First Graduates from Warwick MPA celebrate their success
Latest press releasesEleven senior managers from local and central government, health and education were the first to graduate from the Warwick MPA on Tuesday 8th July. Launched in January 2000, the Warwick Masters in Public Administration was the first course of its type to be created in the UK for high flyers in the public and voluntary sectors and is the equivalent world-class qualification to the Warwick MBA.
The eleven graduates all studied part-time over three years whilst balancing the demands of senior level jobs. The course is designed to support top managers and leaders in their thinking and practice as they modernise and improve public services. Participants have the opportunity to spend two weeks in Washington DC and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the USA or at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, where they work closely with their peers comparing different systems of governance.
Peter McGuirk, Chief Executive of Essex Magistrates' Courts, graduated with Distinction. Speaking of his experience on the MPA, Peter picked out his two weeks on an elective module in the USA as a particular highlight:
"It was a fascinating experience and an example of the rich variety of learning opportunities we had during the course. These ranged from examining case studies at Harvard University with some of the top professors in the world and visiting the World Bank to discussing prison governance with inmates at a local jail."
"The content of the MPA was much richer than I had expected and was extremely stimulating. I particularly valued the balance of practical wisdom with the academic perspective. The MPA has certainly altered my appreciation of issues I have to deal with every day and the way I lead and manage my team."
Josie Irwin graduated from the MPA after a very busy three years balancing study with two important work roles. As Senior Employment Relations Adviser for the Royal College of Nursing, Josie is amongst those responsible for negotiating pay and terms and conditions for over 300,000 nurses in the public sector. Add to this a voluntary post as Deputy Leader of Haringey Council responsible for housing and you have a very busy person. Then in January 2000 Josie was amongst the first cohort to take the Warwick MPA. She explained how she managed to juggle all these demands:
"Quite simply, I had to be extremely well organised. I had a great deal of support from the Royal College of Nursing, and the modular structure of the MPA, with two-week blocks scheduled in advance, made the course sustainable and it imposed a certain discipline on me. I enjoyed the concentrated periods of time away from work when I could immerse myself in the subject. The greatest challenge was making the time in the evenings and at weekends to write the assignments."
"The course was stretching and I know it has enhanced my knowledge in a range of areas. I enjoyed the interaction with the other participants and I found that as valuable as the material on the course. Now I have graduated, I have promised myself that I will never write another assignment, and I'm looking forward to going to the football as often as I want."
Glyn Evans decided to take the MPA in order to stretch himself intellectually and to give his career a boost. Formerly an IT manager, Glyn has now assumed a more general management role as Head of e-services at the London Borough of Camden. Glyn has found much of the learning invaluable in his new role:
"To deliver government services electronically and in a more customer-focused way, means that I have had to look to change the way the Council operates. Not everyone views change as a positive, and I have had to deal with a certain amount of resistance. During the MPA, I have learned so much about how people and organisations work, and about how to lead people and introduce change, that it has made a tremendous difference in my work."
"The highlight of the course for me was the two-week elective module in South Africa, where I had the pleasure of meeting government officers who firmly believed they could make a difference to the lives of the people they govern. This was enormously refreshing."
Jean Hartley, Academic Director of the Warwick MPA said:
"This programme is designed for leaders and managers in all parts of the public services and the voluntary sector, and its teaching and learning approach is tailored to the demands of busy people. We are very proud that this innovative new programme, equivalent to an MBA, has achieved wide recognition in policy and practice circles in the UK and beyond, and that we now have the first graduates through the programme."
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The eleven graduates all studied part-time over three years whilst balancing the demands of senior level jobs. The course is designed to support top managers and leaders in their thinking and practice as they modernise and improve public services. Participants have the opportunity to spend two weeks in Washington DC and at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in the USA or at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, where they work closely with their peers comparing different systems of governance.
Peter McGuirk, Chief Executive of Essex Magistrates' Courts, graduated with Distinction. Speaking of his experience on the MPA, Peter picked out his two weeks on an elective module in the USA as a particular highlight:
"It was a fascinating experience and an example of the rich variety of learning opportunities we had during the course. These ranged from examining case studies at Harvard University with some of the top professors in the world and visiting the World Bank to discussing prison governance with inmates at a local jail."
"The content of the MPA was much richer than I had expected and was extremely stimulating. I particularly valued the balance of practical wisdom with the academic perspective. The MPA has certainly altered my appreciation of issues I have to deal with every day and the way I lead and manage my team."
Josie Irwin graduated from the MPA after a very busy three years balancing study with two important work roles. As Senior Employment Relations Adviser for the Royal College of Nursing, Josie is amongst those responsible for negotiating pay and terms and conditions for over 300,000 nurses in the public sector. Add to this a voluntary post as Deputy Leader of Haringey Council responsible for housing and you have a very busy person. Then in January 2000 Josie was amongst the first cohort to take the Warwick MPA. She explained how she managed to juggle all these demands:
"Quite simply, I had to be extremely well organised. I had a great deal of support from the Royal College of Nursing, and the modular structure of the MPA, with two-week blocks scheduled in advance, made the course sustainable and it imposed a certain discipline on me. I enjoyed the concentrated periods of time away from work when I could immerse myself in the subject. The greatest challenge was making the time in the evenings and at weekends to write the assignments."
"The course was stretching and I know it has enhanced my knowledge in a range of areas. I enjoyed the interaction with the other participants and I found that as valuable as the material on the course. Now I have graduated, I have promised myself that I will never write another assignment, and I'm looking forward to going to the football as often as I want."
Glyn Evans decided to take the MPA in order to stretch himself intellectually and to give his career a boost. Formerly an IT manager, Glyn has now assumed a more general management role as Head of e-services at the London Borough of Camden. Glyn has found much of the learning invaluable in his new role:
"To deliver government services electronically and in a more customer-focused way, means that I have had to look to change the way the Council operates. Not everyone views change as a positive, and I have had to deal with a certain amount of resistance. During the MPA, I have learned so much about how people and organisations work, and about how to lead people and introduce change, that it has made a tremendous difference in my work."
"The highlight of the course for me was the two-week elective module in South Africa, where I had the pleasure of meeting government officers who firmly believed they could make a difference to the lives of the people they govern. This was enormously refreshing."
Jean Hartley, Academic Director of the Warwick MPA said:
"This programme is designed for leaders and managers in all parts of the public services and the voluntary sector, and its teaching and learning approach is tailored to the demands of busy people. We are very proud that this innovative new programme, equivalent to an MBA, has achieved wide recognition in policy and practice circles in the UK and beyond, and that we now have the first graduates through the programme."
ends
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