Public Administration Education Research Articles

Consultocracy in South African public service: A case of repositioned public administration curricula

Background: This article attempts to make a reasoned case for re-thinking and repositioning public administration education curriculum in South Africa considering the emerging ‘consultocratic’ regime in the public service. It appears that public managers are determined to outsource private knowledge and expertise with little efforts made to build their own internal capacity.Aim: To establish ways in which the higher education sector can help in preparing future public servants in South Africa.Setting: The article is an extract of the study that was conducted in 13 Limpopo-based municipalities, including provincial Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and South African local government association.Methods: Qualitative methods were used to obtain perspectives from officials and practitioners involved in local government in order to establish reasons why public institutions over-consult.Results: The main finding of this study shows that public institutions, municipalities in this case, over consult because of limited inhouse talent and skills shortage. Participants agreed that while municipalities take blame for ineffective recruitment strategies, higher education sector can play a bigger role in building future skilled graduates. A lack of critical thinking skills was said to be the main problem. With the backup from critical thinking theory, the study proved the need for revised Public Administration (PA) curricula.Conclusion: The repositioning of PA education is encouraged considering that the public sector governance approach is said to be inspired by the market – oriented ideology, the New Public Management, which favours outsourcing against the central role of government.Contribution: Inclusion of critical thinking as module in the PA discourse is recommended. Public sector is also urged to ease legislative red tapes to encourage innovation in the public service. This will guarantee skilled and readily available recruitment pool from which public sector can source talent from, but most significantly, a cultivation of tactical, critical, and strategic thinkers will positively challenge the prevailing consultocratic regime.

Unveiling the duality: Visiting the big questions of public administration education through qualitative insights from Türkiye

Despite the vast literature on public administration education (PAE), there is still a need for a broader perspective and exploration of its general characteristics, focal points, and objectives to create an overarching framework. Stemming from this motivation, this study establishes an investigative point of view that considers both the structural and functional dimensions of existing literature, embracing the big questions of PAE proposed by Denhardt, as a precise foundational base. By conducting a content analysis on 1401 program learning outcomes from 110 universities offering undergraduate public administration programs in Türkiye, the study provides national-scale qualitative evidence for the big questions. The prominent findings indicate that PAE prioritizes equipping graduates with practical skills beyond immediate job preparation in the functional axis, while it appears to overlook the theoretical gains in the structural axis. Findings on competencies make a supportive contribution to the scholarly discourse on PAE, emphasizing the crucial role of managerial and technical competencies for future roles. Remarkably, less visible but insightful final findings regarding values such as ethics, human rights, social justice, equality, and democracy have the potential to be inspiring in clarifying and realizing the PAE’s meta-goal, whose definition and scope are not yet clear.

Global and transnational governance: Implications for public administration teaching

Public Administration (PA) as an academic discipline has traditionally been anchored in the principles of state-centric governance, national implementation policies, and the management of domestic public affairs. However, the rise of global and transnational governance has significantly reshaped the context in which public administrators operate. This reality has a direct bearing on the corpus of knowledge taught in PA and the teaching thereof. Preparing for new governance realities and their demands necessitates a review of the competencies that prospective civil servants should have to navigate global and transnational affairs. The purpose of this article is to explore the potential influence of global and transnational governance on the corpus of knowledge of PA and its implications for teaching. It comprises an investigation of the dynamic relationship between the changing landscape of global governance structures, the evolving challenges faced by public administrators, and the adaptation of educational curricula and teaching approaches to equip future civil servants with the requisite competencies, skills, and knowledge. The findings made and the recommendations offered underscore the need for a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to PA teaching in the era of rapid globalisation.

