to apply the theoretical and analytical tools illustrated during the course. 
3. Active class participation. In-class participation aimed to test the students’ ability to interact in a constructive way and to think critically, in addition to  attendance. 

Student attendance is checked 8 times during the course with a self-assessment survey. This part of the assessment allow students to generate extra points.

Students’ assessment is based on one final written exam. It is made up of several open-ended questions referring to the concepts, models and cases contained in the textbooks and exam materials. 

Textbooks:

• R. JONES, M. PENDLEBUTY, Public Sector Accounting, Cardiff University, 2010, Financial Times Press, Pearson, 2010, 6th edition, ISBN-10: 0273720368 -ISBN-13: 9780273720362.
• W. VAN DOOREN, G. BOUCKAERT, J. HALLIGAN, Performance Management in the Public Sector, 2015 Routledge, 2nd edition, ISBN 978 0 415 73810.

Additional readings and other materials (i.e. lecture slides) are listed in the syllabus and made available in the Online learning space and in the Course Reserves.

Textbooks:

• R. JONES, M. PENDLEBUTY, Public Sector Accounting, Cardiff University, 2010, Financial Times Press, Pearson, 2010, 6th edition, ISBN-10: 0273720368 -ISBN-13: 9780273720362.
• W. VAN DOOREN, G. BOUCKAERT, J. HALLIGAN, Performance Management in the Public Sector, 2015 Routledge, 2nd edition, ISBN 978 0 415 73810.

Selected papers (downloadable from Bocconi library):

• J. VAN HELDEN, Literature review and challenging research agenda on politicians’ use of accounting information, Public Money & Management, 2016, 36:7, 531-538.
• N. HYNDMAN, M. LIGUORI, R.E. MEYER, et al., The translation and sedimentation of accounting reforms. A comparison of the UK, Austrian and Italian experiences, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 2014, 25(4), 388-408.
• E. BRACCI, C. HUMPHREY, J. MOLL, et al.,  Public sector accounting, accountability and austerity: more than balancing the books?, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 2015, Vol. 28 Iss 6 pp. 878 – 908.
• K. FRYER, J. ANTONY, S. OGDEN, Performance management in the public sector, International Journal of Public Sector Management, 2009, Vol. 22 Issue: 6, pp.478-498,https://doi.org/10.1108/09513550910982850.