Public Administration Degree Research Articles

Career Paths and Professionalism: Examining ICMA Credentials among City Managers

The emphasis on professionalism in public administration has highlighted the importance of city managers and their role in managing cities effectively. While there are various avenues for city managers to improve their professionalism, such as a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree, there has been limited research on other organizations that facilitate professionalism. This paper focuses on the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) credentialing program. ICMA is a nationally recognized organization that helps dictate professional norms among city managers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations of city managers who pursue additional credentials and to identify the types of city managers who are more likely to attain professional certification. I argue that the ambition of city managers, as measured through their career path, is related to their pursuit of professionalism. Specifically, city managers with a diagonal career path are more likely to attain additional professional certification compared to those with a ladder career path because it signals their promising ability to future employers, namely city councils. To test this hypothesis, this paper uses two datasets. The first dataset examines the career paths of city managers in California, Florida, and North Carolina from 2012 to 2023. The second dataset focuses on newly hired chief administrators from 2021 to 2023 across the United States, drawing data from the ICMA job advertising information. From these two datasets, I find that city managers with diagonal career paths are more likely to possess ICMA credentials than those with ladder career paths.

Академия будущего для будущего России

Dear readers! The guest of the journal “Municipality: Economy and Management” is the director of the Ural Institute of Management of the Presidential Academy Oleg V. Gushchin. His interlocutor is the editor-in-chief of the journal, Advanced Doctor of Law, Full Professor Igor V. Vydrin.Official information. Oleg V. Gushchin was born on November 24, 1972 in Lesnoy, Sverdlovsk region. In 1996, he graduated from the Ural Academy of Public Administration (hereinafter referred to as UAPA) with a degree in Public and Municipal Administration. He continued his studies at UAPA with a degree in Jurisprudence and received the qualification of lawyer in 1998. In 2014, Oleg V Gushchin completed his master’s degree at the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (hereinafter referred to as UrFU) in the field of training in Social Work. From 1990 to 1998, he worked in the Komsomol and public service. In 1998, Oleg V. Gushchin was accepted into the civil service as the head of the Youth Policy Department of the Department of Youth Affairs and Relations with Public Organizations of the Sverdlovsk Region. From 1999 to 2010 – Director of the Department of Youth Affairs of the Sverdlovsk Region. During 2010-2019, Oleg V. Gushchin worked at UrFU as Vice-Rector for Social and Youth Policy, Advisor to the Rector’s Office. From 2019 to 2022 – Director of the Department of Youth Policy of the Ministry of Education and Youth Policy of the Sverdlovsk Region. Since October 2022 – Director of the Ural Institute of Management – branch of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. Oleg V. Gushchin is a candidate of sociological sciences.

SUBJECT-OBJECT DIRECTION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROBLEMS: METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF FORMULATION AND WAYS TO SOLVE THEM

The article actualizes the methodological problem of specifying the directions of scientific researches in the specialty «Public Administration and Governance» in the third year of higher education. The relevant problem is considered through the prism of the absence of an officially approved standard of higher education at the educational and scientific level in the relevant specialty. Attention is drawn to the fact that the organization of scientific researches in the field of knowledge «Public Administration and Governance», in contrast to the researches carried out within the field of science «Public Administration» are carried out by applicants for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy without ensuring compliance of the content of qualification work with any directions of scientific research institutionalized at the state level. The article substantiates the fundamental difference between the methodological support of the applicant's choice of a scientific degree of subject-object direction of scientific research which is carried out in the field of knowledge «Public Administration and Governance» and in the field of science «Public Administration». Attention is drawn to the fact of absence of officially institutionalized at the state level for the field of knowledge «Public Administration and Governance» directions of organization of scientific research becomes the reason for actualization of risks of incorrect choice by the applicant for the degree «Doctor of Philosophy» of the focus of his scientific research. In contrast, a researcher who prepares a qualification work within the field of science «Public Administration», for example, the applicant for a doctoral degree in public administration, despite their conceptual maturity as a scientist, has a completely exhaustive list of research areas within the officially approved specialty passports. It is proposed to solve the problem of inconsistency of the researcher's previous research experience with the level of methodological support for the choice of the subject-object direction of scientific research through the prism of expanding (changing) the list of specialties within the field of knowledge «Public Administration and Management» and/or providing for separate specializations within the existing specialty. On the one hand, such a step, will allow to order the directions of scientific researches in accordance with the focus of attention of a particular field of knowledge, and on the other hand, it will contribute to improving of the quality of preparation and conducting of scientific research. The indirect result of expanding (changing) the list of specialties within the field of knowledge «Public Administration and Governance» may be its further development, for example, in the direction of ensuring correlation with the field of science «Public Administration».

