Modern Pa Education in Postmodern Conditions: Risks of Cultural Iatrogenesis

MODERN PA EDUCATION IN POSTMODERN CONDITIONS: RISKS OF CULTURAL IATROGENESIS[1]

Inesa Vorontchuk[(], Aivars Kalnins[**]

Abstract

Coping with futures challenges – environmental and social issues – can’t be solved relying only on utilitarian values. Even if only sustainability is considered seriously, public administration (PA) curriculum should be enriched by results from broad area of research – including innumerable ethics directions, anthropology and cultural studies. Respecting World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Found (IMF) recommendations, we are committed to modernizing reforms. It’s time to ask - are they the success story? We have to apply critical futures approach and stakeholders’ analysis. Who reaps the yield? Who benefits? What are the costs? Master degree program in Public Administration (MPA) has been run in the faculty of economics and management more than a decade. The experience acquired is presented, tasks to be solved discussed. In long-term perspective it could happen, hard tasks may await us.

Keywords: education, PA curriculum, modern, postmodern, economic policy, sustainability, social impacts, environmental impacts.

1. Introduction

Most of us strive to serve “progress” in our field, often – very sincerely. Nevertheless, outcomes may differ… Being anxious for the leading trends at home and in the world, makes ask oneself - why so often we meet “frustration with conventional thinking in public administration”[2]? Isn’t it strange, that it happens more often in “developed countries”, as we use to name them, not in “less developed countries”, in the “developing world”, and even in the “transition countries”, treated by “shock therapy” (for both – occupied and occupants)? Had been there any considerations of justice? There may be different explanations, but the simpleminded one is: lack of deep reflection on our ways of knowing, our worldviews, relying on which our doings start.

In the first part we will outline some considerations, how we cope with everyday teaching tasks in our busy times – to whom do we teach, what has been included in our study program, how the changes came about. Considering futures of our curricula, some backcasting exercise would be desirable. Because we’ve been taught to rely on method, then the only problem is the right choice. My pranks – to be a Susanin – beware, who remember him! The structure of the exercise may be borrowed from TWC[3]. From The Foresight Principle Part 1: to make first easy (?) step - establishing the context: looking beyond the industrial worldview, we have to follow by looking back - looking around - looking forward; then, according to Part 2, applying and extending the foresight principle, start cultural recovery by creating positive views of futures with young people through cultural reconstruction in the post-modern world move towards a wise culture. What has been done as far – only contents quoted, nothing more. But that is the wording of Slaughter – as ripe ear, full with grain. For instance, in expression critical futures study 'critical' in his glossary mean 'looking more deeply'.

Coping with futures challenges – environmental and social issues – appears to be much harder task as we with our modern education background use to seek solutions. Our obsession with innovative technologies leaves no time for meaningful life. Mechanism as an ubiquitous metaphor is tremendous obstacle to envision the world as becoming, in process of transformations and changes, intended and unwanted. Social and environmental costs often exceed economic gains, short-term private interests often neglect future generations and community. The problematique can’t be solved relying only on utilitarian values. Even if nothing more than sustainability is considered seriously, Public Administration (PA) curriculum should be enriched by results from broad area of research – including innumerable ethics directions, anthropology, and cultural studies.

How about us? We are not the first, to whom modern development pills had been prescribed. Attitudes and values – the core of character – are the target of ideological manipulations. As researchers we have to consider this.

2. Public Administration education as is in the University of Latvia

We propose to discuss this problem concerning middle and superior level public officials occupying administrative and managerial positions in public administration requiring higher education.

In different west, as well as central and east European countries, there are different traditions and approaches concerning ways to ensure professionalism of public administration and public policy.

We can distinguish two main approaches:

The first one considers that, the candidates for public service carrier should be professionally prepared for carrier in public service already before entering it. The privileged way to the entry in this case is the preparation achieved through special education ensured by specialized professional schools or specialized education higher education program of graduate and/or postgraduate level. The competitive recruitment it this type of schools is considered, at the same time, as recruitment for public service.

The second approach, consist to recruit for public service the candidates with diplomas of higher education degree, which are not necessarily preparing for a carrier in public service. In this case, the level of diploma, which the candidates are bearing, is more important that its specialization and recruitment announcement refers generally to several different educational profiles. Even if the recruitment is merit based, open and competitive (which is not always the case), the selection process is based on general level of knowledge and intellectual skills and capacities rather than specific professional competences required for effective public service in the particular field.

Both approaches can be applied in the countries with statutory, carrier based civil service. Only the second one fits to the open, position based civil service. Both can be, and often are applied in the same country which is practicing a mixture of carrier and position based civil service.

University of Latvia offers the program Master of Public Administration with academic degree MPA.

The theoretical part of master's study program envisaged fundamental research in Public Administration as well as acquiring of the recent conclusions and discussions. Public Administration Department offers work programs for all theoretical courses in this master's study program. Division of the total number of hours and assigned codes in the course catalogue of the University of Latvia are shown in each work program. Master’s work must be a kind of research work and with original trend in chosen branch of science.

For obtaining master's degree it is necessary:

·  To fulfill master's study program;

·  To defend master's work.

The names of the study courses Master Program of Public Administration at the University of Latvia is:

·  Principles of Public Administration;

·  Macroeconomics;

·  Organization of State Administration and Local Government;

·  Administration and Ethics (*);

·  Human Development (*);

·  Methods of research and organization;

·  Project management;

·  Project management;

·  Public law;

·  World Economics and European integration (*);

·  Baltic region development (*);

·  Comparative politics and government;

·  Social economics prediction;

·  Theory of Management;

·  Public policy analysis;

·  State and Self-government Information systems (*);

·  Institutions of the European Union (*);

·  Personnel management.

