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National School of Public Administration (Krajowa Szkola Administracji Publicznej)
Poland

The Problem

Until 1991-1992, Polish administration was obsolete despite strong political stimuli which –after 1989 (the first democratic elections in Poland in more than 40 years) - promoted a more modern, service-oriented, citizens’ need-responsive, and above all, democratic operational mode for it. This obsolescence was more visible in its administrative practices than institutional arrangements reflecting an inert nature of bureaucratic behaviors and processes (when compared to mere institutional and legal arrangements). In practical terms, the discrepancy between the institutional and legal arrangements and the bureaucratic practice meant that prior to 1992, Polish public administration (both governmental and self-governmental) fell disappointingly short of civic and political expectations when it came to delivering adequate public services and adopt effective and efficient processes in this provision. Needless to say, the public administration then was perceived as ineffective and inefficient, as well. Moreover, the still authoritarian style of that administration made its practices very often cumbersome to citizens.

Until 1992 there was no specialized institution in Poland which would provide specially designed training programmes pursuing (a) to promote prompt enough improvement in Polish administrative practices through continuous training of civil servants, (b) to gather and disseminate knowledge concerning best administrative practices (identified both nationally and internationally) at both national and regional level (the latter being the Eastern and Central Europe), (c) to popularize values and attitudes typical for effective, efficient, open, responsive, socially responsible, and transparent type of governance, (d) to serve as a platform for exchange of information and experience among civil servants employed in public administration, (e) to provide for a centre of administrative excellence.

Improvement of this situation could be achieved through incremental yet steady change including the democratization of public administration, modernization of legal, institutional and technical infrastructure available to it. This included also the provision of a continuous investment in human capital which itself required that a system for training needs analysis and training of civil servants be established and executed. Despite this general (and reasonable apporach), some changes were to be implemented faster than others. This “fast truck” approach was implemented for the National School of Public Administration, which itself has been avantgarde of change throughout the entire period of its existence.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
In order to address the problem inherited from the prior to 1989 period, the National School of Public Administration (NSPA, known in Poland as KSAP) was created in 1991 with the mission to provide adequate to the needs of Polish public adminsitration training for those willing to develop their careers in public adminsitration and for the already employed civil servants. Since this date, KSAP has launched a myriad of teaching and research programs with the aim to contribute to a large-scale, massive transformation of Polish public administration rather than an incremental change. The teaching programs have been designed and targeted at two groups of civil servants: one includes young (up to 32 years of age) graduates of universities and other similar schools who are trained in an approximately 1,5 year program after completion of which they are expected to take up jobs in public administration (either governmental or self-governmental), another includes already employed civil servants for whom variety of continuous training courses are offered.

Since its establishment almost 1000 students of the former teaching track have graduated KSAP. A total of approximately 26 thousand civil servants have completed various courses offered by KSAP. More than 1300 specialized courses have been offered.

An essential part of the KSAP teaching system is (a) a continuous research on training needs and continuous assessment of its educational offer, (b) a steady contact with its stakeholders (being primarily offices of public administration at central, regional, and local level of both governmental and self-governmental character). This interactive approach allows KSAP to frequently change its educational offer in respect to both its content and format and adequately address the needs of public administration. The so achieved embedment of KSAP in the public administration infrastructure make it possible for the School to initiate such improvements which result from the School’s research on best international administrative practices.

Within the period of 1992-2008, approximately 1300 assessment questionnaires were distributed and effectively compiled by KSAP. 34 topical “know-how” conferences on the emerging, most important administrative issues were prepared by KSAP’s students. In addition, independently from this initiative, KSAP organized 300 conferences of more academic character. KSAP also has a tradition of organizing meetings with prominent, high-profile international administration practitioners. So far, almost 800 meetings of such a character have been organized.

