Time for Public Value: How to Better Manage a Public Administrations Core Function

Target group
This seminar is designed for civil servants from all levels of government, staff from international organisations, social actors, politicians and other stakeholders involved in serving public interest or carrying out research on this subject.

Description
In times of budget cuts, the debate on the role of government and public administration all over Europe in relation to public values raises the managerial question: what does managing for public value mean? What is its scope? What are its limits? What are the core competencies of modern public administration? How can we create a better image in the eyes of our customers and citizens?
Public value can be seen as the next step of reforms in the public sector, emphasising a proactive and entrepreneurial role of innovative value creation.
Participants will gain an insight into the concept of public value, which bridges ideas of traditional Weberian administration with more recent ideas of New Public Management. Basically, the public value approach reconciles tensions between the two paradigms by taking into account the need for balancing values in the light of better social outcomes. Against this background, public value is regarded as the guiding principle for the public sector. The public value discussion has roots in the idea of Mark H. Moore – Harvard Kennedy School of Government – that public intervention should aim to meet citizens’ needs and expectations in a fair, effective and accountable way.
Participants will be introduced to a new method of assessing public value using the Public Value Scorecard. Human resource management (HRM) must take a more active role in terms of creating and implementing management principles. Leadership, collaboration guidelines, and staff training are valuable tools to develop competencies (also supported by new technology). Moreover, public values entail an ethical dimension while they offer a broader way of measuring government performance and guiding policy decisions. Ethical standards play an important role in orienting administrative behaviour towards securing public values.

Learning Methodology
Combination of presentations, lectures and working groups.

Objectives
The seminar focuses on strategic thinking on how to determine the public value of a given project or planned initiative. To improve practical skills, participants are introduced to the Public Value Scorecard, which facilitates decision-making processes. Participants reflect on and learn more about their individual style of approaching entrepreneurial challenges.

Programme
The programme will commence on Thursday 13 at 09.30 hrs and finish on Friday 14 December at 17.00 hrs.

Seminar venue
The seminar will take place in the Bordeaux Conference Room (1.16) at the European Institute of Public Administration, O.L. Vrouweplein 22, NL-6211 HE Maastricht, tel.: +31 43 32 96 222, fax: +31 43 32 96 296.

Working language
The seminar will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation in French (please note that interpretation will be subject to a minimum number of participants requiring translation).
Please indicate your language of preference on the registration form.

Fee
The participation fee is €860 and includes documentation, two lunches, one dinner and refreshments. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration.EIPA offers its members a reduction of 10% of the registration fee. For details, please click here.

Hotel reservations
The European Institute of Public Administration will be pleased to make reservations for you at a hotel in Maastricht. We have made a block booking at Hotel Beaumont**** in Maastricht (www.beaumont.nl), at a rate of approx. €99,99 p.p.p.n. (incl. breakfast and tourist tax) and Townhouse Hotel Maastricht **** (www.townhousehotels.nl), at a rate of approx. €85,99 p.p.p.n. (incl. breakfast and tourist tax).
Should you wish to make use of this possibility, please indicate the dates of arrival and departure on the registration form. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel on checking out. Please note that if you register after the closing date, hotel reservations cannot be guaranteed.

Meals
The lunches will be served at the Institute’s restaurant and dinner in the evening will be at a restaurant in town. Should you require a special menu (e.g. vegetarian, diabetic), please inform the Programme Organiser so that this can be arranged.

Registration
Kindly complete the online registration form before 6 December 2012.

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation. Please indicate the method of payment on the registration form. In any case, the participant or his/her administration will receive an invoice for the payment of the registration fee. For cancellations received after the date indicated on the registration form we will have to charge an administration fee of €150 unless a replacement participant is found.

Cancellation policy
EIPA reserves the right to cancel the seminar up to two weeks before the starting date. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred (travel, hotel, etc.). For EIPA's cancellation policy, please visit our website.