AIP773 - Accountability, Integrity and Governance
| Year: | 2027 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 3: Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | AIL773 |
| Study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
| Scheduled learning activities - online: | 1 x 2-hour online seminar per week |
Content
Accountability has long been central to theories and practices of effective governance, providing the framework in which the exercise of power is explained, justified and constrained. Yet in many countries, traditional understandings of accountability have been challenged, revised, and at times reinvented in response to profound economic, political and social change. Among these transformations is a shift from a primary concern with economic and physical security toward “post- material” priorities such as citizen voice, self- expression and participation in decision-making. At the same time, new pressures such as the rise of social media and disinformation have complicated how accountability is demanded, achieved and evaluated in contemporary politics.
In this evolving context, accountability cannot be understood in isolation from integrity. While accountability focuses on answerability and oversight, integrity concerns the coherence between values, rules and conduct across institutions and actors. Governance systems that are formally accountable but lack integrity risk becoming procedural rather than principled, meeting reporting requirements without sustaining public trust. This unit therefore treats integrity as a foundational complement to accountability, shaping how obligations are interpreted and enacted in practice.
The unit explores how these developments reshape governance across key institutions, including constitutions, political parties, public bureaucracies, and public–private networks. Policy- making is examined within a dense web of political, legal, fiscal, and ethical accountability relationships to diverse stakeholders. Students are encouraged to develop a critical understanding of how these relationships can be complementary but also conflicting, generating tensions that require careful judgment.
A central aim of the unit is to equip students to navigate this complexity with analytical rigor and ethical sensitivity. By integrating perspectives on accountability and integrity, the unit invites students to consider how governance can remain responsive, trustworthy and effective in conditions of rapid change.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.