Effectiveness of MPhil in Public Administration Programme

The philosophical debate regarding the nature and scope of university education basically whether it is responsible to impart universal knowledge concentrating mainly in dissemination of knowledge than advancement of knowledge has been feathered out replacing by a significant role to be played by university for invention and innovation. In this context MPhil in public administration education program has been conducted by CDPA, TU with a view to advance the knowledge pertaining to public administration, policy and governance. It pays triggered attention to make students being able to conduct research activity independently in concerned areas which could contribute to heighten their competencies to compete in both global and Nepalese contexts. It seems ardent to know to usefulness of the context and content of the courses and enhancing the capacity of students in their work life situation. The objective of this paper is to explain the usefulness of the course content and institutional capacity of CDPA for conducting MPhil in public administration program effectively. For this, two hypotheses were constructed: usefulness of the course and contents; and institutional capacity of CDPA helps to enhance effectiveness of MPhil program. The mixed method of sequential explanatory strategy was adopted to conduct this research. Both the hypothesis has been tested based on chi square test in goodness of fit. The relationship between research variables is found to be positive. It is concluded that course and contents should be updated periodically and institutional capacity should be further strengthened. Thus, MPhil in public administration discipline has become vital for solving the problems of concerned areas.

"E-Government, Strategic Planning and Co-Production: Can Technology Promote Greater Citizen Engagement in a Rapidly Changing and Turbulent World: the University Response"

"Any large city mayor or public administrator has a sense that the world with which his/her city must interface is turbulent and changing exponentially faster. Advancing communication, transportation and other technologies have made the people of the world increasingly interconnected. Immediate crises such as financial collapse, pandemics, climate change and military tensions bring the negative side of this global phenomenon to the fore. Nevertheless, even in their absence, other incipient, but persistent, and portentous issues are increasingly demanding of public action. Simultaneously, pressure to engage all citizens in public policy debates and decision-making is growing and becoming central to trust in government and the survival of democracies. The collision of the two forces, turbulence v. demand for increasing public debate and involvement, gives further salience to the notion that science-based technologies are charging ahead while the development of social technologies, such as democratic institutions, are lagging. This paper looks at several approaches to citizen engagement: co-production, asset-oriented public management, strategic planning, and participatory modeling. It then addresses various forms of e-governance and investigates how new technologies might be used to expand and improve citizen engagement while allowing the government to deal with the more turbulent environment. Some criticisms and cautions are listed. Finally, the paper investigates how well higher education in public administration is responding to the collision through the offering of specialized courses and programs. The methodology was to catalog the course offerings of the top ranked PA programs. The conclusion is that these programs are not adequately responding to the issues presented in this paper."

Factors affecting learning outcomes achievement of public administration bachelor students in Ethiopia

Public administration education is a key instrument to address emerging public administration challenges. Ethiopia started public administration education in the 1950s, and currently, 13 public universities are offering bachelor programs in public administration. Nevertheless, PA program learning outcome achievements are not been studied, and comparative studies are absent. By relying on the resource dependency theory and survey data collected from PA Bachelor students ( n = 91) and faculty members ( n = 28) in three PA-teaching public universities, this article tries to fill these gaps. Significant differences were found between students and faculty members, and between universities with regard to PA learning outcome achievements. The variation between universities in terms of access to resources and student support is also substantial. The difference between students and faculty members, and between universities on the PA faculty quality and the quality of the teaching-learning method proved insignificant. The study confirms public administration faculty members, access to resources, and student support services positively influence PA learning outcomes. The article contributes to PA education literature and PA program evaluation.

Innovation and Development of Public Fiscal Administration Through E-Learning

In an era characterized by rapid technological advancement and the growing importance of effective public fiscal administration, this study explores the integration of e-learning technologies at the Guimaras State University (GSU) to enhance education and professional development in the field. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to investigate the impact of e-learning on students and professionals engaged in public fiscal administration programs at GSU. Quantitative results reveal that a significant majority of participants perceived e-learning as highly useful and user-friendly. The findings align with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), emphasizing the importance of perceived usefulness and ease of use in e-learning adoption. Moreover, participants reported a positive impact on their learning experiences, citing the flexibility of e-learning, multimedia resources, and interactive elements as key contributors to improved knowledge acquisition. Qualitative insights from interviews underscored the convenience of remote access, the ability to self-pace learning, and the interactive nature of e-learning materials. Challenges such as technical issues and the need for effective support services were also identified. This study's conclusions highlight the potential of e-learning to enhance public fiscal administration education and professional development. Recommendations include enhancing technical support services, providing ongoing training for faculty, expanding e-learning content and resources, fostering an online learning community, conducting longitudinal studies on career outcomes, and sharing best practices with other institutions. Guimaras State University's experience in innovating public fiscal administration education through e-learning offers valuable lessons for higher education institutions seeking to harness technology for academic and professional advancement in critical fields. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on the role of e-learning in higher education and professional development, emphasizing the need for continued adaptation and improvement to meet evolving learner needs and challenges.

