Having successfully shifted to online delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australia and New Zealand School of Government’s (ANZSOG’s) Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) is converting to a blended learning format in 2022.
Director of the EMPA, Deputy Dean of ANZSOG, Christopher Walker said the successful response to the pandemic had shown that a dedicated, high-quality Public Service was irreplaceable.
“ANZSOG remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthening public administration through programs such as the EMPA, so that public sector leaders continue to develop the critical skills needed to respond and manage future crises,” Dr Walker said.
“The demands on senior leaders were already growing prior to COVID and they will only increase as Governments attempt to navigate their way through the post-COVID world.”
He said uncertainty around COVID and its impact on travel between jurisdictions had been highlighted by the recent outbreak of the Delta variant in NSW and, as a result, the EMPA was continuing as an online-only program in 2021.
“We shifted the EMPA online in 2020 to ensure minimal disruption to our student cohort and have continued to teach in this format due to the ongoing uncertainty created by the pandemic,” Dr Walker said.
“We intend to move to a blended learning environment, incorporating a mix of virtual and face-to-face contact in 2022, travel restrictions permitting,” he said.
“This will allow students to attend face-to-face classes and meet in person, assuming various jurisdictional restrictions have eased.”
Dr Walker said the EMPA taught public sector leaders how to thrive in a ‘VUCA’ environment — volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.
“COVID-19 meant we were thrown into that VUCA environment ourselves and had to make a lot of changes to the way we teach and deliver our subjects in a short space of time,” he said.
“Thanks to the professionalism of our subject leaders and the patience and adaptability of our students we were able to make a successful transition to an online EMPA.”
Applications for the 2022 EMPA are now open and the form can be accessed at this PS News link.
