University of Palermo

The University of Palermo (Italian: Università degli Studi di Palermo) is a university located in Palermo, Italy, and founded in 1806. Its 12 faculties and 80 departments cover the most important domains of contemporary scientific and technological knowledge. The university serves over 65,000 students.

Our People

Prof. C. Bianchi
Carmine Bianchi graduated in Business Administration at the University of Palermo in 1984. He currently holds the position of full professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences. The main consulting fields which he upholds are Dynamic Balanced Scorecards, Strategic Modelling and Planning in Public Government, Dynamic Scenario Planning and Linking System Dynamics and Accounting Models to support entrepreneurial learning in the planning process and performance evaluation. In the past he worked as a management consultant at Anderson Consulting (Milan) and Praxis Management (Milan). His professional research experience started at Centro Ricerche e Studi Direzionali in Palermo after which he was employed by the University of Palermo. The main focus of the subjects taught in the Master level are Planning and Control Systems, Public Administration Levels and System Dynamics Modelling for Business Strategy.

For a list of publications, please click here.

Dr. E. Bivona
Enzo Bivona currently fills the post of Assistant Professor in Business Management at the University of Palermo. In addition he is the Vice-President of the System Dynamics Group University of Palermo. In 2004 he completed his PhD in Business Management at the University of Catania. He holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy in System Dynamics. In a variety of research projects he has held the position of senior researcher. One of these projects was aimed at developing educational programs to support entrepreneurs and post-graduate students in small business growth through an Interactive Learning Environment (ILE) based on System Dynamics (SD) Methodology.

Dr. F. Cosenz
Dr. Federico Cosenz is Assistant Professor in Business & Public Management at the University of Palermo since 2012. He holds an International PhD in Model Based Public Planning, Policy Design, and Management (University of Palermo, University of Bergen, Radboud University of Njimegen) and a Master of Science in Business Management at the University of Palermo (Italy). He has attended several study programs on Public & Business Management and System Dynamics at the University of Bergen (Norway), at the Radboud University of Nijmegen (The Netherlands) and at the IESE Business School (Barcelona/Spain). Federico Cosenz has also attended the Master course in Tax consultancy, tax planning and international fiscal systems at the LUISS Business School (Rome/Italy), and has worked in consulting firms (tax and legal, audit, accountancy) and banks. Since 2008 he is also a chartered accountant.
His research interests are mainly focused on: Planning & Control Systems, Performance Management and Measurement Systems applied to Enterprises and Public Organizations, SMEs, System Dynamics modeling, Public Policy Design.

Program

Alternating spring semesters in Palermo

• August 2021 (Bergen – Palermo – Radboud – thesis)
• August 2023 (Bergen – Palermo – Radboud – thesis)

Dynamic Performance Management (10 ECTS)
Students gain knowledge about the fundamentals of designing P&C systems to support the steering and management processes of different organizations operating in the public and private management context. They gain a systemic and design-oriented view of P&C, named Dynamic Performance Management (DPM). Students specifically learn about the factors of complexity particularly influencing and characterizing the planning, policy design and management with a specific focus on the public sector. They will also know how to apply the fundamentals of P&C design to public sector organizations, to support their governance and management processes. They also learn to analyze and diagnose organization’s solvency and liquidity, and to draw up plans that reflect the dynamics of the public and private sectors. The students will engage in real life case-study analyses that will be conducted, in which they will apply their knowledge and understanding acquired from the field of P&C, facilitated using DPM mapping. These applications will extend into the courses: “Dynamic Performance Management for Public Sector Organizations” and “Dynamic Performance Governance”. Student learning assessment is based on: (1) a written exam, (2) active participation of students in the development and presentation of case-studies during classes.

Dynamic Performance Governance (12 ECTS)
Students learn to analyze problems (namely, “wicked problems”) through a Dynamic Performance Governance approach at different consequential levels, i.e.  from a departmental, political, interdepartmental, to a cross-institutional, policy network, public governance level.  The need to link the political and managerial level, planning and control, design and implementation, policy formulation and evaluation is emphasized. The benefits of joined-up government and collaborative governance are explored and linked with the need to frame the value chain – involving multiple stakeholders – leading to deliver ‘products’ to citizens, through the fulfillment of processes and activities carried out by a network made of public and private actors. Improving sustainable development, community outcomes, service quality and quality of life are analyzed as primary outcomes of more ‘learning-oriented’ P&C systems, according to a ‘New Public Management and Governance’ perspective in the public domain. Students also learn how to adopt the System Dynamics method as an approach to foster a ‘learning-oriented view of outcome-based performance management in the public sector. They learn how to relate system dynamics models coherently and consistently to other Planning and Control models to better support key-actors’ learning and decision making in and across various public institutions and domains. Student learning assessment is based on: (1) a written exam, (2) active participation of students in the development and presentation of case-studies during classes.

Dynamic Performance Management For Public Sector Organizations (8 ECTS)
Students learn to analyze and evaluate organizational performance in Public sector institutions  through  the  use  of  the  Dynamic  Performance  Management (DPM)  approach.  The  focus  is  on  Public  Sector  Organizations,  as  well  as  on different  consequential  levels,  i.e.  departmental, political, interdepartmental, cross-institutional.  The need to link the political and managerial level,  planning and  control,  design  and  implementation,  policy  formulation  and  evaluation  is also emphasized.  The benefits of applying the Dynamic Performance  Management approach  are  explored,  and  linked  with  the  need  to  frame  the  value  chain leading to deliver ‘products’ to citizens, through the fulfillment of processes and activities.  Improving service quality and operational efficiency are analyzed as primary outcomes of more ‘learning-oriented’ P&C systems, according to a ‘New Public Management’ perspective in the public domain. Student learning assessment is based on: (1) a written exam, (2) active participation of students in the development and presentation of case-studies during classes.

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