The scholarship of teaching and learning in public administration: An agenda for future research

ABSTRACT Two essential questions for those leading the field of public administration are: What do we teach our students, and how do we train them? As scholars, we pay significant attention to our research, often to the detriment of recognizing the potential for merging our research with teaching through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). However, given our students’ leadership positions, SoTL-related work is vital to their success. In this article, we have come together to reflect on the state of SoTL’s work in public administration. Through this reflection, we explore the windows of opportunity for research that we see emerging. Included among these opportunities is the need for research on how we can best serve students in and out of the classroom, as well as research the most effective way of managing our programs. We also see the need for research into faculty development, instructional design, and the return on investment for a public administration degree. Lastly, we argue for improved recognition of the value and contribution of SoTL-related work in tenure and promotion standards.

Career mentorship of graduate students in public administration at the intersection of the relationship between students and faculty

ABSTRACTStudents pursue graduate degrees in public administration for many career-related reasons. Accordingly, graduate students have various career and professional development needs, some of which are fulfilled through career mentorship by faculty. This study examines career mentorship of graduate students in public administration from both the student and faculty mentor perspectives. Using qualitative data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with public administration graduate students and faculty, we couple the different perspectives to develop an understanding of the core elements of career mentoring for graduate students. We also provide practical suggestions on how to ensure career mentorship is beneficial to graduate students in public administration programs.

He Who Has Hope, Has Everything.

He Who Has Hope, Has Everything.

Ethics and Moral Agency for a Postpandemic Era: Beyond the Storm.

Laura Lee (Dolly) Swisher, PT, MDiv, PhD, FAPTA, the 53rd Mary McMillan Lecturer, is professor emerita and former director of the school of physical therapy and rehabilitation sciences at the University of South Florida in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Dr Swisher received a bachelor of arts degree from Wilson College and is a 1986 physical therapy graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis. She received the M.Div. from Andover Newton Theological School and a doctoral degree in public administration from Tennessee State University. Dr Swisher is a highly regarded expert on professionalism, ethics, and interprofessional education and has been a featured speaker at local, state, and national conferences. She is the coauthor of Rehabilitation Ethics for Professional Practice, Professionalism in Physical Therapy and Legal and Ethical Issues in Physical Therapy and is a lead author or coauthor of multiple peer reviewed articles and individual book chapters. She served as a member and chair of the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education, was former chair and member of the APTA Ethics and Judicial Committee, and served as co-chair of the Task Force to Revise the Core Ethics Documents. Dr Swisher served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Physical Therapy Education and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation. She is the recipient of APTA's Lucy Blair Service Award and the Polly Cerasoli Lecture Award and is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA.

Innovation: It's in Our DNA.

