Development and Training of Senior Administrators in the U.K. Civil Service
| DOI | 10.1177/002085237904500102 |
| Date | 01 March 1979 |
| Author | R.C. Goslin |
| Published date | 01 March 1979 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Development
and
Training
of
Senior
Administrators
in
the
U.K.
Civil
Service
A
review
of
issues
and
trends
by
R.
C.
GOSLIN,
*
Director
of
Programmes
in
Public
Administration
Training
Methodology,
Department
of
Administrative
Studies,
University
of
Manchester
I.
CONCEPTS
AND
ATTITUDES
In
this
review
attention
is
focused
on
major
factors
in
the
provision
of
programmes
for
senior
administrators.
Special
emphasis
has
been
placed
on
the
functions
and
problems
confronting
staff
responsible
for
the
formulation
of
policy
on
staff
development
and
training.
However
it
is
not
intended
to
consider
in
detail
any
specific
programmes
or
the
existing
provision
within
individual
government
depart-
ments.
Neither
is
it
feasible
here
to
analyse
the
components
of
public
administration
and
its
processes,
which
give
rise
to
that
complex
of
needs
forming
potential
bases
for
programme
objectives.
Indeed,
the
administrative
context
of
the
civil
service,
with
its
shifting
horizons
a.nd
goals,
cannot
be
expected
to
suggest
reliable
guidelines
for
the
design
of
program-
mes
(1).
Even
when
we
look
to
the
range
of
administrators’
tasks
there
appears
little
hope
of
extracting
a
readily
identifiable
common
core
of
programme
components
(2).
&dquo; Above
all
there
is
the
problem
of
sheer
size
and
diversity
&dquo; (3).
As
a
result,
analysis
of
many
’ training’
I
programmes
will
often
reveal
uncertainty
and
dissatisfaction
due
to
failure
to
take
realistic
stock
of
the
actual
work
and
needs
of
individual
participants
and
the
means
whereby
the
programme
is
intended
to
deal
with
these.
Even
where
programme
objectives
seem
clear
they
are
often
not
expressed
in
an
assessable
form
and
the
nature
of the
con-
structed
programme
does
little
to
encourage
the
likelihood
of
their
achievement.
This
present
review
then
will
refer
to
development
programmes
a.s
well
as
training
because
the
label
training
is
often
so
loosely
applied
that
assumptions
made
about
its
impacts
can
prove
unfounded.
Nonetheless
the
term
is
retained
for
convenience
except
where
it
becomes
necessary
to
emphasise
other
types
of
program-
mes.
It
is
necessary
at
this
stage
to
look
more
closely
at
programme
concepts
and
patterns.
For
example,
programmes
based
upon
&dquo; the
planned
provision
of
efficient
learning
situations
which
enable
and
encourage
participants
to
achieve
those
measurable,
behavioural
object-
ives
established
in
relation
to
organisational
performance
and
goals
&dquo;
may
well
earn
the
label
of
training
and
offer
distinct
though
sometimes
limited
experiences
for
senior
admin-
istrators
(4).
However
senior
staff
whose
work
involves
policy
areas
and
issues
may
be
much
more
suitably
provided
for
by
intensive
study
and
discussion
seminars.
There
are
’ training ’
programmes
and
components
which
would
become
more
effective
if
they
were
conceived
and
treated
realistically
as
develop-
mental
or
educational
experience.
An
example
from
the
Civil
Service
College
(CSC)
will
support
this
view.
&dquo; In
the
case
of
administration
trainees &dquo;,
reported
the
first
Principal,
&dquo;
it
is
our
aim
to
give
the
men
and
women
who
will
in
due
course
become
prin-
*
The
author
is
indebted
to
Mrs
M.B.
Sloman,
Principal
of
CSC
and
Under-Secretary
in
charge
of
CSD
Training
Division
and
to
Mr
B.
Gilmore,
Assis-
tant
Secretary,
CSD
for
their
advice
and
information.
The
Eighth
Report
by
the
Principal
CSC
will
become
available
later
in
1979.
-
-
(1)
J.
Bourn,
" The
Civil
Service
College
",
Public
Administration
Bulletin,
Joint
University
Council
for
Social
and
Public
Administration,
December
1972,
No.
13,
page
32.
(2)
The
Civil
Service,
Report
of
a
Management
Con-
sultancy
Group
(Fulton
Committee
Report),
vol.
2,
1968,
para.
38.
(3)
Ibid.,
para.
29.
(4)
R.C.
Goslin,
’Methodological
Approaches
in
Public
Administration
Training
",
International
Re-
veiw
of
Administrative
Sciences,
No.
1/1975,
page
1.
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