Pan African Conference of Directors General of National Schools of Administration

Transcription

1 African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development Hanns Seidel Foundation National School of Administration Rabat African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) Pan African Conference of Directors General of National Schools of Administration on training policies and strategies in African National Schools of Administration: What administrative training policies for what purposes? Public Administration Training in Africa: A framework for collaboration between national schools of administration By Dr. Soufiane SAHRAOUI February 2014 Rabat (Morocco)

2 Public Administration Training in Africa: A framework for collaboration between national schools of administration 1 INTRODUCTION The resource requirements for public administration (PA) training are ever increasing at a time when resources are becoming ever scarcer. Moreover, public administration is getting professionalized worldwide implying the possibility of harmonization between different environments which were hitherto very heterogeneous. The current environment of PA training can be characterized as follows: - Dominance of new public management (NPM) has led to an increased professionalization of the field; - Rise of accreditation as a quality assurance requirement for PA training delivery; - Scarcity of public resources implying a greater accountability of money invested in PA training; - Greater role of international and professional organizations in creating standards around the field of PA training. This meeting is an illustration of such a phenomenon. THE TRAINING VALUE/SUPPLY CHAIN: The value-chain above represents the generic process of training development/provision. As the field gets professionalized and further harmonized, this value-chain can be used a unifying framework for a shared-service approach to PA training, not only within countries but also across-countries. In this note, we will adapt this framework to regional collaboration between national schools of administration (NSA s) in Africa. COLLABORATION/HARMONIZATION FRAMEWORK 1 Sofiane SAHRAOUI, Senior Advisor, Institute of Public Administration, Bahrain

3 Harmonization between training across countries takes place at different levels: policy-level; training needs assessment level; training development level; training delivery; research and assessment; quality assurance; and strategy levels. The different roles identified in the value-chain above refer to the different levels of collaboration which are stated below: (1) Policy level through the harmonization of training policies across participating countries/institutions. (2) Needs assessment level through common methods/frameworks for the identification of training needs in PA. These assessments will be based on standard competency models and/or qualification frameworks; (3) Development level through a collaborative model of program and training development (exp. ADDIE). Similar models can spur collaborative program development; (4) Delivery level trough joint training activities and other forms of delivery collaboration; (5) IT/Infrastructure level through open and collaborative platforms for program delivery; (6) Assessment and research level through joint and collaborative efforts to assess the ROI (return on investment) on trainings on one hand and evidence-based policy making on the other hand. Comparative research projects could be developed in this context. (7) Quality assurance of training (8) Collaboration strategy and Knowledge portal Each of the levels above is analyzed below in terms of the subject/scope of harmonization; the role of NSA s in such harmonization, the enabling environment for such collaboration, and good practice examples. POLICY-LEVEL COLLABORATION Harmonization at the policy-level is the most difficult one because there is no unified body of policies that can be identified as PA training policies across countries. The main Policy areas that pertain to PA training span a wide spectrum such as: - Integrating training within career plans - Professionalization of public administration jobs - Organization and governance of PA training - Training budgets - IP development and sharing of PA training across public administration Usually NSA s play a marginal role in the above policy formulation let alone envisaging any meaningful collaboration between NSA s across countries. However, NSA s could play a leading role in engaging the debate about such policies through general meetings like this one or more specific workshops where specific policies are tackled. The Pan-African Conference of DGs of NSA s is a good framework for discussing the harmonization of training policies between NSA s and countries at large but policies can be harmonized only if policy-making bodies are associated. Civil service bodies, for instance, have to be associated to training policy events.