Colleen M. Kigin, PT, DPT, MS, MPA, FAPTA, the 52nd Mary McMillan Lecturer, is a consultant focused on innovation. She is a visiting clinical professor at the University of Colorado physical therapy program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and an adjunct associate professor at the MGH Institute of Health Professions (MGH IHP). From 1998-2014, she held the positions of chief of staff and program manager for the Center of Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology, a 12-institution consortium based in Boston, Massachusetts, developing innovative solutions to health care problems. She subsequently has served as a consultant to such efforts as the University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, United Kingdom, to develop an innovation culture. In 1994, she joined the newly formed Partners HealthCare System in Boston, coordinating the system's cost reduction efforts through 1998. Kigin previously served as director of physical therapy services at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) (1977-1984) and as assistant professor at MGH IHP (1980-1994). While at MGH, she was responsible for the merger of 2 separate physical therapy departments, the establishment of the first nonphysician specialist position, and practice without referral for the physical therapy services. Kigin has held numerous positions within the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), serving on the Board of Directors from 1988-1997, including as vice president; co-chair of The Physical Therapy Summit in 2007; and co-chair of FiRST, the Frontiers in Rehabilitation, Science and Technology Council. She also served as prior chair of the APTA Committee on Clinical Residencies and served on the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Kigin earned a bachelor of science degree in physical therapy at the University of Colorado, a master of science degree at Boston University, a master's degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a doctor in physical therapy degree from the MGH IHP.

Teaching international comparative public management through a development lens

The article tackles the question, how to provide students with a comparative orientation to public administration. We eschew the older tradition of comparing major systems such British parliamentary system or French bureaucratic approaches to organizations’ structure. Rather, we seek to understand public administration in countries with different cultures, histories, and political regimes by focusing on international development. Our students are drawn from the Master of Public Administration degree program and the Master of International Affairs degree program. What unites them is an interest in international affairs and the desire to work internationally; international students take what they learn and apply it in their home countries. We ground the course on a model of international development with a strong focus on development in governance. We spend the first third of the class creating a development lens for understanding global practices in public management in which they use what they learned in the first part of the course to analyze a range of public management issues within governmental institutions and/or in working in the nongovernmental organizations and intergovernmental organization sectors. We use detailed case studies drawn from several case data banks to apply some of the core concepts of public administration such as leadership, stakeholder analysis, complexity, and implementation to development challenges such as fiscal issues, poverty alleviation, interorganizational collaboration, and human rights. We do this with a range of in-class exercises and assignments that students do out of class. One goal we have is to provide students with knowledge and skills to enhance their ability to work internationally since many have gone on to work for donor and various implementing organizations in international development. We believe that this is a reasonable measure of success of the approach we have taken to comparative public administration.

Influential Article Review - What Are the Information System Competencies That Managers Must Have? Advancement of Public Administration Degree Program

This paper examines information technology. We present insights from a highly influential paper. Here are the highlights from this paper: This paper analyzes the competences required by executives to manage information system, and consequently, the competences that must define the information system subjects in non-technical degrees, degrees, such as Public Administration or Business Management. This work reviews the literature about business managers’ competences on Information Technologies (IT) and compares the theory with the traditional body of knowledge about information systems taught at business schools. By analyzing the executives’ function, their role in the information system management, and, above, all the importance of their decisions in the effective integration of IT in business processes, this work proposes specific development in seven knowledge areas that facilitate the acquisition of these types of executive competences. For our overseas readers, we then present the insights from this paper in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German.

МАГИСТРЫ ПУБЛИЧНОГО УПРАВЛЕНИЯ И АДМИНИСТРИРОВАНИЯ НМАПО ИМЕНИ П. Л. ШУПИКА - НОВАЯ МОДЕЛЬ СПЕЦИАЛИСТОВ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ СФЕРЫ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ

Цель исследования: определение составляющих модели руководителя национальной сферы здравоохранения начала XXI века - слушателя магистерской программы «Публичное управление и администрирование» Национальной медицинской академии последипломного образования имени П. Л. Шупика. Материалы и методы. Проанализированы научные источники по теме (11 ед.) с использованием методов системного подхода и системного анализа. Результаты. Реформирование здравоохранения Украины требует решения очень важной и неотложной задачи - подготовки магистров публичного управления и администрирования в сфере здравоохранения. Этот процесс в НМАПО имени П. Л. Шупика будет осуществляться в условиях созданной в 2020 году магистратуры. Выводы. Основными компонентами профессиональной модели современного руководителя здравоохранения являются: наличие системы профессиональных знаний, умений и навыков; обучение в течение всей жизни; приобретение общечеловеческих качеств через изучение гуманитарных дисциплин; психологическая готовность к выполнению управленческой деятельности. Отдельно выделим такие составляющие профессиональной модели современного руководителя как профессионализм, культура и управленческая ответственность. Главными преимуществами обучения в магистратуре НМАПО имени П. Л. Шупика по специальности «Публичное управление и администрирование в сфере здравоохранения» станут такие: индивидуальный подход к учебе, специальное консультативное сопровождение во время учебы, использование современных форм и методик проведения занятий, практико-ориентированный подход в обучении, практическая работа в лечебно-профилактических учреждениях и органах государственной власти, привлечение к проведению гостевых лекций практиков здравоохранения, возможность поступления в аспирантуру. Магистр публичного управления и администрирования может работать в органах государственной власти, местного самоуправления и общественных организациях.

