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IPA ANNUAL REPORT 2018Noreen Fahy, FCCA, Senior Governance & Finance Specialist, IPA, speaking at an IPA Governance Forum event,‘Assurance Frameworks and Expectations – Sources of Assurance for Boards and Senior Executives’.project and programme management,and information technology, includingaccredited programmes which lead to formalmembership of professional bodies. During2018 the Institute worked collaborativelywith many government departments, localauthorities, state agencies, educationalbodies and the not-for-profit sector todesign and deliver customised programmes,including Grade Development for ExecutiveOfficer, Higher Executive Officer and AssistantPrincipal Officer Grades in the Civil Service;Leadership and Management Development;Governance; Risk Management; Auditand Assurance; Internal Audit; FinancialManagement and Accounting; IT and CyberSecurity; GDPR and Data Protection;Project Management; Administrative Law;Courtroom Skills; Personal Effectiveness;Recruitment and Selection; Grievance andDiscipline; Performance Management; andHuman Resource Management.faced by forum members, and a total offifteen events were hosted at the Institute.The calendar of events covered manycontemporary issues in governance, and keythemes included: Strategic PerformanceReporting; Governance Culture, Behaviourand Ethics; Risk Management and RiskAppetite; Audit Committees and RisingExpectations; Strategy Implementation;Assurance Frameworks and AccountabilityArrangements; Roles and Responsibilitiesof Board Members; Board Evaluations andEnhancing Board Effectiveness; ReputationManagement and Media; Finance forBoard Members; and Department–AgencyRelations. In addition to the programmeof events, two special round-table eventsfor board secretaries and chairpersons ofaudit committees were also convened, andprovided relevant and practical advice andan overview of contemporary developmentsin these key governance areas.The Institute continued to offer programmesfor formal membership of professional bodies,including the MII (Mediators’ Institute ofIreland) and the CIPD (Chartered Instituteof Personnel and Development), as well asaccredited audit programmes with CIPFA(Chartered Institute of Public Finance andAccountancy). In partnership with the LocalGovernment Management Agency, theInstitute continued its mentoring role withthe remaining cohort of local governmentgraduates. Our Leadership ChallengeProgramme attracted senior managers fromall sectors of the public service, includingcentral and local government, and the semistate sectors.During 2018 International Servicescontinued its remit to promote anddevelop effective public administrationinternationally and to showcase bestpractice from the Irish public service.We deepened our relationship with existingstrategic partners and also formed newalliances. International Services continuesto deliver on a programme of support to theWestern Balkans funded by the Departmentof Foreign Affairs and Trade.The Governance Forum continued toevolve and expand in response to the manygovernance-related issues and challengesInternational Services has also formed apartnership with ÉNA (École Nationaled’Administration) to jointly implement aproject in the National School of PublicAdministration, Romania, to enhance theoverall level of its services and to buildnew capacities.Pictured (l-r) at the launch of Judicial Power in Irelandwere Dr Michael Mulreany, Assistant Director General& Registrar, IPA; Eoin Carolan, editor of Judicial Powerin Ireland; guest of honour Hon Mr Justice FrankClarke, Chief Justice; and Dr Richard Boyle, Head ofResearch, Publishing & Corporate Relations, IPA.Following on from its work in 2017 on theEuropeAid project ‘Technical Assistance onStrengthening National Civil Service TrainingInstitutions in Myanmar’, the IPA hosted asenior delegation of officials from the UnionCivil Service Board to Ireland in May 2018.The strategic relationship between theIPA and the Office of the Civil ServiceCommission (OCSC) of the Royal Kingdomof Thailand continued to deepen and growduring 2018. In April IPA senior managementmet with a senior delegation from OCSC,led by Deputy Prime Minister Mr WissanuKrea-ngam, Royal Kingdom of Thailand.This was followed in July with the visit offifteen Thai civil servants, who attended atwo-week programme on Advanced PublicManagement and Leadership.The year 2018 saw a stabilisation of Institutefinances and staff numbers. A goodfinancial performance was recorded. TheIPA is privileged to have highly talented,professional and committed staff, and astrong body of associates. The staff arevitally important in delivering on our missionand vision. We are committed to supportingour staff in their professional and personaldevelopment so as to allow them to excelin their work and deliver on the changingneeds of the public service. Institutespecialists continued to support a widerange of organisations undergoing changeas part of the general reform process,including organisations in central and localgovernment, semi-state sector agencies andpublic interest bodies, in the form of shortlearning and development interventions,expert advice, consultancy support andexecutive coaching.7

