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PART III Concluding Comments
around the world. This change has been characterized by a closer relationship
and closer cooperation between the public and private sectors, and civil society
organizations, a shift from public administration to public management. This can
be viewed as a new way of governing, or considered by some scholars to be a new
paradigm in public administration.
If our current public institutions are to survive, they will need to adapt themselves to
changing conditions. At the same time, there will need to be major investments by the
public sector in the building of human resources. Both current and future governmental
leadership will have to be sensitive to new approaches to governance, and certainly be
aware of the newest information technology innovations, and how they may enhance the
overall quality of public administration. Government leadership in the new millennium
needs to have a positive attitude towards changes and developments, the administrators
need to have acquired professional values, and they need to feel responsible for the
achievement of national goals, and demands from the citizens.
Education is the key concept in transporting, interpreting and redefining knowl-
edge. Education and training for the public leadership capacity building and training
of administrators at various administration levels is very important for the realiza-
tion of an accountable, transparent, effective and efficient public service. Whatever
the administrative system of a country, these characteristics have to be taken into
account in the development and training of administrators. Every administrator
has to be effective and his/her attitude towards global and environmental changes
must be in harmony with the realities of his/her country. All public administration
education and training programs must start from this framework.
Among various institutions of education, public administration schools and
institutes often have been considered the best means of solving training problems.
In many countries these schools and institutes fulfill a number of functions such as
training at various levels, research, consultation, documentation, publishing books
and periodicals, and in-service training. In some countries, public administration
schools and institutes also have power in the selection and promotion of public
personnel. Some schools and institutes establish training centers in various parts
of the country to carry out training on a regional basis. The function of educa-
tion and training is a common function for all public administration schools and
institutes. But there are differences in practice. Some institutions undertake only
the education of those entering the public service. Some institutions undertake
in-service training.
Although some schools and institutes existed for fifty or sixty years in various
countries, there is no firm agreement concerning the organization and functions
of them. In any event, it is necessary to give many of these institutions a stronger
structure by reviewing their training programs, methods of training, the status
of their academic personnel, and their institutional relations to the government.
While these steps are being taken, strengthening their autonomy in order to make
it possible for them to stay unaffected by various political influences should not
be neglected.
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Public Sector Leadership Capacity Building Through Education and Training
The United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration laid out an agenda which
emphasizes economic development and the eradication of poverty; the insurance
of environmental sustainability; the support of democracy, good governance and
human rights; and the maintenance of peace and security. A unique partnership was
established several years ago between the UN and the International Association of
Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) to undertake a joint partnership
aimed at enhancing the capacities of both future and current government leadership
throughout the world. Thus, the joint UN/IASIA initiative aims to assist govern-
ment leaders to adapt effectively to the complex problems described in the UN
Millennium Declaration. As such, it is an effort to improve the quality of education
and training in public administration for both the existing and next generation
government leaders. As part of the UN/IASIA initiative an expert group meeting
was held in Turin, Italy in September 2003, on “New Challenges for Senior Lead-
ership Enhancement for Improved Public Management in a Globalizing World”.
In this meeting, the immediate target groups for the programs to be developed
were singled out as the politicians at central and local levels, senior civil servants,
junior civil servants, and top civil servants of local governments.
The joint UN/IASIA initiative places particular emphasis upon initiating ac-
tivities in developing countries and has had a special focus on Africa. For most
countries of developing world, decision making processes about reforms require
highly competent political leadership and highly professional staff. Unlike the
negative attitudes of the past, today it is generally accepted that the training
especially of senior level people, and of those who are likely to become senior,
in administration is of vital importance. The establishment of an effective public
administration is dependent, above everything else, upon the training of adminis-
trators and approaching administrative problems with scientific research methods.
With the systematic approach to and regulation of the training of administrators,
the administration will select for training its members who are candidates for
higher levels of administration, and will send them to the training institutions
established for this purpose. And the training institution which has been put in
charge of training administrators will train the persons who will be appointed to
higher levels of administration in the future or who are already in those positions
with programs designed for this purpose.
IASIA can play its role in confronting the challenges of the new millennium
by providing new training mechanisms and supporting member institutions. In
this respect holding regional conferences is very meaningful for the discussion of
issues concerning leadership capacity development in a globalizing world. The Rio
de Janeiro and Kampala meetings, from which the papers found in this volume
originated, are two important and fruitful examples of the joint UN/IASIA initia-
tive. Exchanging of good practices and experiences can, and does, create a common
ground for the enhancement of public administration education and training.
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