In addition to the overall massive-scale impact on the transformation of Polish public administration’s practices and culture, the initiatives initiated by KSAP included:

(a) the introduction of courses including an e-government aspect (e. g. Strategic Management course),
(b) the introduction of courses of various methods of management, with a special emphasis of strategic management and a variety of management methods based on a close interrelation and cooperation with stakeholders (especially with civic society organizations, citizens and NGOs),
(c) the introduction of client- and service- oriented concept of public administration (most importantly, KSAP was among the first educational institutions which promoted the idea of one-step approach to processing citizen’s administrative issues (which means elimination of organizational funnels, streamlining procedures, and making the citizen possible to contact the office only once),
(d) the introduction of a well-pronounced component of Total Quality Management in its curriculum.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
As an institution, KSAP was established by virtue of a Parliamentary Act. This means that as a general solution, the School was proposed by the government in power in 1992 and supported by the Parliament. Yet, since KSAP has pursued its continuous fit to the needs and requirements of broadly defined public administration, it succeeded to establish close relationship with public administration of all levels (especially with governmental administration at the central and regional level) and international partners including other schools of public administration in the world. Thus, nowadays, it is possible to say that all these groups have impact on the content and format of KSAP’s curriculum.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
KSAP pursues its organizational development strategy based on a close relationship with its stakeholders. Thus, participants of its courses assess respective curricula of their interest, many curricula (even those of multidiciplinary character) dare designed in close cooperation with public administration offices. Many courses are offered as a result of various types of training needs assessment.

The most recent development at KSAP (introduced in 2008/2009) is the establishment of a seminar and tutorial system of learning. Both forms of learning allow(a) the introduction of highly specialised courses (addressing emerging public administration issues of significant concern) into curriculum, and (b) ensure that contact between the teachers (mostly high profile academics with practical experience in public administration) is very individualized, thus making feedback more effective.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
KSAP developed its highly recommendable practices in the following stages:

1991-1992: creation and design of basic curriculum
1992-1995: development of generic basic curriculum and feedback practices
1996-2002: strong internationalization of curriculum, strong international cooperation and broadening teaching offer to Eastern and Central Europe, stronger focus on continuous training programs,
2003-2007: introduction of a more systemic approach to training needs assessment and teaching feedback
2008-2009: introduction of seminar and tutorial system (augmented with the system of study visits)

Thus, KSAP represents a type of organization where continuous improvement takes place and where continuous feedback from stakeholders is transferred into the content of curricula and format of teaching courses.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
There were the following obstacles to the strategy pursued by KSAP throughout 1991 to date:

(a) human resource obstacle – lack of adequate to needs number of high profile teachers,
(b) negative heritage obstacle – which initially pronounced itself in a relative closeness of administration and other primary stakeholders of KSAP, unwillingness to openly formulate expectations and opinions, and preference to static type of courses (with no or moderate intervention of participants),
(c) learning curve obstacle – many practices introduced by KSAP were new as such or were just new applications of already existing best international practices; their application and adaptation to local circumstances gave rise to high (yet decreasing in time) cost of implementation (measured mostly in effort of staff and teachers).

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
KSAP has implemented its development strategy on a basis of funds provided from the governmental budget and partially of tuitions of contributed to pay for specific courses (most often paid by public administration offices interested in having their officers trained, very rarely born by participants themselves).

KSAP employs 70 staff members. Until 2007, the School organized its courses on a basis of individual assignments with high profile academics and public administration practitioners (or, sometimes, people greatly experienced in private sector). Since 2008 KSAP has commenced employing professors.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
KSAP’s experience and practices (both general and specific) proved to be highly sustainable and have had a tremendous impact on organizational design and curricula of other public administration schools in Poland and in the region. Its practices and initiatives have been received with great interest in the public sector mostly for their sustainability and, above all, transferability.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?

Contact Information

Institution Name:   National School of Public Administration (Krajowa Szkola Administracji Publicznej)
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Artur Nowak-Far
Title:   Prof.  
Telephone/ Fax:   +4822-825-6419
Institution's / Project's Website:   +4822-825-7367
E-mail:   jc@ksap.gov.pl  
Address:   Wawelska 56
Postal Code:   00-922
City:   Warszawa
State/Province:  
Country:   Poland

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