Preparing the next Generation of Public Servants

I was having a conversation a few days ago about what kind of skill sets governments are seeking when they are recruiting public servants and what recent employees are saying that they need in terms of skills.

In my years in government I worked in different areas - policy development, program management, operations and financial/fiscal policy. I wanted to have a fully rounded experience in government and was lucky enough to work in different areas and ministries. Having worked most of my career at the Ministry of Finance (Treasury Board, Fiscal Policy) I was always surprised by the lack of financial understanding in some key areas. I was always of the view that a fully fleshed out policy document had to have a robust financial analysis (and these days the full detail of the accounting issues involved - don't you just love PSAB!). But too many times, policy documents were developed without a full understanding of the financial impacts.

Which brings me to what some recent MPA graduates said in a survey that was part of a research paper sponsored by the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA) and the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS). The respondents to this survey noted the need for more practical education and that there should be more senior practitioners as instructors. They would have like to have been exposed to real life examples of briefing notes, cabinet submissions/ memorandum to cabinet and treasury board submissions.

As well, they would have wanted greater exposure to actual governmental processes such as budget & estimates and central agency and cabinet approval processes. They also commented that it would have been good to have greater exposure to financial management, government accounting, project management and HR management. Finally they recommended that real life public policy/administration case studies be used to complement the theoretical course work.

Well what can I say! Are schools of public administration & policy listening to this feedback? I hope so! And to those schools and to governments I want to underscore that IPAC which brings together academics and practitioners has a well developed case study program that we are in the process of revitalizing. We have over 150 cases in public administration and policy & we are in the process of refreshing these cases, developing new cases and we will soon launch a new case study website. Stay tuned for more in this early in the new year.