MEDICAL FIELD VOLUNTEERS’ MOTIVATIONAL RESOURCES IN CRISIS CONDITIONS

The purpose of this study is to explore the psychological characteristics of motivational resources contributing to effective performance in crisis conditions among medical field volunteers. To achieve this objective, a psychodiagnostic survey was conducted among volunteers using a self-assessment questionnaire assessing performance and effectiveness in volunteer activities in crisis conditions, paired with the "Diagnostic of Motivational Personality Structure" methodology by V. Milman. The surveyed volunteers’ group was divided into three samples based on the level and content of their education in the health field: medical students, healthcare professionals (doctors of various specializations, nurses, pharmacists, rehabilitation specialists, and others), and individuals with education in public administration and management in healthcare. The statistical methods applied in these three empirical samples (i.e., descriptive analysis, Fisher's analysis of variance, and post hoc tests) allowed characterizing the peculiarities of motivational resources among volunteers. Based on the empirical data, it was determined that, in the personal well-being context, the primary competencies of the motivation-value resource for volunteers in the medical field in crisis conditions were a sense of personal need to partake in volunteer work and the presence of motivation for social (community) usefulness, leading to enrichment of the volunteer’s personality. Motivation for safety and comfort or a high fascination with business leads to an excessive idealization of the results and processes of volunteer activities, exhausts the individual, and can be a factor contributing to burnout.

The Contribution of Artificial Intelligence to Stimulating the Innovation of Educational Services and University Programs in Public Administration

In the new contemporary pandemic paradigm, higher education in public administration and beyond knows challenges, barriers, and opportunities for the academic process. Shocks, environmental changes and physical distancing in recent years have led to the implementation of efficient solutions in educational services, based on artificial intelligence (AI). Thus, in the global academic landscape, many international universities have adopted a ‘chatbot’, a digital interface designed to stimulate conversation with people. Modern algorithmic communications have effects, such as: increasing the number of enrollments in public administration programs, improving academic experience and active student participation, while reducing administrative tasks on university staff. This paper aims to provide a glimpse on the perceptions of the potential impact of conversational artificial intelligence on public administration (PA) programs from universities and to reflect on its implications for university leaders and staff work and also on students’ engagement. The paper will focus on how AI tools will help university programs to be more effective, and how technology will support the limited human resources in this sector. In order to gather the data for this research, the interview was used as well as case studies from international universities that have implemented a chatbot. The research findings capture technological and digital advances that will continue to shape the higher education landscape and its curricula, especially in PA programs. As a result, leaders will need to monitor how artificial intelligence, in particular conversational agents, influences universities’ images; attraction and retention for students in PA programs and other important partners; staff productivity, and how to be more proactive in initiating pilot projects. This is one of the few publications that looks at the expectations for conversational AI in higher education today. In this sense, implementing a chatbot can be a competitive advantage in a market where modern technologies weigh heavily and make a difference.

Crisis of Introduction of Public Administration as a Discipline in Indian Colleges and Universities: A Study of Himachal Pradesh

The introduction of public administration as a discipline in Indian academics has had its share of challenges and crises over the years. This discipline, which focuses on the study of government organizations, their functions, and their interaction with society, faced several obstacles during its early development in India. The introduction of Public Administration as an academic discipline in Indian colleges and universities has witnessed a profound crisis in recent years. This crisis is marked by several key challenges that impede the effective development and delivery of public administration education. This abstract provides a succinct overview of the crisis, highlighting the central issues that need to be addressed. The crisis surrounding the introduction of Public Administration as a discipline in Indian colleges and universities is multifaceted, encompassing curriculum inconsistencies, faculty shortages, technological deficits, internship shortcomings, and a deficiency in ethical training. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensure that graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complex and ever-evolving landscape of public administration in India. The revival and revitalization of the discipline are vital for nurturing competent, ethical, and efficient public servants who can contribute effectively to the nation's governance and development. This paper explores some key aspects of the crisis related to the introduction of public administration as a discipline in Indian academics.

