What you will learn
- explain the role of public finance and public financial management (PFM) for governments, the economy and the public
- describe how governments create and enact policies, including PFM policies
- explain how public sector goods and services are financed
- describe the objectives, benefits and challenges of PFM reform
- explain the importance of ethical practices and apply ethical decision-making throughout your PFM work.
About this Course
This foundational course builds your understanding of public finance from the core concepts, showing why effective management of public money matters for governments, services and citizens. It introduces the ethical principles that run through the entire certificate and brings in PFM reform – a new and timely addition for 2026 – to show how better systems and decisions can deliver both social impact and financial efficiency.
Course structure
Module 1 |
Introduction to Public Finance |
Module 2 |
Government and the Economy |
Module 3 |
Policy-Making |
Module 4 |
Public Sector Funding |
Module 5 |
PFM Reform |
Module 6 |
Ethics |
Key information
- This course is:
- On‑demand learning — start anytime and study when it suits you
- Self‑paced — move through each course at your own speed
- Virtual access — learn from anywhere, no fixed schedule
- Interactive content — engage with practical tasks and real‑world scenarios
- The final assessment is a 1-hour, 25-question multiple-choice assessment.
- This course has six modules.
- Complete all modules and pass the assessment to gain your certificate and digital badge.
