The Civil Service has announced that LSE has been chosen as its partner to develop a prestigious Executive Master of Public Policy (EMPP) to train future leaders of the Civil Service. The programme is expected to be launched in December 2015.
Following a competitive tender in 2014, the Civil Service Policy Profession is developing, in partnership with LSE’s world-leading faculty in economics, political science and public policy, a customised degree that will equip senior civil servants with the cutting-edge analytical tools required to deliver effective policy in an increasingly complex and inter-dependent world. This initiative builds on the 2012 Civil Service Reform Plan to further professionalise UK policy-making.
The degree is aimed at the development of people with the talent and drive to reach the very highest levels of the Civil Service Policy Profession, whose careers will see them working on the biggest issues in public policy, and who therefore need to be proficient ambassadors for the best, most modern and most appropriate approaches to policy development. Competition will be high for a place on the course which is the first of its kind to be commissioned by a cross-government policy community in the UK. 
The EMPP builds on the foundations of LSE’s existing world-class public policy training. LSE’s full-time Master of Public Administration (MPA) has been offered for over a decade and attracts around 100 students per year and the Executive MPA (EMPA) for working professionals, launched in 2013, attracts around 40 students per year. The MPA, EMPA and EMPP are offered through LSE’s Institute of Public Affairs and delivered by the Department of Economics and the Department of Government in collaboration with leading scholars from across LSE. The Civil Service EMPP will share some classes with LSE’s existing EMPA allowing for networking and exchange of policy ideas amongst a highly diverse and experienced set of international students.
Chris Wormald, Head of the Civil Service Policy Profession and Permanent Secretary for the Department of Education, commented: “Civil Servants working in policy development have long been responsible for providing a professional service to ministers – advising on public policy decisions and ensuring the effective implementation of those decisions. But we have not, until now, had a specific professional qualification recognising the skills and knowledge needed for our work. Working with LSE we will now create a rigorous, academically accredited qualification for those aspiring to reach the top of our profession.”
Professor Stuart Corbridge, Provost of LSE, commented: “This is a tremendous opportunity for LSE to help train the next generation of policy-makers and equip them with the rigorous analytical skills required for effective policy-making combined with political skills and a focus on delivery. LSE has a long tradition of working closely with the UK government and I am delighted to see that relationship developing further with this new degree.”
Notes
The programme will be known as ‘The Civil Service and London School of Economics Executive Masters in Public Policy’. The programme and the relationship between the LSE and Civil Service Learning is subject to contract.
The programme is a pilot and will run for three cohorts, each taking two years to achieve graduation, at which point the value of these and other outputs will be subject to evaluation.
There is a Steering Group comprising some of the highest ranking civil servants and several external experts to build the programme in partnership with the LSE. In particular, this Group is designing bespoke exercises in which participants: 1) apply their skills to real policy scenarios; and 2) carry out research in teams to answer the most difficult policy questions spanning government departments.
The 19 month programme offers also an intensive lecture series. This will involve speakers with considerable experience of the civil service (of multiple jurisdictions), ministerial and political spheres and external analysis of Government activity. Students from the open Executive Masters in Public Administration will join the Civil Service cohort here and bring their experience of other sectors and international contexts. The practical exercises will run for the Civil Service cohort only.
The Civil Service Reform Plan draws attention to policymakers having the skills and tools they need to do their jobs well. This programme contributes to this agenda, as does the continuing work of Civil Service Learning (and its Policy Profession Support Unit) developing high volume, affordable learning and development programmes for policymakers.
This programme has received support from the Cabinet Secretary, Permanent Secretaries, ministers and heads of Policy Profession in departments. This support was received only after considerable research into UK and international providers of masters in public policy/administration and an exercise to articulate a contemporary view of what effective policymaking should be, which this programme reflects.
For further information please contact: Joanna Bale, Senior Press Office, LSE on 07831 609679 or j.m.bale@lse.ac.uk|
30 March 2015