What can students learn from fictional literature? Quite a bit, scholars say

ABSTRACT Using fictional literature in public administration classrooms has been advocated by public administration educators since the middle of the past century. Stories are asserted to be a legitimate tool to understand social systems, management models, and ethical dilemmas. It is argued that fictional literature influences how students perceive the complicated contexts within which public management occurs. Yet with one exception, public administration scholars have not tested what knowledge students gain from engaging with fictional literature. A systematic literature review is undertaken to learn what scholars from other disciplines have learned about knowledge gained from using fictional literature as a pedagogical tool. The review shows that fictional literature can lead to gains in factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. From the identified articles, lessons about how educators can effectively incorporate fictional literature as part of public administration coursework are drawn.

Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü Lisans Düzeyi Öğrencilerine Göre Bölümdeki Öğrenimde Yaşanan Sorunlar ve Öneriler

The study aimed to determine the problems experienced in political science and public administration education and suggestions for its solution in line with the views of undergraduate students of the faculty of economics and administrative sciences' department of political science and public administration. The research was conducted descriptively according to qualitative research method, case science and single case pattern. From the non-probability sampling types, the purposeful sampling method was used. Thirteen students determined from the fourth-year students of the department of political science and public administration of the faculty of economics and administrative sciences formed the participant group. Observation and interview and document review were used as data collection tools. Data were collected with semi-structured interview questions. The data obtained in the research were coded in the Maxqda 2022 program, categories based on codes and themes based on categories were reached. According to the participants, there are problems arising from their own learning in the department; from the education plan and program; from the course content and presentation; from the course supervisor and exams, and from employment after graduation, and there are some suggestions for solving these.

A Case Study on the Development of Digital Competences of Teachers at the University of Ljubljana

Abstract The renewed 2017 EU Higher Education Agenda expresses the intention to “develop and implement a digital readiness model” to assist higher education institutions, their staff, and students in implementing digital learning strategies and maximising the potential of cutting‐edge technologies such as learning analytics. The anticipated digital transformation will only be successful if higher education institutions and teachers strengthen their digital competences and skills and “become” digitally competent. Many of the incentives for these processes were prompted by the unexpected Covid‐19 crisis, which highlighted the importance of higher education teachers’ digital skills in the need to digitise the higher education environment. The Covid‐19 crisis experience and the accelerating development of digitalisation are changing both the conditions for education and education itself, which is why higher education teachers face the challenging task of lifelong development of digital competences. To complete this task, they must learn about information and communication technology (ICT)/digital technologies and how they can be integrated into the pedagogical process. The challenge for higher education teachers is to develop ICT‐based teaching. This is not about how higher education teachers (and students) master ICT, but about how to make ICT one of the tools for carrying out pedagogical activities in general. The article addresses the development of digital competences among higher education teachers as a critical issue in the renovation of higher education didactics. To that end, various digital competence models and concepts are presented. Among other things, the European Digital Competence Framework for Teachers is highlighted. The case study of activities aimed at developing digital competences of higher education teachers at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and thus higher education teachers working in the field of education for public administration. Based on the analysis of activities, we discover an increased interest in the development of digital competences, which is reflected in various forms of institutional (university) support for educators (e.g. training), as well as an increased interest in the development of digital competences among higher education teachers.

The status of public administration teaching in the UK

The status of public administration teaching in the UK

Conceptualizing a Practical Discourse Survey Instrument for Assessing Communicative Agency and Rational Trust in Educational Policymaking

AbstractHow might a theory of communicative rationality be applied to policymaking to secure the morally justifiable administration of public education? In answer, Darron Kelly uses conceptual resources found in Habermasian practical discourse to outline development of a survey instrument. The survey is designed to measure constituent satisfaction with actual conditions of educational policymaking. To do this, the survey operationalizes and quantifies the epistemic conditions of inclusion, participation, truthfulness, and noncoercion. Once captured, analysis of these conditions in actual cases of policymaking further provides for assessment of the degree of communicative agency and rational trust experienced by educational constituents. The instrument, as such, offers a standard gauge of the higher‐level intersubjectivity of institutional communication in education — a necessary measure for constructing morally justifiable policies.