IPA ANNUAL REPORT 201802EDUCATION

IPA ANNUAL REPORT 2018EDUCATIONIn 2018 the Institute continued to provideservices to international students. Oversixty students from US colleges participatedin parliamentary internship programmes,twenty students from the Seychellesgraduated on the MA in Leadership andStrategy programme, and over one hundredstudents from Nanchang University studiedon the Diploma in Business Studies programme.Dr Michael MulreanyAssistant Director GeneralThe IPA is the primary specialist providerof education to the public service inIreland. The education services of the IPAare particularly important at this time ofrenewal and change in the public service.Our programmes aim to provide specialistskills and knowledge, a broadly basedunderstanding of public policy, analyticalNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELANDAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLINACCREDITED PROGRAMMESBetween 2001 and 2011 the IPA was arecognised college of the NUI. Between2011 and 2018 the IPA was a recognisedcollege of UCD. In 2018 the IPA resumed asa recognised college of the NUI. Studentswho enrolled on education programmesfrom September 2018 are eligible toreceive NUI-accredited qualifications.The conferring ceremony for accreditedprogrammes took place on 14 December2018 when 980 graduates were conferred.An additional 616 students were presentedwith UCD certificates.POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMESThe Institute’s Master of Arts programmeshave a common first year, which leads to anaward of Postgraduate Diploma in PublicManagement. In year two, students progressto a choice of seven specialist areas. In 2018the total number of students enrolled onMaster of Arts programmes was 185.The Master of Economic Science in PolicyAnalysis is a two-year programme with theaward of Postgraduate Diploma in PolicyAnalysis at the end of the first year. Studentsstudy a range of policy-related subjectsin the first year and they work on applieddissertations in the second year. In 2018twenty students enrolled on year one of theprogramme and seven students on year two.In 2018 the Institute offered the followingsuite of undergraduate and postgraduateprogrammes ranging from level 6 to level 10of the National Framework of Qualifications.UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMESPictured (l-r) at the 2018 IPA conferring ceremonyin Dublin Castle were Claire Rowe, PostgraduateDiploma in Business and Management; ReneeO’Reilly, MA Public Management; and Karen Harvey,MA Leadership and Strategy.skills and the opportunity for progressionfrom level 6 awards right up to level 10 onthe National Framework of Qualifications.The programmes are also designed toprovide a flexible and personalised serviceso as to facilitate and support students whoare working full-time. In that context theprovision of online support for students hasbecome particularly important. In recentyears, the uptake on education programmeshas been steadily growing.The flagship programmes – the Bachelorof Arts (Hons) and the Bachelor of BusinessStudies (Hons) – were offered throughthree delivery methods: lectures at the IPA,lectures at regional centres and distanceeducation/blended learning. In 2018 sevenspecialisms were offered on the Bachelorof Arts (Hons) and four on the Bachelorof Business Studies (Hons). The Institutealso offered a wide range of certificateand diploma programmes ranging fromLaw to Computer Studies and from LocalGovernment Management to PublicProcurement. Some of the professionaldiplomas are offered in conjunction withgovernment bodies. The ProfessionalDiploma in Official Statistics for PolicyEvaluation is a one-year programmeoffered in conjunction with the CentralStatistics Office. The Professional Diplomain Human Rights and Equality is deliveredin conjunction with the Irish Human Rightsand Equality Commission. Overall, over1,340 students were enrolled on ourundergraduate programmes in 2018.Pictured at the 2018 IPA conferring ceremonyin Dublin Castle were Elizabeth Smith-Doughty,MA HR Management, and her son Jack.The Master of Science in Business andManagement programme commenced inSeptember 2011. This MSc is a two-year,part-time programme. The first graduatesof the programme graduated in December2013. A new intake of twelve students wasenrolled on the programme in 2018.The Professional Certificate in Governanceis a one-year programme which was firstoffered in 2011. Over eighty students wereenrolled on the programme in 2018.The Doctorate in Governance programmecommenced in 2003, and the first graduateswere conferred in 2006. Between 2003 and2011 the Doctorate in Governance programmewas jointly offered with Queen’s UniversityBelfast. In 2011 the Institute embarkedon a new arrangement to jointly offer theprogramme with UCD. The first graduate ofthe joint IPA–UCD doctorate was conferredin 2015. In 2018 thirty-five students wereenrolled on the doctorate programme.9