4 Enabling Environment: The CAFRAD, ACBF and AAPAM to mention just these pan-african organizations that share parts of the PA training agenda in the continent can provide the framework for policy harmonization in PA training across the region. More globally, the UNPAN, OECD, and IASIA can also play a pivotal role. CAFRAD, ARADO, and CAMPS are particularly important for the region because they have direct leverage effects on training policies. Good Practice Examples: CAFRAD S Pan African Conference of Directors General of National Schools of Administration; CAFRAD S International High level Strategic and policy conference for Ministers/Heads of Public/ Civil Service from African, Arab and Latin American Countries. The forum will be held to discuss policies and strategies of institutions involved in training, research and prospective studies. It will also be about charting the path toward reforms and innovations for meeting the requirements and aspirations of Africa of the 21st century. This forum is thus intended for policy makers and leaders of these institutions, that is to say, Directors and Directors General of Schools and Institutes of Public Administration and Management, Departments of Administrative Sciences in the Universities, Centres or Institutes for Strategic and Prospective Studies, Institutions of Governance and Public Policies in African countries. The meeting will be an opportunity to deepen the discussion on challenges facing these institutions and also build collaborative strategies for a real renewal of public service in Africa. NEEDS ASSESSMENT LEVEL COLLABORATION The potential for collaboration is much greater at this level and more attune to the core mission of NSA s. Indeed, needs assessments yield training curricula and programs that are delivered. Harmonization at this level can help pool resources and share IP across borders. However this is dependent on a clear IP policy at the level above. Once a clear IP is in place, competency frameworks and/or PA qualifications frameworks can be developed to map the entire spectrum of PA training, both at the central administration and local government levels. In harmonizing their training frameworks, NSA s can ensure the mobility of programmes, trainers, and even trainees. Moreover and as we will see at the next level of program development, this creates an opportunity for a shared development of training programs. However, PA training is not restricted to graduate education but also spans vocational training. Further harmonization at the level of QA for VET will ensure convergence of professional PA training, which forms the bulk of PA training especially at the local government level Enabling Environment: Although it is hard to pinpoint a collaborative development of competency frameworks and/or qualification frameworks in any part of the world, the professionalization of PA administration and subsequent rise of accreditation in the PA field are gradually leading to conversion in PA curricula. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that NSA s in Africa adopt or develop their own curricula standards. It is clear that collaboration on common competency standards (subject descriptors in qualification frameworks) are best developed by regional organizations like the AAPAM. NSA s should activate their involvement within such organization and participate in setting accreditation and QA standards.

5 Good Practice Example: JOINT MASTER OF PUBLIC MANAGEMENT BY BIPA/ENA/IMPGT The MPM is a joint/double degree between BIPA, ENA France, and IMPGT from Aix-Marseille University. The program targets public sector professionals in the Arabian Gulf region. As such, a competency model is being developed based on the aggregate requirements in the region. Starting in April 2014, a joint team of BIPA/ENA/IMPGT will visit all Gulf countries to identify and validate requirements for the Masters. A competency model will be derived and will engender the learning framework for the program curriculum. A final concept of the program will be delivered by the end of 2014 and a first intake of students from the region will be enrolled in the fall of TRAINING DEVELOPMENT COLLABORATION LEVEL For training that cannot be acquired off-the-shelf, some NSA s have developed expertise in developing value-added training. Some of these trainings are developed internally; others can be outsourced; yet some others can be developed collaboratively between NSA s. Pending proper IP policies to delimit what can be shared and what are the rights and obligations of different parties in a collaborative development process, many high-end programmes can be co-developed or shared within IP-sharing agreements. Codevelopment is dependent on the adoption of a common methodology for training development. The ADDIE model for instance could be used as a generic framework for content development and facilitate the collaborative process. Collaborative development subsumes a number of prerequisites including: The existence of IP regimes in effect among the collaborating parties; harmonized competency frameworks to make necessary adaptations to the training based on variances between training requirements in the different countries; and systems of accountancy that enable the co-investment in development resources and the sharing of dividends. Giving the complexity of collaborative development, it is best restricted to high-end value-added training such as the following: - Leadership programs - Public finance - Government PR and protocol - Advanced HR topics - Managing government projects - Customer service in the public sector - Etc. Program and training development is fully contained within the prerogatives of NSA s and collaborative arrangements can be entered into by the parties on a bilateral basis. Collaborations can also be made in the framework of regional frameworks. Countries of the GCC for instance have an open sharing agreement for all of their IP, unless otherwise restricted by a third party. Enabling Environment: Bilateral relationships between NSA s in the region are the best conduit for the co-development of training content. However, networks of NSA s can bring a bigger value as the network synergy effects come to play plentifully. One such network exists, albeit informally, within IASIA (International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration) but it has not coalesced yet into a