Gender and public sector careers: The motivations of Master of Public Administration students

AbstractWhy are graduate school applicants interested in public service? Who are these individuals and how do they convey their preference for a career in the public sector? We present an exploratory qualitative study on gender differences in deciding to undertake a master’s degree in public administration with the intent of seeking public sector employment. Our findings reveal that female applicants are particularly interested in influencing policy changes around social justice causes, while male applicants exhibit a strong desire to understand how the public policy process and government bureaucracies work. This research has important practical implications because understanding graduate students’ motivations for pursuing a career in public administration is critical for human resources recruitment, retention, and employee management.

Analysis of the development of competences in a Brazilian master of public administration

This paper aims to analyze the main competences developed by graduates of a professional master’s degree in Brazilian public administration. For this purpose, the research developed (i) a theoretical framework to present the main competences for public sector professionals, (ii) a bibliometric analysis with the scientific publications about development of competences in public administration between 2009 and 2019, and (iii) an investigation of the graduates’ profile in the Brazilian professional master’s degree surveyed with a standard score. Finally, a map of investigated competences was elaborated, identifying the development levels according to the graduate’s perception acquired along a postgraduate program. These competences were distributed into four categories: high, medium, low and very-low development levels.

Interview with Attaher Zacka Maïga

Attaher Zacka Maïga was born on 10 May 1963 in Bia, Bourem Cercle, Gao Region, Mali. He has spent his life in the service of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, joining the Mali Red Cross as a volunteer in 1987 before working for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as a nutritionist in a pilot centre for nutritional recovery and education in Bourem from January 1988 to June 1990. In 1990 and 1991 he acted as consultant to a number of organizations, including World Vision and UNICEF.In April 1992, Attaher Maïga joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as a “resident” (i.e. local) employee. Since then, he has held many positions. From 1996 to 2000, he was in charge of the Gao office, which employed almost 100 staff, both resident and “mobile” (expatriate). He then took charge of the ICRC's programmes in northern Mali from 2001 to 2006, ran the organization's office in the Malian capital Bamako from 2007 to 2008 and was responsible for the Mali communication programme between 2009 and 2011. From November 2011 to November 2014, he was head of the ICRC's northern Mali sub-delegation, one of the first resident employees to lead an ICRC sub-delegation. Since 2015, Attaher Maïga has been Networking Coordinator for the ICRC's Mali delegation.In 1996, Mr Maïga initiated the ICRC's post-conflict programmes in his country, covering the fields of agriculture, veterinary services and health. In 2009, he launched a pilot migrant project in Kidal, northern Mali. These much-appreciated initiatives resulted in his being invited to participate in the 2010 Montreuil meeting, which laid the foundations for the reforms currently underway.Attaher was the first Mali focal point for the ICRC's Unit for Global Affairs. This role gave him a deeper understanding of trends in the Islamic world and enabled him to help the ICRC adjust its dialogue with Jihadist armed groups. Our interview with Mr Maïga highlights his extensive experience with one of the oldest humanitarian organizations and is an opportunity for him to share his understanding of the ICRC's interaction with the armed groups that controlled northern Mali in 2012, when he was representing the ICRC in the region.Attaher Maïga holds a degree in public administration from the Institut de Gestion et des Langues Appliquées aux Métiers, Bamako.

