TOWARDS EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE: THE MPA APPROACH Meredith A. Newman Professor and Chair Department of Public Administration Florida International University and President-Elect, American Society for Public Administration Marilyn Rubin Professor and MPA Director John Jay College City University of New York

“Politicians, organization leaders, management thinkers and public management practitioners regard the public sector’s performance as a major concern of all governments. This is mainly due to the fact that it plays an effective role in bolstering the efforts towards the achievement of sustainable economic and administrative development, the formation of distinguished public and private sectors, as well as the improvement of the quality and delivery of government services.” (Dr. Abdulrahman Bin Abdullah Al-Shakawy) Introduction

This paper contributes to our understanding of these issues by exploring the role of the MPA degree in strengthening the capacity to deliver quality governmental services In the process, it identifies new skills (affective competencies) that are essential to effective public service delivery Premise: that graduates of MPA programs serve to enhance the professionalism and performance of the public service Role of the MPA

How the MPA degree in the U.S. has evolved over time The accreditation process for MPA programs in the U.S. MPA programs outside the U.S. International organizations promoting excellence in public administration education/training Outline

New York Bureau of Municipal Research 1912 – Training School for Public Service - Maxwell School of Syracuse University 1920s/1930s – Number of PA programs increases steadily New Deal and World War II – Expansion of government 1950s – Movement toward adopting a generic study of management Post 1950s – Proliferation of MPA programs Evolution of MPAs

NASPAA accreditation – a “human process” NASPAA Standards – 1970s, 1990s, and 2009 From inputs; inputs + mission; to values, mission + outcomes Common curriculum components Emergence of emotive skills Person-to-person interactions between citizens and the state require both technical (cognitive) knowledge and higher-order emotive skills Affective component and a service-orientation (“People First”) Accreditation Process in U.S.

Demonstrate self-knowledge Evidence sensitivity and responsiveness Demonstrate flexibility – adapts behavior Negotiate, facilitate Relate to all kinds of people and develop rapport that leads to effective relationships Work productively in teams Cross-Cutting Skills

Improving public sector performance by professionalizing public service explains the growth of MPAs worldwide Europe – EAPAA; UK Asia – NAPSIPAG; China Latin America – INPAE Middle East MPA Programs Outside the U.S.

IIAS – IASIA, EGPA Standards of Excellence – need for new (people) skills Attention to human processes illuminates the nature of affective skills ASPA, IPA, IPAA, EROPA, IIPA Overview underscores the value placed in PA education/training for the promotion of a professionalized public sector International Infrastructure for Promoting Public Service Education

MPA programs are a key resource in advancing sustainable human, economic and administrative development Emerging recognition of the centrality of affective (emotive) skills Number of institutions offering the MPA is growing in most regions of the world Collectively, these programs contribute to nations’ efforts to provide for a highly professionalized workforce in the pursuit of strengthening the public service Conclusion