6 coherent group. The leadership of the 2 VPs for French-speaking and English-speaking Africa could spur such collaborations. The ACBF on the other hand could play a key role in the development of collaborative training programs as it has already funded collaborative programs in Eastern Africa (e.g. Collaborative Doctorate Program in Economics for Sub-Saharan Africa, Collaborative Master s Degree Program In Agricultural and Applied Economics, etc.). Finally, the meeting of NSA s DG like this one remains the most direct and most effective forum to push through such collaborations. Good Practice: ReSPA (Regional School of Public Administration) ReSPA is an international organisation which has been entrusted with the mission of boosting regional cooperation in the field of public administration in the Western Balkans. As such, ReSPA is a unique historical endeavour, established to support the creation of accountable, effective and professional public administration systems for the Western Balkans on their way to EU accession. ReSPA seeks to achieve this mission through the organisation and delivery of training activities, high level conferences, networking events, summer schools, study tours and publications, the overall objectives of which are to transfer new knowledge and skills as well as to facilitate the exchange of experiences both within the region and between the region and the EU Member States. ReSPA is conducting annually the Capacity Needs Analysis in cooperation with respective National training institutions, EU Integration Institutions etc., to identify administrative capacity needs that are effectively addressed at the regional level. The CNA content also reflects identified needs with regards to networking, mobility schemes, dissemination of the information etc. TRAINING DELIVERY COLLABORATION Training delivery collaboration can be as simple as the exchange of trainers/faculty but unless the competencies and skills of such trainers are rare and in high demand, little value is to be expected from such exchange. A more sustained form of collaboration can be through the establishment of a program of visitorship whereby faculty and trainers are exchanged on a regular basis especially in areas where one party might be lacking the right competencies (e.g. public finance). This would be a good set-up for professional programs of public management where faculty are usually engaged on a visiting basis. However, the joint organization and delivery of training by two or more NSA s is by far the most valueadded option. Usually this is done in conjunction with a bigger event or between adjoining countries to limit the cost of transportation. Alternatively, a third party can support such delivery. The ACBF example of good practice is an illustration of that. Enabling Environment: Many PA events are increasingly accompanied with workshops and trainings that are jointly held by several parties. Workshops are usually held before or after the main event. The ASTD conference has many such events scheduled for instance. For the joint organization and delivery of training, a number of multi-lateral organizations can be sought for funding and support (UNDP, World Bank, OECD, AU, etc.)

7 Good Practice: ACBF Public Sector Management Training Program PSMTP In 2003, recognising the need to strengthen the skills required for effective public sector management in Africa, the ACBF undertook a study on the critical roles the public sector needs to engage in response to the economic, political and social reforms being undertaken by African countries. Launched in 2006, the PSMTP, through the support of ACBF, delivered through four institutes of higher learning in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration; Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe; Ecole Nationale d Administration and Université Omar Bongo, Gabon; and Ecole Nationale d Administration, Senegal. The PSMTP is successfully addressing the need for highly trained managers to be capable of responding to the increasingly complex demands of the implementation of the new and emerging development frameworks such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Such new realities have caused an urgency to reform, not only the public sectors of African countries, but more fundamentally, the approach to public sector management. IT-BASED COLLABORATIVE PLATFORMS Beyond the joint development and delivery of face-to-face training, a greater and more sustainable mode of training collaboration can take place through e-training. Collaborative training platforms can be shared and accessed from anywhere. NSA s can pool resources to develop such a platform and share their e-training courses on-line. With learning platforms premised on open standards, NSA s can share e- learning resources at will. The platform can be developed by one of the NSA s and made accessible to the rest. Alternatively, the development of the platform itself can be a collaborative effort. In the good practice example below, the platform was funded through an OECD-MENA collaborative project. This is again premised on the existing of an IP exchange regime between the participating institutions and on a system of accountancy to fund the maintenance of the IT platform. A fee system based on usage can be used to charge NSA s for their use of other NSA s e-learning resources. However, the financial cost of using the system should be maintained at a cost-recovery basis to ensure its effective uptake. The development of e-learning resources that could benefit several parties can be done within the framework of collaborative development as described above. Enabling Environment: Connectivity is key for this sort of collaboration. Users can access the system from their workplace, connectivity permitting, or from a dedicated lab in the NSA of their country. Organizations like the OECD, UNDP, and UNESCO have funded similar platforms. The ACBF or the African Development Bank can contribute resources to establishing a similar platform to connect African NSA s. e-content can be purchased off-the-shelf or developed by the NSA s including in a collaborative manner. Good Practice: OECD-MENA Partnership (DL4iPS Project)

