Evaluation of the impact and quality of training programs in public administration

Project duration: August 2023 – December 2023

Call/Program/Scheme: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Client / Financier: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Participating institutions: Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade

Principal investigator (PI): Dijana Štrbac, PhD, Institute of Economic Sciences

The role of IEN in the project: IEN is a lead institution

IEN project team (manager/coordinator, team members):

Dijana Štrbac, PhD (project coordinator)
Mihailo Paunović, PhD
Dejana Pavlović, PhD

Description:

The project was initiated in response to the need for a systematic and empirically grounded assessment of the quality and effects of professional training programs in public administration, in the context of intensive socio-economic and technological changes that require continuous improvement of civil servants' competencies.

The overall objective of the project is to conduct an external, scientifically based evaluation of the impact and quality of training programs delivered by the National Academy for Public Administration, with the aim of improving the professional development system and aligning it with user needs and contemporary trends. The project is intended for public policy makers, institutions of public administration and relevant stakeholders in the field of human resource development.

The methodological framework includes the development of an evaluation model based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches, including survey research, performance analysis, and qualitative techniques such as focus groups. Activities involve data collection and processing, assessment of training effects, and identification of key findings.

The project results include an operationalized evaluation methodology, a comprehensive analysis of the quality and impact of training programs, as well as a set of empirically grounded recommendations for their improvement. The immediate benefits are reflected in increased efficiency and relevance of training, as well as improved performance of public administration. In the long term, the project contributes to strengthening institutional research capacities and enhancing cross-sectoral cooperation, thereby ensuring sustainable application of results and continuous improvement of the public administration training system.

Keywords: evaluation, training programs, public administration, training outcomes, quality improvement