*student can choose one of these subjects.

There is and there must be a diversity of PA programs across the countries. PA programs should differ in their content, mission, disciplinary orientation, pedagogy, relation to practice, as PA is very specific discipline, but also should converge to some extent ( also because of Bologna requirements).

The principles and procedures of PA program accreditation had been traditional topic discussed at NISPAcee conferences. As more or less agreed ones’ may be considered:

·  Multi-disciplinary approach in PA curricula;

·  Core components of PA;

·  Developing a mission statement and/or educational philosophy of a program;

·  PA program and the practice of public administration – their relationship, gaining individual competencies to working for public organizations through PA education;

·  Ways of assessing the performance of the students as an answer to changes in the larger environment;

·  The position and the role of practical placement and internship of students in the curricula;

·  The position and role of doing empirical and theoretical research in a PA department;

·  Composition of the faculty of PA program;

·  The position and role of innovation and quality improvement in PA program.

Is accreditation effective tool? The accreditation includes:

·  Self accreditation;

·  Evaluation of experts;

·  Decision of Ministry Committee.

The tendencies of accreditation: movement from formal specific criteria to capacity of institution. It will be more effective. The effectiveness of the existing PA program will be analyzed including the curriculum evolution, faculty backgrounds and alumni placement.

We should reflect, what are we doing, why do we do what we do, are there other options. And, quite pragmatic reason – we have to know, what is going on in other universities around the world, if we’d like to be responsible, not only competitive.

How did it come into being that in some seemingly simple choices, proposed early enough, we were in a week moment, for not to produce iatrogenic effects of such a scale:

choosing “steering, not rowing” (Osborne, the only Bible for teaching PA in our part of world) instead of “Serving, Not Steering”[4] As we find through review of Steven A. Peterson , NPM forgets who owns the boat. That is, government belongs to the people, not the "steerers"; if PA cares, how democracy can thrive, “we are to serve citizens, not create satisfied customers. In a democracy, citizenship means something, and the people should be engaged through the New Public Service.”

Not less devastating effect produce vices (instead of virtues) as driving forces for economic development, related with MBV vs. MBO. More then a decade Wise Use Movement was “taking care” of sustainability and producing “innovative” compounds like sustainable economic growth, sustainable banking and so on. The argument for the present is that politics and profound responsible research pretty often are in conflict.

3. Reasoning about Future Tasks of Education for Governance and Public Administration

Both theoreticians and policymakers are revising earlier theories about the market-state relationship[5]

Why didn’t we consider the risks of market fundamentalism? How did it reecho in our curricula design? We are used to listen for WB, not e.g., to Karl Polanyi[6] with his Great Transformation. Thanks to Amazon, one can have a look for the main thesis of this book and enjoy rich variety of readers’ reviews. So, his main thesis asserts: “the idea of self-adjusting market implied a stark utopia” (p.3). Further explanations might make us even more cautious, having foresight. “Such an institution could not exist for any length of time without annihilating the human and natural substance of society; it would have physically destroyed man and transform his surroundings into a wilderness. Inevitably, society took measures to protect itself, but whatever measures it took impaired the self-regulation of the market, disorganized industrial life, and thus endangered society in yet another way. It was this dilemma which forced the development of the market system into a definite groove.” (p.3-4) Witness to wisdom of Polanyi – right the next paragraph, saying that such an explanation “must appear all too simple” …because “Civilization, like life itself, spring from the interaction of a great number of interdependent factors which are not, as a rule, reducible to circumscribed institutions.” (p.4) In readers’ reviews we find:

·  Polanyi deftly uses his extensive knowledge of economic history, anthropology, and political theory to demonstrate the failure of "market society" and the myopia of those who believe that the "free" market is the answer to all social ills;

·  Explains, how devastating it is when every aspect of human life is left up to the market, with its cold logic of efficiency; usually, economic relations were a result of social relations, under the market, it is the latter;

·  Polanyi endeavors to answer the question as to how the market came about; he argues that a free land and labor market can only come about through government intervention, and must be sustained through further intervention;

·  Society should regain control over markets, and not let them dominate us;

Recommended, even twice: “should be required reading for anyone interested in economics, social theory, political history, or international relations.” Students of public administration – even more in need, because measures society has to take to protect itself, should be the crux of dilemma, supporting tension of political dialogue.

3.1. What sort of PA theory, if any?

For the beginning - the most striking, critical statements found – to set the boundaries for reflection:

“PA theory has had its weakest couple of decades most recently in its history. I stand by my opinion, but of course it is only that.[7]” Some more of Lanham’s harsh points:

·  PA theory has never been further from the practitioner;

·  PA theory has been laconic or even silent on the reality of a field that is rapidly disintegrating;

·  I esteem my field, but I reject its recent academic practice for the most part.

So, let us have a look in that - the least part - really a large and rich one. Portfolio of bright, undoubtedly useful ideas for improvements in PA field is not empty. Theory - research - teaching - learning - practicing discussions are intensive and meaningful. It is a pity that most of them take place not in our part of the world.

Camilla Stivers[8] presents deeply truthful reasoning of „what the enterprise of public administration theory is about”; some striking insights:

·  Public administration is fundamentally a theory of politics (Dwight Waldo’s position), not fruitless search for scientific truth;

·  The quest for a science of management should not be permitted to occlude the political;

·  To the extent that the field achieves unequivocal status as a science, to that extent the publicness of public administration, the intellectual enterprise, will wither and die[9];

·  The insistence that public administration theory be a body of lawlike generalizations that hold across all times and types of situations seems doomed to frustration;

·  Because ... any particular situation is simultaneously similar to and different from any other situation;

·  A statement that came from one other situation ...may turn out to be as useful as a statement derived from study of a random sample of organizations;