Institutional and Policy Issues Facing Public Administration | DIPA

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS)

In a time seemingly marked by one crisis after another, where governments seem to be continually reacting to the latest crisis rather than shaping events, we have to ask ourselves whether the ability to govern has been lost. Because they “make the State work”, public administrations are essential to maintaining a functioning government through difficult times. Yet civil servants’ working environments have become ever more complex and demanding. They face constantly increasing public expectations, limited capacity, and continually evolving political and institutional landscapes.

This course aims to provide civil servants with a deeper understanding of the contemporary challenges facing political systems by emphasising how those challenges affect public administrations and how they can deal with them effectively. Participants will acquire a more nuanced perception of the political environment’s impact on their work, and this will help them to make more informed decisions while still navigating the constraints on and opportunities afforded to their roles.

Although the course focuses principally on Switzerland, it also integrates comparative perspectives from other countries. The programme is divided into three parts. Part one looks at contemporary institutional challenges, including how changing political contexts impact Switzerland’s federal system, its communes and urban governance. Part two examines political issues, such as how an increasingly conflictual political scene affects public administration or how the expanding volume of public policy is overloading administrations. Finally, part three concentrates on public administration in times of crisis by exploring the strategies used for crisis management and preventing administrative dysfunction.

This course combines theoretical knowledge with practical issues and will enable civil servants to effectively face the complexities of government in today’s world.

Participants will:

• Develop a deep understanding of the political and institutional challenges facing public policy and administration in Switzerland;
• Improve their capacity to critically evaluate the political environment they operate in by reinforcing their ability to identify the principal constraints on and opportunities for public administrations;
• Learn effective crisis management strategies, including how to prevent administrative dysfunction such as attentional bias and corruption, as well as means of ensuring the public administration’s resilience during times of crisis;
• Sharpen their decision-making skills, thus enabling them to navigate complex political landscapes and make informed decisions that strike a balance between the public’s expectations and institutional constraints.

This course is aimed at professionals who are directly involved in the day-to-day functioning of government and would like to reinforce their ability to deal with the contemporary challenges of governance. These might include:

• Professionals working at different levels in public administrations and responsible for implementing policy and managing crises and complex political environments;
• Individuals with senior or middle-management roles in federal, cantonal or communal administrations who must make informed decisions in light of evolving political, institutional and societal imperatives;
• Individuals involved in developing and analysing public policy who require a deep understanding of the political and institutional challenges facing public administrations;
• Employees from a variety of sectors in public administrations who must respond to the public’s growing expectations and manage the complexities of contemporary governance.

• French is the main teaching language for this program
• More information available on the corresponding pages