ЗМІСТ, ФОРМИ ТА МЕТОДИ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ ПЕРСОНАЛУ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЇ ПОЛІЦІЇ НІМЕЧЧИНИ

У статті розкрито результати дослідження особливостей організації, змісту, форм і методів професійної підготовки персоналу Федеральної поліції Німеччини всіх категорій.
 В ході дослідження з’ясовано, що професійну підготовку поліцейських службовців нижчої ланки забезпечують сім регіональних навчальних центрів ФП; професійну підготовку поліцейських службовців середньої ланки забезпечує Федеральна вища школа державного управління (м. Брюль), по завершенню навчання випускники отримують диплом бакалавра з державного управління; підготовку поліцейських службовців вищої ланки здійснює Вища школа поліції Німеччини (м. Мюнстер), випускники отримують диплом магістра з державного управління.
 Встановлено, що навчання на кожному рівні організоване за модульною системою. Автор зосереджує увагу на змістовому наповненні навчальних планів та програм і констатує, що зміст професійної підготовки персоналу ФП нижчої ланки повністю відповідає виконуваним ним у майбутньому функціям, розвитку необхідних умінь та навичок; вагому частину програм підготовки займають юридичні дисципліни; крім правничих дисциплін у навчальних планах підготовки поліцейських нижчої ланки передбачено вивчення також теорії управління, психології, особливостей застосування спеціальних технічних засобів, основ медицини та надання першої медичної допомоги, професійної етики; програма підготовки поліцейських середньої ланки, як майбутніх управлінців, передбачає, зокрема, опанування особливостей управління підрозділами та організації взаємодії з іншими структурами в умовах виконання завдань в міжнародних місіях; майбутні керівники вищого рівня (поліцейські вищої ланки) вивчають також особливості планування та проведення поліцейських операцій, організації комунікації в управлінській діяльності, управління поліцейськими підрозділами у великомасштабних операціях (під час проведення демонстрацій та мирних акцій, а також під час масових акцій, що супроводжуються насильницькими діями), особливості роботи із громадськістю та засобами масової інформації, правові норми взаємодії між органами поліції й юстиції в ЄС та правові питання міжнародної взаємодії. Велика увага приділяється розвитку фізичних умінь та навичок майбутніх поліцейських, їх стрілецькій підготовці, розвитку умінь та навичок застосування засобів примусу; 50% всього навчального часу відводиться на проходження слухачами стажування в органах та підрозділах ФП.
 Виявлено, що в системі професійної підготовки персоналу ФП основними формами організації навчання є лекції, лекції з елементами практичних вправ, семінари з елементами практичних вправ, семінари з елементами тренінгу, практичні вправи, тренінги (тренування), проектне навчання; основними методами підсумкового та поточного оцінювання є контрольна робота, усне опитування, тестування, розв’язання комплексних ситуативних завдань, екзамен.

We are calling for adoption of universal, redistributive and solidarity-based policies with a rights-oriented approach to leave no one behind.

Serving in her present role since the economic crisis of 2008, Alicia Bárcena is no newcomer to regional and global emergencies, economic or otherwise. She also has extensive experience in the UN system, including as chief of staff to the UN Secretary-General and later, during Ban Ki-moon's tenure in that position, as Under-Secretary General for Management. From 2016 to 2017, she co-chaired the International Resource Panel at the UN Environment Program. A biologist trained in her home country of Mexico, she later received a master's degree in public administra-tion from Harvard University, USA. For decades, Ms Bárcena has devoted her professional career to issues of sustainable development, fi nancing of public policies, and the environment. She has received Doctor Honoris Causa degrees from the University of Oslo, Norway (2014); the University of Havana, Cuba (2016); and the Universidad Autónoma de México (2019). Today, she is a board member of the Global Partnership for Sus-tainable Development Data and a member of the University of Oslo/The Lancet Independent Panel on Global Governance for Health.