8 SSPA (Italy s NSA) is the primary implementer of the initiative Distance Learning for innovative Public Sector ( DL4iPS ). DL4iPS is an international program within the framework of the MENA-OECD partnership, aimed at gathering on a single platform pre-existing high quality e learning courses for civil servants that are useful to support public sector modernization in MENA countries. DL4iPS is now in a pilot phase in which a learning management system (LMS) is being developed, after which two e-learning courses will be made available on the LMS for the duration of the Pilot Phase. It is intended that the e-learning courses will be made available to not more than 75 to 100 trainees from 5 different countries during the Pilot Phase. The Pilot Phase will end following the final acceptance of the LMS system by SSPA from its developer. One course in Arabic on conflict management will be made available for free by BIPA and the second course in English on public procurement will be made available by SSPA. TRAINING ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH COLLABORATION During times of restricted budgets and increased accountability for public resources, training assessment and the return on investment for training have become imperative. Moreover, evidence-based training policies mandate that NSA s participate in the development of training policies for the public sectors of their countries. These policies will ensure that PA training is aligned with the strategic and operational objectives of their public sector clients. However, NSA s are generally subjected to training policies that are set at a central level with very little evidence to support its relevance. Research can be very useful at two main levels in this regard. First it can help provide the necessary evidence for sound policies and second to ascertain the ROI on PA training. Policy Research on training: How to organize the training function in the public sector? What are the best governance modes for public sector training? How to ensure proper return on investment on PA training? What types of curricula to develop? What are the required professions in the public sector? What is the impact of current training policies on the professional development of public servants? and many other similar questions are very important to answer in order to develop the proper policy framework for PA training. Unfortunately, rarely are these questions investigated through an evidencebased approach. Usually, it is left to multilateral organizations to device boilerplate templates for prescribing PA training solutions and policies. These solutions are not always effective but are hardly challenged in the absence of evidence of their ineffectiveness. Training assessment research: As stated above, during times of budget contraction and stringent accountability for public funding, making the case for the return on investment of PA training is ever more critical. Studies and research about the return on investment of public sector training can be shared between NSA s. If training is based on common competency models, a large body can be consolidated to develop sound models of ROIs and make the case for the most effective trainings. NSA s can then hold regular workshops/seminars to share best practices in training in their respective public

9 sectors. These gathering will also serve to disseminate research on training ROI. NSA s can further collaborate on the harmonization of their assessment systems. Enabling Environment: Whether it is policy research or ROI research, collaborative research projects and platforms are necessary to join NSA s research efforts. However, it is difficult for NSA s, unless they are part of universities, to have access to researchers and the requisite research infrastructure. Conversely, departments and schools of public administration within universities have very limited leverage on public policies for training as a result of the historical divide between academe and the world of practice, namely administration. The problem is further compounded by the limited absorption capacity of public administration for research results which implies an evidence-based approach will not easily take root in public administration environments that grew historically resilient to transparency and free-thinking; two key ingredients of research. Increasing the capacity of public administration to provide evidence for new policies through building its awareness and absorption capacity of research results is mandatory. The good practice example below aims to do just that in the Northern African region and through a MENAfrican dialogue, in the rest of Africa. Good Practice Example: MENAPAR MENAPAR (Middle East & North Africa Public Administration Research) is a study group of IIAS (International Institute of Administrative Sciences) and is a network of organizations (networks) that are active in the scholarship/practice of Public Administration in the MENA. MENAPAR will promote evidence-based policy and decision-making in public administration through: developing thinking and a research culture about strategic issues in Public Administration; building research capacities within public administration; building a network and harnessing the collective efforts of its members. Strategic Objectives of MENAPAR (1) Harness the collective efforts of organizations in the region to promote evidence-based policymaking; (2) Promote a research culture and research capacities in the region s public sectors; (3) Develop research about public administration, public policies, and good governance in the region; (4) Participate in and coordinate debates about public policies and governance in the region; (5) Serve as a regional forum for the exchange of ideas between the various actors in the field of PA and public policy; (6) Form a network of PA-related institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, (7) Create an intellectual link in the region by feeding IIAS/IASIA, regional organizations and network members with local research and policy impact assessment;

10 (8) Organize colloquia, forums, seminars, conferences and other types of meetings about PA issues in the region, with broad participation and co-sponsorship by other organizations, both regional and external to the MENA; (9) Suggest strategies to develop capacities and expertise in the areas of public policies and governance; QUALITY ASSURANCE OF TRAINING As indicated earlier, the harmonization of training policies, development and delivery is dependent upon an overarching quality assurance framework. QA of training will not only improve the quality of training by subjecting it to professional standards that have been proven to be effective, but will increase the mobility of public servants across administrations and countries. QA of training can be developed as part of higher education or VET. The former is rather well established as many professional networks and associations have developed their own standards of excellence for programs of public administration. The latter is tightly connected to the development of national qualification frameworks for VET. The good practice concept below is of this kind. For the former type, the reader is referred to standards and guidelines published by the NASPAA, EAAPA, and IASIA as examples. African NSA s can harmonize their quality assurance by adopting similar standards. However, most QA systems for education and training are based on similar approaches and principles. Hence choosing one set of standards or the other will not create a gulf between NSA s offerings. The most important thing is that standards are followed. A word of caution however, is that adopting standards does not mean necessarily pursuing accreditation and certification with external agencies. Though this could be desirable, it is costly and could put African public administration training under subjugation by powerful players like NASPAA, EAAPA or IASIA for instance. NSA s can collaborate within a joint strategy of QA for PA training. Joint meetings of pan-african organizations like AAPAM could for instance pave the way for the adaptation of quality standards to the context of African NSA s. Enabling Environment: ACBF or the AfDB, would be the ideal conduits for building African NSA s capacity in QA for PA training. They could for instance organize training and certification on ISO10105.

