Paper/Speech Details of Conference Program for the 31st NISPAcee Annual Conference Program Overview WG7: Public Administration Education Author(s) Janez Stare University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia Dr. Maja KlunDr. Mitja Dečman Title Micro-credentials: Opportunities or threats for public administration education File Paper files are available only for conference participants, please login first. Presenter Janez Stare Abstract Study programmes in the field of public administration exist in practically all countries of the European Higher Education Area. In terms of quality assurance, EAPPA-accredited study programmes stand out. The content of the study programmes is largely normative, and the structure and content are relatively uniform. Through a range of electives, students are involved to some extent in shaping the programme of study. However, employers often express the wish for stronger connection to concrete practise. Micro-credentials are something of an answer to employers' demands. These refer to short courses or training. They focus on validating competence-based skills, performance and/or knowledge using transparent standards and reliable assessments. In this way, knowledge or learning outcomes acquired in shorter, less time-consuming educational (learning) activities can improve graduates' employment prospects. Micro-credentials validate specific knowledge or skills with defined learning outcomes and may (or may not) be grouped into larger accreditation units. The idea of micro-credentials is to extend the boundaries of formal education beyond the credentials represented by diplomas and certificates. The focus is on non-formal (lifelong) education where the acquisition of relevant skills and competences can be validated, certified and transcribed not only by the university but also by a third party (companies, organisations, other educational institutions, etc.). This idea also has important implications for faculties training for public administration. Faculties will increasingly be confronted with the challenge that the demand for specific skills is also increasing in the field of public administration. This raises several issues related to the possibility of using micro-credentials in public administration courses. On the one hand, it is about restructuring or 'reorganising' study programmes and changing the structure of courses to add micro-credentials, on the other hand, it is also about adding new content (micro-credentials) to the faculties' offer. All this is related to the consideration of moving from comprehensive structured content (programmes, courses) to a set of smaller qualifications Micro-credentials will allow students to assemble new forms of qualifications and continuously (at their own discretion) align with employer requirements. The 'home faculty' will not occupy a privileged position in this respect, as the student will build their learning portfolio in a range of different institutions that are not even necessarily higher education institutions. Micro-credentials as a new category of structured education offering smaller units of learning pose both a potential and a threat to institutions and existing programmes in public administration education. The paper addresses the question of the definition or content of micro-credentials, the types and their characteristics. It then provides an overview of the development of the concept and existing micro-credentials in the European Higher Education Area, with a focus on higher education programmes in public administration. The overview is complemented by micro-credentials awarded by third parties (companies, organisations, etc.). The last part of the paper contains important reflections on the possibilities and risks of micro-credentials for training in public administration education Keywords: micro-credentials, higher education study programme, public administration education, formal education, non-formal education.
