Professional Certification in Public Management: A Status Report and Proposal

Abstract

Certification of public managers is a logical, albeit controversial, byproduct of public administration's (PA) evolution toward professional state (Mosher, 1968; 99). Although it has not commanded nearly as much attention as other concerns relating to the professionalization of the field (e.g., the propagation and enforcement of ethical guidelines), certification is viewed by many as a necessary stage in PA's maturation into a recognized profession (Finkle, 1985; Swan, 1985). It has progressed in some of public management's subfields, such as in the budgeting area, but has not been widely discussed in regard to generalist administrators. Serious discussions of certification first occurred during the mid-1970s. Precipitating events included the creation of the Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program in the State of Georgia, followed closely by the spread of similar programs in New Jersey, Arizona, Florida, and other states. These initiatives were usually spurred by the involvement of reform-oriented governors whose agenda included the improvement of public services through enhanced employee performance (Henning and Wilson, 1982). Meanwhile, the advent of MPA program accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) prompted further interest in professional certification (Daniels and Johansen, 1985). Accreditation fostered the impression that the practice of public management could be boiled down into a generic core of knowledge; if so, this essence could be imparted through education and assessed through examination. Because these are preconditions of a certification process, accreditation's arrival stimulated predictions that some form of licensure or certification would soon become an accepted fact within the public management community (Jones, 1985). It has now been nearly two decades since the first CPM program was created, and one decade since the issuance of optimistic forecasts concerning the inevitability of professional certification (Finkle, 1985; Jones, 1985). This article provides a status report on generalist certification within public management, especially insofar as it relates to the efforts and activities of CPM programs. After an overview of the debate surrounding the certification question, the growth and development of CPM programs is chronicled. The success of these programs in attracting, retaining, and certifying public managers is summarized, and we provide suggestions on how the certification movement might be invigorated. Specifically, we suggest a means by which public management might he further professionalized through a marriage of CPM and MPA programs. Professionalization and Certification: Underlying Tensions Efforts to promote certification within public management are inseparable from the broader questions surrounding professionalization. An expert civil service is, on the one hand, regarded as an important asset that sets our government apart from those in less-advanced societies. This, coupled with out long-standing affection for technical proficiency, translates into an abiding belief in the inherent value of a professional orientation. Insofar as the civil service is concerned, however, professionalization has never been regarded as an unqualified virtue. The American political system has long wrestled with the most basic conundrum in managing a civil service within a democracy: how to strike a proper balance between the goals of expertise and accountability. To the extent that public employees adhere to a professional orientation, it is feared that they will be less accountable to the people and less responsive to their political superiors. In addition to this fundamental dichotomy, a diverse array of arguments has arisen both for and against the continued growth of a professional public service. On the negative side, professionalism is accused of encouraging an introverted perspective that serves the public poorly (what Waldo [1968] calls inward-facing selfishness). …