IPA ANNUAL REPORT 201803RESEARCH

IPA ANNUAL REPORT 2018RESEARCH sharing with other public bodies theconsiderable learning achieved withinthe EPA as a result of the merger.This report is available for download athttps://www.ipa.ie/ fileUpload/Documents/EPARESEARCHEPORT 2018.pdfPUBLIC SECTOR TRENDS 2018 BYRICHARD BOYLEDr Richard BoyleHead of Research, Publishingand Corporate RelationsThe IPA has a small, full-time, dedicatedteam of staff undertaking applied researchfor government departments and otherpublic sector bodies. The year 2018 saw thecontinuation of the IPA ‘State of the PublicService’ research series and the ‘LocalGovernment’ research series. These initiativestrack public service transformation andprovide an evidence-informed perspectiveon public service change, facilitating keymedia contributions and other activitiesby the IPA. This is in line with the strategicobjective of informing discussion, debateand practice on the current and futuredirection of the public service.Under the ‘State of the Public Service’series, two reports were published in 2018:A CASE STUDY OF THE EPA–RPII MERGERBY JOANNA O’RIORDANThis case study reviews the merger of theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)with the former Radiological ProtectionInstitute of Ireland (RPII), which took placein August 2014. The merger happened withinthe context of an extensive programme ofpublic service cost reduction and agencyrationalisation. It is recognised that it istoo early to reach definitive conclusionswith regard to the longer-term outcomeof the merger. However, three years afterthe event it was considered appropriate toreview the merger with the objectives of: documenting the merger process and, inparticular, acknowledging the significantwork involved; discussing the merger with EPA staffand identifying areas where consolidationis still required; andThis report examines trends in public sectordevelopment and is the ninth in our annualseries. Using data gathered from a numberof sources, information on the size and costof the public sector, the quality of publicadministration, efficiency and performance,and levels of trust and confidence ispresented in a simple but rigorous manner.This report is available for download athttps://www.ipa.ie/ er the ‘Local Government’ series, tworeports were completed and published:LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS LOCAL SERVICECOORDINATOR:Case Study of Ireland’s Age Friendly Cities andCounties Programme by Laura ShannonThis report provides a case study of Ireland’sAge Friendly Cities and Counties (AFCC)Programme to demonstrate the role of localgovernment as local service coordinator.In line with international trends and a shifttowards local networked governance,local authorities have been given greaterresponsibility for economic and communitydevelopment and, as a result, their role ascoordinators of local services is increasing.This trend is reflected in the vision set outfor reform of Ireland’s local governmentsystem: local government will be the mainvehicle of governance and public serviceat local level – leading economic, socialand community development; deliveringefficient and good-value services; andrepresenting citizens and local communitieseffectively and accountably. This reportis available for download at https://www.ipa.ie/ fileUpload/Documents/LOCALGOV no14.pdfLOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:An Overview of the Economic Development Roleof Local Authorities in Selected Jurisdictionsby Laura ShannonThis report examines the role of subnationalgovernments in local economic development.The report provides a brief overview ofthe current situation in Ireland, identifiesinternational trends and provides examplesof the economic development role of localauthorities in other jurisdictions. The OECDdefines local economic development as ‘across cutting and integrated activity wherethe physical development of a place is linkedto public service, place management, andwider drivers of change such as employment,skills, investment, enterprise, innovation,productivity, quality of life, and positioning’.Local government plays a key leadership rolein this kind of local integration. This report isavailable for download at micDev 2018.pdfOther areas of work undertaken by theresearch team in 2018 included: Introduction of Insight Briefs. Five InsightBriefs were produced in 2018, coveringaspects of public management practice.The aim of the Insight Brief series is toprovide short, one-to-two-page briefingsfor busy managers on topics of interestwith regard to public management andpolicy. The briefs are available at 4014.html Better Together? Philanthropy and GovernmentLessons from The Atlantic Philanthropies andIrish Government Partnership-based Co-Investments.This report concludes a majorcommissioned study for The AtlanticPhilanthropies on lessons fromThe Atlantic Philanthropies and IrishGovernment partnership-basedco-investments. The report is availableat https://www.ipa.ie/ fileUpload/Documents/Better Together Report.pdf11

IPA ANNUAL REPORT 2018 Public Administration Characteristicsand Performance in EU28: Ireland. Thispublication provides the final Irishinput for an EU-commissioned project,‘Support for Developing Better CountryKnowledge on Public Administration andInstitutional Capacity Building’ (EuropeanPublic Administration Country Knowledge– EUPACK). Evaluation of the Goal Programme forPublic Service Reform for the Centre forEffective Services. Support work for the Department ofPublic Expenditure and Reform withregard to public sector reform. Thisincluded a team member being placedon the Public Service ManagementGroup, progressing the eighteen actionsin the Our Public Service (OPS) 2020 planand chairing the OPS 2020 indicatorsworking group. Support work for local governmentreorganisation in Cork. The researchteam provided support for the CorkLocal Government ImplementationOversight Group. Editorship of the Institute’s journal,Administration, four issues of which arepublished each year. The editorial advisorycommittee of the journal, which includesprominent academics with a publicmanagement and politics background,meets once a year. Publication of two editions of LocalAuthority Times and three editions of EUNews Bulletin as part of an informationservice to local authorities throughoutthe year. Contributions to IPA Education & Trainingprogrammes, and acting as thesissupervisors and markers on postgraduateprogrammes. Contributions to IPA Publications Divisionthrough involvement in Ireland – ADirectory, journals and books. Academic publications in internationaljournals and contributions to internationalbooks on public management. 12