Supporting women scholars’ paths to academia: An examination of family-friendly policies of public affairs doctoral programs

ABSTRACT Despite earning roughly half the doctoral degrees in public administration, women remain underrepresented in public affairs programs, particularly in senior positions. Studies describe a leaky pipeline from which women exit the academic career, and there is growing interest in removing administrative, structural, and cultural barriers facing women scholars as well as supporting healthy career-life balance. Considerable research examines family-friendly workplace initiatives for faculty, yet little attention is paid to the availability of such policies for students. Drawing from archival and survey data, this study investigates the availability of specific family-friendly policies for doctoral students of public affairs programs in the U.S., potentially effective human resource management approaches to addressing exit points between graduate school and faculty membership. Findings reveal inconsistent and relatively insubstantial provision of formal policies; however, informal workarounds appear to be a common strategy for meeting the needs of graduate students who become parents during doctoral studies.

Creating epistemic access through a scaffold approach: Academic literacy skills development for South African first-year public administration students

For higher education institutions to produce graduates capable of contributing to society and the economy in a productive manner, educational emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking. The above necessitates that higher education institutions are able to engage in responsive curriculum design and delivery for enhanced student success and access. Public Administration programmes focus on equipping students to work within the broader government sector, able and capable of delivering public functions responsive to the needs of society. Literature suggests that there are a number of factors which influence the success ratio of any undergraduate programme in the South African context, including, inter alia, increased enrolments, student–staff ratios and the overall decline of professional and intellectual life in the country. Further complicating matters are classes too big to be participatory and crammed syllabi preventing in-depth discussions. The notion of embedding academic literacy development in curriculum design through a scaffolded approach aims to influence the academic performance of students through engaged and active learning in order to attain a higher level of achievement as well as benefit from the process of scaffolding. The research comprises a mixed method approach using a case study of the first-year students enrolled for a Public Administration degree. Data collected included an analysis of 2015, 2016 and 2017 student cohorts in: determining their academic literacy level upon registration (set as a baseline before any academic literacy intervention); tracking their academic performance through their formative and summative assessments (through a scaffolded approach); and reflecting upon their learning through their completion of a semi-structured survey. The research intends to argue that the use of a scaffolded approach to learning enhances epistemic access, which sees students moving beyond propositional, or foundation knowledge to epistemic or reflexive knowledge.

Redefining the boundaries of Public Administration

The scope of the article is reinterpretation of the question posed by Rodgers and Rodgers, namely, are Public Administration scholarship produced by “disciplined purists” – Public Administration scholars producing Public Administration research – or “undisciplined mongrels”? The methodology diverges from previous analysis through examination of doctoral dissertation research classification, rather than faculty output in publications. Concomitantly, Biglan classification of disciplines was used as a framework to determine disciplinary classifications of “undisciplined” or interdisciplinary scholarship. Findings indicate that from 2000 to 2015, there were shifts toward Public Administration as a “purist” discipline. Not only are there changes toward a distinct discipline but also steady declines in outside discipline production of Public Administration doctoral research. The analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increase in categorization of Public Administration scholarship for subjects generally accepted as core issues. Another noted change was dramatic decline for the Doctor of Public Administration degree as the field redefined boundaries.

Susie Saavedra

Susie Saavedra was recently promoted to Vice President for Policy and Legislative Affairs at the National Urban League Washington Bureau. Prior to this role, she served as Senior Director for the same department. Specifically, Ms. Saavedra is the League’s chief education and health policy officer, a responsibility she has held since 2013. She offers over 15 years of federal legislative, policy, and political experience along with a passion for advancing social and economic justice. Before joining the National Urban League, Ms. Saavedra spent a decade working in both the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate for four Members of Congress, as a Legislative Aide to former Senator Hillary Clinton, and as a Legislative Director for Representatives Karen Bass, Al Green and Joe Baca. She also promoted diversity in the halls of Congress as former President of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association (CHSA) and has advocated for expanding opportunities for Hispanics in higher education as a governing board member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Ms. Saavedra is also the Vice President of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association which is dedicated to building diversity in the government relations profession. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver.