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UKRAINE |
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UKRAINE |
POSITIONING ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN RELATION TO THE DISCIPLINES TO WHICH THEY ARE MOST CLOSELY RELATED
In 1992, the then-Institute of Public Administration and Local Government developed the first MPA program of its type in Ukraine, and it occupied a unique place in Central and Eastern Europe. The Academy of Public Administration continued to expand and revise the original program introduced by the institute. Since the first program in academic year 1992/93, it has undergone considerable revision. The latest version, which is an eighteen-month program, was built on the one-year program by adding supplementary courses. The academy’s faculty members and staff have drafted it utilising international experience in the field.
The MPA curriculum includes, but is not limited to, traditional public management fields such as organisational theory, personnel administration, budgeting and management. The curriculum is broadly based on traditional social science disciplines.
“The Academy’s MPA program is unique in two important respects. Academically, it offers a broad-based curriculum in the management and social sciences. In this respect it is an ambitious attempt to provide Ukrainian public managers with the preparation in the cognate fields of public management which are either not readily available in Ukrainian higher education or are not part of the relatively more technical education of the typical civil servant. It provides a wide range of links to international public service and civil service education in an attempt to ensure that education for the civil service in Ukraine becomes and remains current in the latest developments in the field of public administration” (Broach, 1998).
The curriculum is designed to provide students with university degrees in other fields with the theoretical background and skills necessary for assisting the provision of effective government and public service. The program is based on an interdisciplinary model of training specialists at a relevant level, and its modular structure comprises eleven courses that approach public administration from the viewpoint of each particular discipline.
There is no dominant discipline, although there are “concentration” courses, which are designed to meet the students’ professional interests. The weight of public administration and management courses is higher than that of any other discipline. The core of public administration and management courses comprises six modules, while the core component of any other discipline is only three modules. Beyond public administration and management, governance issues are incorporated into other courses such as the modules on project management, public administration and politics and the history of public administration. The professional practice focus is re-enforced by professional internship modules in Ukraine and abroad. Thus, the absolute weight of “pure” public administration is sixteen modules out of ninety.
There is a definite trend towards revising courses specifically concerned with issues of governance. As previously mentioned, beginning with the 1998/2000 program, the public administration and management module was given large relative weight, thus changing the course structure. There are two primary reasons for this: first, the absence of an undergraduate degree program in public administration in Ukraine, and, secondly, to provide MPA students with solid governance skills. Thus, students of the MPA program devote more time and effort to mastering public administration and developing skills that they will need in any area of government.
A new element of the curriculum has been introduced, entitled “special subjects” (as a rule they are of inter-disciplinary character). The eight-year history of the MPA program has demonstrated that there are many issues confronting public servants in their professional practice that require integrating familiarity with the principles of several disciplines. These complex issues are addressed by team teaching by staff from different departments.
Given the fact that MPA training follows a wide range of specialities gained by public servants prior to the academy, provisions to bridge the previous education and the public administration program have been introduced. The academy offers “basic modules” such as modern methods of economic and statistical analysis, general theory of state and law, conceptual grounds for political science theory, organisational management, information technology and the Ukrainian language. The content of these modules is of a general theoretical character.
While gradually strengthening its human and material resources, the academy shifted the focus of the MPA program from predominantly theoretical teaching to student-focused activities combining theory, research and practical approaches. This has impacted trends in the development and delivery of the MPA program. The public administration program is highly sensitive to changes in Ukrainian society and reform efforts. A range of new laws, important political, economic, and social events require altering the balance between elements of the program and introducing new topics.
Trends in developing and delivering PA program are affected by measures that the academy undertakes in order to identify needs and perspectives for this field. The presidential administration, to which the Academy is accountable, and the Cabinet of Ministers, which issues guidelines on staffing policies, provide valuable input. Although the academy is independent in developing and delivering PA, its offerings reflect the government’s staffing and governance policies.
In the future, the program will preserve its interdisciplinary approach but will shift the focus from the present concentration on specific groupings of subjects (e.g. economics and finance; law and legislative processes; social and humanitarian policy) to specialise in particular fields of governance. From academic year 1999/2000, students will be able to specialise in health care management, and another specialisation in policy analysis and policy implementation is planned.
The branches basically offer the same program as the academy in Kiev. Since the academy and branches are part of the same institution, “the Ukrainian Academy of Public Administration” and grant their graduates the same qualification, ninety percent of the programs’ content is standardised. The remaining ten percent varies from branch to branch and reflect regional strengths.
Feedback from the students, graduates and public service employers is regularly analysed. These opinions are solicited through questionnaires, alumni association meetings, the Commandor alumni magazine and meetings with employers.
The influence of foreign partners on the development of the public administration program is significant. The academy’s program is frequently compared with similar offerings in leading training institutions in the Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The most significant input in the development of the MPA program was provided by the University of North London, which certified the program and supports quality assurance measures.
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