IPA ANNUAL REPORT 201804TRAINING &DEVELOPMENT

IPA ANNUALANNUAL REPORTREPORT 20182018IPATRAINING & DEVELOPMENTSeán Fleming, TD, Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, speaking at an IPA Governance Forum event,‘Assurance Frameworks and Expectations – Sources of Assurance for Boards and Senior Executives’.The Institute provides a broad range ofcustomised learning and developmentinterventions, public courses and specialistadvisory services in the areas of publicsector leadership and management, humanresource management, governance,accounting, financial management, auditing,project and programme management,and information technology, includingaccredited programmes which lead to formalmembership of professional bodies. During2018 the Institute worked collaborativelywith many government departments, localauthorities, state agencies, educationalbodies and the not-for-profit sector todesign and deliver customised programmes,including Grade Development forExecutive Officer, Higher ExecutiveTeresa CasserlyDirector, Business Development,Leadership and Management,and International Services 14Officer and Assistant Principal OfficerGrades in the Civil Service; Leadership andManagement Development; Governance;Risk Management; Audit and Assurance;Internal Audit; Financial Management andAccounting; IT and Cyber Security; GDPRand Data Protection; Project Management;Administrative Law; Courtroom Skills;Personal Effectiveness; Recruitmentand Selection; Grievance and Discipline;Performance Management;and Human Resource Management.The Institute continued to offer programmesfor formal membership of professionalbodies, including the MII (Mediators’Institute of Ireland) and the CIPD (CharteredInstitute of Personnel and Development),as well as an accredited audit programmeAidan HoranDirector, Governance, Finance,Human Resource Managementand Information Technologywith CIPFA (Chartered Institute of PublicFinance and Accountancy). Our establishedprogramme on workplace mediation,accredited by the MII, continued to attractstrong numbers. The CIPD FoundationLevel Certificate in HR Practice beganits ninth run at the end of 2018, with theCIPD Foundation Level Diploma continuingto offer a follow-on pathway for thosecompleting the certificate programme.The CPD seminar series for public sectoraccountants and finance professionals,offered in conjunction with professionalaccountancy bodies, continued to build onthe success of previous years with a furtherevent in 2018 that addressed the theme of‘Enhancing Performance’. Attendees wereshown specific case examples and recentorganisational initiatives that have beenintroduced across the sector to improvegovernance, financial and performancereporting. The day included presentationson improving organisational performancethrough change management and the role ofoversight bodies.In partnership with the Local GovernmentManagement Agency, the Institute launcheda second Local Government GraduateProgramme that commenced with aninduction module during the summer of 2018.During the year the Institute provideda series of local government courses,including courses focused specifically onhousing. These included the popular A-Z ofIrish Local Government Programme, DebtManagement and several technical andnon-technical courses, aimed specifically atlocal authority housing practitioners, whichincluded Rental Sector AccommodationStandards, Social Housing Fundamentals,Preventing and Managing Rent andMortgage Arrears, Dealing with Anti-SocialBehaviour, Managing Information Systemsand an interlinked series of seminars entitledNew Thinking for Housing. Accreditedcertificate and diploma programmesspecifically focused on local governmentcontinued to be in strong demand, withstudent numbers in excess of 340.Aimed at senior public servants anddesigned to develop leadership capacity, ourLeadership Challenge Programme attracteda complement of twelve senior managersfrom all sectors of the public service,including central and local government, andthe semi-state sector. This programme isdelivered in conjunction with CambridgeLeadership Associates, Massachusetts, USA,incorporating senior faculty from the JohnF. Kennedy School of Government atHarvard University and faculty from theWarwick Business School, University of

IPA ANNUAL REPORT 2018Warwick, UK. Senior leaders have theopportunity to work through an adaptiveleadership approach to organisationalchange, make progress on current andfuture leadership challenges and strategicissues, develop insights into their practicesand skills of leadership, and engage activelyin individual coaching, using 360 leadershipcompetency instruments.Forty-five senior managers withadministrative and technical roles fromtwenty-five local authorities participatedin the Leadership in Local GovernmentProgramme, delivered in spring and autumnin partnership with senior faculty fromthe Warwick Business School and seniorpractitioners in the local governmentsystem. The four-module, residentialprogramme is focused on deliveringpublic value through adaptive leadershipcombined with an action-learning approachto participants’ leadership challenges.Participants are immersed in variedactivities, teaching styles and learningapproaches, have extensive peer-to-peerlearning opportunities and have accessto senior leaders from across the publicservice to widen their perspectives,understand the current nature of theleadership challenge in their sector, andseek advice and guidance on future careeropportunities and challenges.The Governance Forum continued toevolve and expand in response to the manygovernance-related issues and challengesfaced by forum members, and a total offifteen events were hosted at the Institute.The calendar of events covered manycontemporary issues in governance, and keythemes included: Strategic PerformanceReporting; Governa

The Institute continued to offer programmes for formal membership of professional bodies, including the MII (Mediators' Institute of Ireland) and the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), as well as accredited audit programmes with CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy). In partnership with the Local