11 Good Practice Concept: The ISO 10015:2000 (based on the well-known 9000 series) is specially designed for training, and contains guidelines for the development, implementation and improvement of training systems2. Realising the need for more sector specific guidance of quality assurance of training, a working group was created within International Standards Organisation (ISO) to draft a guideline standard for training. Twenty-two country representatives developed the draft text over several years, culminating in the publication of a final official standard ISO issued by the ISO secretariat in December The new ISO standard offers two main advantages; namely; a) being based on the process oriented concepts of the new 9000:2000 ISO family of standards and being easily understandable for companies used to ISO related Quality instruments, but also readily available to non ISO based companies since ISO can also be used as a stand-alone quality instrument. b) being a sector specific that is pedagogically oriented or standard offering companies specific guidance in the field of training technology and organisational learning depending on the competence required by a company or public organisation. SUSTAINABLE COLLABORATION: COMPREHENSIVE LEVEL The main challenge in developing collaborations between African NSA s is communication and sustainability. More often, collaborations are handled centrally by partnership and collaboration offices that hardly go beyond the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) stage. Collaborations fall prey to bureaucracy and are mostly revived when visibility or travel opportunities surge. Only if collaborations are sustainable will they lead to avenues such as the ones mentioned above. Sustainability is dependent on two main things: (1) a clear and formalized strategy that integrates the axes of collaboration that the NSA wishes to pursue; and (2) a communication platform or portal to provide the knowledge support for the different collaborations. (1) Strategies for collaboration: Collaboration does not take place at the fringes of NSA s activities. It should be part and parcel of its development strategy. Strategic objectives for collaborations with other NSA s have to be set a priori. All of the avenues for collaborations that have been described above as well as others should be underlined by strategic objectives within the NSA strategy. Strategic objectives are then translated into operational initiatives with KPI s (project/program portfolio) which when implemented will bring the collaboration into reality. Ideally, the collaborative strategies of NSA s themselves should be harmonized but harmonization can also take place at the level of single projects. (2) Knowledge portal: This will be the key in keeping the collaboration going and vibrant. Resources that relate to the collaboration will be stored and updated on the portal. It will also provide the tools for constant communication about collaborative projects. Communities of practice can be propped around the collaborations thus further strengthening them. 2

12 Many NSA s do not have formalized strategies let alone strategies of collaborations. They can already collaborate at this level on joint capacity building for strategy development. Good Practice Example: IIAS Knowledge Portal3 The knowledge portal of the IIAS is a communication platform on major issues of governance and the modern problems of governance (performance, innovation, leadership and administration in crisis times, etc.). This is an information tool that allows participants to keep abreast of all developments and reforms in recent months in public administration. Each month, a new topic is addressed and allows participants to share the experiences and good practices in the public sector. OBJECTIVES Being quickly accessible to academics and practitioners to enable them to make a point on the news: Highlight issues / good practices of governments of state members; Upload news from a panel of countries and from partner organizations; Allow to reference persons of the member countries to address issues relevant to their region. CONCLUSION In this paper, we have attempted to develop a framework for training collaboration between African NSA s. The collaborative framework tried to mirror the main components of the training value-chain through not all were included. The role of NSA s in these collaborations were highlighted along with some good practice examples from the continent and elsewhere. However, this does not mean that other better practices do not exist, including within the continent. This paper was prepared for this meeting and is not exhaustive in its inventory of collaboration modes or practices. One of the key recommendations that can be drawn from this work is that collaborations have to be planned strategically and implemented within the regular operations of NSA s. Their sustainability also depends on a knowledge platform that will create the necessary critical mass of people and knowledge around the different collaboration. In light with the key theme of this meeting, this work can be further extended by developing strategic templates around the different collaborations