Research on top civil servant (TCS) training is sparse, particularly in developing countries, with most existing studies focused on developed nations. This paper explores how TCS in Bangladesh are trained. The study particularly focuses on the government's expectations of TCS skills and competencies, the types of training available, content, methods, and evaluation systems of TCS training. It used government policy documents, apex training institute records, and semi-structured interviews with employees involved in delivering TCS training. The study finds that TCS training is relatively recent in Bangladesh, comprising two main types: core courses and short courses. The apex training institute in the country, Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) organizes most of the training. The training programs aim to equip TCS with leadership skills for policy formulation, execution, and positive change in public administration. Interactive methods are used for conducting the training, and evaluation is generally based on participants' feedback. This study provides empirical evidence on the development of top civil servants training in a developing country, highlighting practical and theoretical implications, and insights for policymakers and educators. It also highlights several issues in current training practices that necessitate more targeted interventions for continuous professional development.

Keywords: top civil servants, education and training, Bangladesh, developing country

In the past few years, several Countries in the MENA region have realized the importance of reforming their public sector and improving its effectiveness to achieve economic growth, social development, and combat corruption (OECD, 2010). However, the success of bureaucratic reforms and the effectiveness of public sectors, as noted by Schuster et al., (2020) depend heavily on the performance of its employees. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen the competencies of public officials. Several scholars emphasized the connection between education and public organizations' effectiveness and the competencies of its staff and confirmed that public officials should understand the basic topics of public administration (Carrizales & Bennett, 2013; Crow & Iskandar, 1961; Newcomer & Allen, 2010).

Although not all public servants hold a degree in public administration, understanding this academic discipline and its pedagogical approaches should help evaluate its status and relevance to practical applications. Therefore, this study examines public administration education in ten countries located in the MENA region, namely, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia (KSA), United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Egypt. Using information available on the official website of the Ministry of Higher Education of each country, this study shed lights on the status of PA programs offered by Higher Education institutions in these countries, and its areas of emphasis, and suggest practical recommendations to strengthen public administration education in MENA region.

References

Carrizales, T., & Bennett, L. V. (2013). A public service education: A review of undergraduate programs with a community and service focus. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 19(2), 309-323.‏

Crow, R. E., & Iskandar, A. (1961). Administrative Reform in Lebanon 1958-1959.

International Review of Administrative Sciences, 27(3), 293-307.‏

Newcomer, K. E., & Allen, H. (2010). Public service education: Adding value in the public interest. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 16(2), 207–229.

OECD.(2010). Progress in Public Management in the Middle East and North Africa- Case Studies on Policy Reform. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/mena/governance/48634338.pdf

Schuster, C., Weitzman, L., Sass Mikkelsen, K., Meyer‐Sahling, J., Bersch, K., Fukuyama, F.,... & Kay, K. (2020). Responding to COVID‐19 through Surveys of Public Servants. Public Administration Review, 80(5), 792-796.‏

Although primarily based on the 1976 Constitution, Portuguese public administration (PA) struggled to immediately embark on a modernization and democratization course/path following the revolution. Rooted systemic authoritarian practices as well as a general lack of technical expertise and skills, even at the central level PA, contributed to the difficulty of this process.

Under this context, vocational training for PA workers and managers has been recognised as of key importance to the PA reform process(es) and different governments have been developing significant efforts to implement different programmes of training.

The Portuguese National Administration institute (INA), which was founded shortly after the revolution (1979), has been playing a key role in (co-)organizing civil servants’ training by itself and in cooperation with higher education institutions and with national and international public institutions, including on what regards development aid and transition programmes in Portuguese-speaking countries.

Despite the importance of PA for the democratization processes and the relevance of training for preparing civil servants and managers, there has been scarce research on these topics, as previously recognised.

This paper thus aims to analyse the importance that the PA and its reforms throughout time have been having in the process of democratic consolidation of the Portuguese State and society. This paper will therefore include a systematic analysis of the history of vocational training in Portugal targeting public managers and workers, to frame it within the different stages of administrative reforms and to develop an impact assessment of that training. To achieve these goals, this project will use several methodological techniques such as archival research, document analysis and interviews with current and past leaders of INA.

This study investigates the alignment of postgraduate programmes in public policy and public administration with the needs of post-experience professionals in the context of small island states. The increasing popularity of postgraduate master programmes offered by the Department of Public Policy, University of Malta, juxtaposed with a decline in undergraduate public administration degrees, emphasises the importance of understanding how these advanced programmes cater to individuals with practical public service experience.

To evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of these postgraduate programmes, the research employs two primary instruments: in-depth interviews with lecturers and online surveys with graduates who have post-experience in public service. The interviews with lecturers provide qualitative insights into the pedagogical strategies, curriculum design, and perceived alignment with professional needs. The online surveys capture quantitative data on the experiences, satisfaction, and career outcomes of graduates, offering a thorough view of how well the programmes meet their expectations and professional requirements.

The findings will shed light on the specific educational needs of post-experience professionals in small island states and the degree to which current postgraduate programmes address these needs. This research aims to inform improvements in curriculum design and teaching methodologies, ensuring that postgraduate programmes are better suited to enhance the skills and knowledge of experienced public service professionals. By focusing on Malta as a small island state, the study also highlights unique contextual factors that can inform broader discussions on public policy and administration education globally.