Public administration education in Chile: History and the current state-of-the-art

ABSTRACT Chile’s Public Administration Education (PAE) is not a new academic domain. Its origin dates to the second part of the 19th century. However, it was not until 1954 that the University of Chile decided to open an academic program in the subject. The current article is an effort to share the Chilean experience with the public administration community. After presenting the reality of Latin America in this subject, this article develops three topics: the history of PAE in Chile, the current state-of-the-art of this academic field, and an analysis of the curricula of undergraduate programs in the country. Conclusions in the article refer to the present and future of PAE in Chile as part of a broader discussion in the literature on the limitations of a global PAE and the potential for a more multicultural PAE.

Legal regulation of public administration of education and science

The object of the research is the peculiarities of public administration of education and science in foreign countries, in particular, the experience of three European countries ranked in the top ten according to the results of the international survey PISA-2018: Estonia, Finland and Poland. The main content is considered the experience of building a system of educational management on democratic basis, in cooperation between government bodies and society. It is determined that education in the studied countries is one of the priorities of the state and society. The methodological basis of the research consists of comparative legal and systemic analysis, formal legal method, method of interpretation, hermeneutic method and methods of analysis and synthesis. Similar approaches to administration and financing were identified in the conclusions. A trend characteristic of all countries is clarified: the state guarantees free education, including science, and at the same time ensures equal access to quality education and science. Also, the optimal mechanisms of economic support of education, science and the main sources of financing specific to each country were defined.

An Analysis on Public Administration Education in Turkey

Kamu yönetimi eğitiminde hızlı bir dönüşüm yaşanmıştır. Bu değişimlere uyum sağlamak için kamu yönetimi eğitimini güncellemek gerekmektedir. Kamu yönetimi eğitiminde niteliğin arttırılması için daha fazla gayret gösterilmesi gerekir. Türkiye’de kamu yönetiminde yetenekli yöneticiler yetiştirmek için farklı nitelikte kurumlar oluşturulmuştur. Türkiye’de Osmanlı Dönemi’nde uygulanan Enderun Mektebi ve daha birçok kuruluşun etkisi günümüzde hissedilmektedir. Kurumlar, kamu yöneticilerinin yetiştirilmesi için değişen şartlara göre yeniden düzenlenmektedir. Bu çalışmada Türkiye’de kamu yöneticisi yetiştiren kurumlar incelenmiştir. Tarihsel süreç içerisinde yönetici yetiştirmek amacıyla kurulan kurumların geçirmiş olduğu değişimler açıklanmıştır. Dijitalleşme sürecinde kamu yönetimi eğitimi üzerinde durulmuştur. Kamu yönetimi eğitiminde yaşanan sorunlar açıklanmış ve öneriler getirilmiştir. Araştırmada ulaşılan sonuç; kamu yönetimi eğitiminde kaliteyi artırabilmek için merkezi düzeyde yaşanan değişimleri de göz önünde bulundurarak kamu yönetiminin yeniden düzenlenmesidir. Kamu yönetimi eğitiminde ders içeriklerinin, eğitimde kullanılan materyallerin yeniden tasarlanması gerekir. Kamu yönetimi eğitiminde teori ile pratiği bütünleştirecek bir sistemin uygulanması gerekir.

“How may i help?”: Using New Amsterdam as a case study to link theory to practice

Teaching public administration theory and linking it to practice can be challenging; yet are central goals to MPA programs. Using relevant examples that students can relate to is instrumental in achieving the pedagogical goals of linking theory to practice and achieving the NASPAA competencies. New Amsterdam is used as a case study for MPA students to achieve the above mentioned goals. In this work, I provide a list of episodes accompanied by themes of the episode and core public administration areas each apply to such as budgeting, human resources, decision making, as well as discussion questions used. This work contributes to our pedagogical toolbox by adding relevant examples in a healthcare administration setting that helps students master the NASPAA competencies while linking theory to practice.

Upravlenie narodnym obrazovaniem v SSSR v 1970-e gg.: istoriko-pravovoj aspekt

The article analyzes the organizational and legal foundations of the state administration of public education in the USSR in the 1970s on the base of regulations and official documents of that time. Conclusions are drawn about the strengths and weaknesses of the structural and functional construction of the public administration system in this industry. The possibilities of using the managerial experience of that time in the activities of public administration bodies of education in modern conditions are considered.