Rapport: Training Top Civil Servants: a comparative analysis (2010)
| Pollitt Christopher & Op de Beeck Liesbeth (2010). Executive summaryThis report is the result of a short, preliminary investigation of the training of two important groups of civil servants across seven countries. The first group is those who are already at the top – roughly the top three to five grades in most countries, but particularly the top three. The second group comprises those who have been selected by the relevant authorities as strong candidates for the top – ‘high fliers’ who are expected to reach the top three grades, or the elite corps. The focal questions for the research were as follows: Most of the report is basically a comparative description, focused on the above questions. Towards the end, however, there is a more theoretical and critical analysis of the picture painted earlier in the report. This final section is obviously more interpretive (and judgemental) than the earlier descriptive material. Hopefully, the larger (descriptive) part of the report will be of interest and value to even those readers who may partly or wholly disagree with the interpretive assessments offered in the final section. The countries covered are Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. The report is based on a fairly short, quick research project – it is only a ‘sighting shot’. Nevertheless, given the paucity of comparative, independent publications on this topic, it should have some value and originality. For the most part it is a ‘desk study’, based on a careful analysis of websites, reports and other published materials. This body of material has been augmented by a number of interviews of senior staff from the TDI’s although, regrettably, we have not yet been able to interview staff from all the TDI’s described herein. The organizational structures and statuses of the various TDI’s differ considerably, one from another. In some countries the main provision comes from universities or free-standing institutes. In others there are public agencies at ‘arms length’ from the central ministries and departments. In others still there is a national school with close ties to the centre of government. Some of these TDI’s operate on market principles, in the sense that they receive no baseline funding and have to survive by persuading civil servants to pay substantial fees to take their programmes. Others are partly or largely subsidized by baseline funding from the relevant public authorities, and/or have guaranteed allocations of course members. A number have changed the basis of their funding during the past decade, not always in the same direction. Our discussion of the target audience is framed by our focus on existing senior civil servants and on ‘high fliers’. The definitions of these categories – especially the second one – are not absolutely consistent or precise across countries, but the two groups are everywhere recognised as distinct entities requiring specific training. One difference between TDI’s is the extent to which they are explicitly and consciously focused on foreign candidates for training as well as those from the home country. In this regard the J.F. Kennedy School, the Hertie School of Government and ENA stand out as institutions which are putting a lot of effort into attracting an international audience. The UK NSG and the Dutch NSOB seem to be towards the other end of the spectrum, although more recently some thought is being given to this dimension within both those institutions. The content of the training programmes is a central focus for this report. Here we find a significant degree of difference between the Anglophone countries and the others. Generic management teachings and the prominence of concepts such as ‘leadership’, ‘partnership’ and ‘public value’ have penetrated the curricula in the former countries much more than in the continental European TDI’s. As far as teaching and learning methods are concerned there seems to be a significant degree of international convergence. All TDI’s claim to use highly interactive methods, such as case studies, workshops and simulations. All seem to imply that traditional lectures from experts are not suitable for these categories of trainee. All stress the need to connect the training materials closely to the world of practice. All try to avoid teaching in large groups. Most of them make significant use of individual or group projects, and some stress the importance of placements/stages. In a number of cases it is possible to take programmes wholly or partly by distance learning methods. Most of the selected TDI’s use a mixture of teaching staff – experienced civil servants (practising or retired) and senior academics. Many – especially but not exclusively those in the Anglophone countries – also make extensive use of speakers with a business or consultancy background. In the time available we were not able to get far below the surface in respect to financial arrangements. We cite the advertised prices of particular programmes, which at least makes it clear that training elites is not cheap. Whilst there is an obvious variation between some TDI’s which operate on a market model (competing with other TDI’s and needing to charge full cost for courses) and those which receive baseline or guaranteed funding from their governments, the detail of these arrangements (and, in some cases, the mixtures of the two philosophies) would require further research. All TDI’s have procedures in place to evaluate their courses. The main method seems to be to survey the satisfaction levels and collect comments from the trainees. This feedback is clearly one important source of evidence on which to base adjustments to the training programmes. Ideally, however, there would also be some attempt to assess the longer term impacts of training – how and how far it affected the behaviour of the trainees once they had returned to their departments and agencies. In practice, however, there seems to be little evidence of this type. In the final discussion section three issues are addressed: It is argued that there are elements of both convergence and continuing national distinctiveness in the contemporary activities of TDI’s. One element of convergence is that most TDI’s now emphasize the need for senior officials to be able to work horizontally, across vertical organizational divisions (‘silos’). There are also good reasons why one model is unlikely to suit all the different national contexts. As for the content of current programmes, it is pointed out that some of the core concepts in the training programmes of Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA are both theoretically quite fragile and are also strongly disputed in terms of their appropriateness for the upper reaches of government. In these ‘Anglo-Saxon’ countries there has been a more pronounced shift towards generic management concepts than in the continental European countries. Finally, it is noted that, while there is plenty of evidence concerning the satisfaction levels of programme members, there is much less concerning the wider and longer term effects of such training. This is perhaps not surprising, given the considerable methodological difficulties of identifying and measuring such effects, but it does mean that the substantial investments in training made by most governments remain (and perhaps must remain) less-than-wholly evidence-based. Faith and vision(s) are still important components in the design of programmes for top civil servants. Given the wider importance of the training of civil service elites, it seems surprising that there is relatively little public discussion of the nature and content of training programmes. It is hoped that this report may help to stimulate a debate that goes beyond the usual circles of trainers and trainees.Table of content1. The aims and context of the study 2. Scope and methods 3. Training organisations, arrangements and contexts 4. Target audience 5. The content: themes and subject matters 6.1. Australia and New Zealand 7. Teaching staff 8. Financial arrangements 9. Impacts 10. Conclusions |