Treasury Centre for Administrative Studies
| Date | 01 June 1965 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1965.tb01609.x |
| Author | C.D.E. KEELING |
| Published date | 01 June 1965 |
Treasury Centre
for
Administrative Studies
<:>
.D
.E.KEE
LI
NG
.More
than
100
visitors, many of whom are responsible
for
trainiyy
in
overseas countries, haue visited the Treasury Centre for Administrative Studie.,
since
it
opened in October
1963.
The Director
of
the
Centre answers helow
some
questions
which uisitors
oJten
ask.
IVhen
the
Centre
was
opened
it
mas
stated that
it
would
run
courJesjor
.~~~.j~.~~/ur~t
Principals.
h'hat
courses
are
held
at the
Centre
and
houi
are the Assistant
Priricipn/.r
.selected
?
The present programme at the Centre includes
a
three-week course
on
the
structure
of
government intended €or Assistant Principals after about six
months' service
in
a
government department, and
a
twenty-week course
on
economics, statistics, new management techniques, government and
industry, and the operation
of
business companies, for Assistant Principab
in their third year of service.
AU
Assistant Principals must attend these courses
so
no probleni
of
selection arises.
We
run two three-week and
two
twenty-week
courses
in
each come year. Each course is planned for thirty members but this
number can, if necessary, be increased slightly. This capacity enaldes thc
Centre
to
take the whole of an annual intake of Assistant Principals through
the courses
and
to
make available
a
number
of
places for the equivalent
grade in the diplomatic service. For the two twenty-week courses being
held during our present course year, the diplomatic service are taking
a
total of sixteen places.
In
contrast to the French system where the main trainin,?
is
gicen
hefore
stlfll,joiri,
or are ever allocated to, departments
your
main
course
i.5
given
in
the third
yror
qf
rervice.
Is
this an advantage
or
a disadvantage?
We
believe that Assistant Principals come with more enthusiam
to
an
intensive
and
rigorous course of study at the Centre after spending
two
years working in government departments, than they would
if
they came as
immediate post-graduate students. We
also
find that experience in two
or
three different posts
a
government department during their
first
two
years
of
service is often relevant to sub.jccts
under
study
at
the Centre.
PUBLIC
AUMINISTRAlION
(hldyou
girle
sorne
irlformation about the way in which
ifie
time
on
these
courw.~
it
divided between dijierent subjects
?
The Structure
of
Government course includes an introduction
to
the
structure and problems of local government, parliamentary procedure,
financial control, the preparation and progress
of
legislation and
a
few
‘legal’ sessions, e.g. the administrator and legal problems, tribunals and
inquiries. Them are also
a
few sessions on ‘techniques’, e.g. speaking in
public and committee meetings. Rut we make no attempt to teach other
tcchniques such
as
drafting, or handling parliamentary questions, which
have in the past been learned at the desk. Training at the Centre is intended
to
supplement not replace training at the desk which continues to be the
basis
of
thc training
of
the administrator.
In the twenty-week course the emphasis is on economics and statistical
ant1 mathematical techniques for administration. More than half the total
time
is
spent on economics, the study
of
which is divided into
two
parts.
‘The
concepts of micro- and macro-economics are taught during the first
part, while the second part is based
on
the study of
a
series
of
economic
problems and provides members with an opportunity to revise the concepts
they have studied and to apply them to current questions such as the balance
of
payments, pricing and investment policy in the public sector, and
problems of developing countries. About
15
per cent
of
the time is spent on
statistics, techniques in aid
of
administration and an experimental short
preliminary course on mathematical concepts to introduce members
to
linear algebra, fiinctions and elementary calculus. The section of the course
on government and industry,
e.g.
relations with the private sector
01’
industry, the nationalized industries and industrial relations, and the
section on the operation
of
business enterprise, together occupy
a
further
I
5
per cent
of
the time. The balance of the time
is
given to project evaluation
arid control, i.c. techniques such as discounting cash flow, cost-benefit
analysis, network analysis and PERT, ending with
a
detailed study
of’
financial control problems in certain fields
of
government expenditure
and
to
a
short section on the international setting.
IJ
this eniphasis
in
the
course
on
econoniics and statistical and other techniques,
itztendud to turn adttiinistrators into econotnists
or
statisticians
or,
if
not,
what
is
tlrt
iustiJication
for
tfiis concentration on these subjects
?
‘The intention is certainly not to try to turn out
‘
do
it yourself’ economists
or statisticians which would be a ridiculous aim in the time available. Our
objective
is
limited
:
to give the administrator sufficient understanding
of
the basic concepts of economics likely to be relevant to the work of govern-
ment departments and sufficient knowledge
of
the terminology to be able
to
work effectively with economists, to read reports and articles by econo-
mists and to discuss problems with them. To achieve this, it
is
essential
to
allocate enough time to economics to enable the Assistant Principals
to
192
TREASURY CENTRE
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A
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U
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study the subject in depth and sufficiently rigorously to produce
a
worih-
while level of understanding which will last. We feel that
a
quick superficial
study
of
the subject could be worse than no study. Results
so
far suggest
that within the time allocated to economics we can achieve our objective.
We also hope that communication between administrators and economists
will be improved in future, not only by administrators having some
understanding of economics, but as
a
result of the younger generation
of
administrators meeting at the Centre many economists with whom they
will come into contact in later life. Since the new courses started, more
than fifty economists from universities, research institutes and government
departments have taken sessions at the Centre. Most members of the
courses and most visiting economists would agree that
this
confrontation
between administrators and economists has been
of
mutual henefit.
On statistics the objective is even more limited than on econonucs.
In
future, administrators are likely to need to be numerate
as
well
as
literate.
‘I‘his section of the course
is
intended to encourage this devclopment and
an
awareness of the uses
-
and abuses
-
of statistics.
1:‘ilen
ij‘
the are advantages
in
deuoting a substanlial part
of
the
he
to
one grouj~
of
subjects,
are there not serious
losses
in Lhe exclusion
front
tlip
course
of
su1Gect.ecl.r
such
as
organization theory
or
decision-making
?
Undoubtedly there
is
a
loss, but having
weighcd
up tht: opportunity-cost
or
allocating less time to economics or statistics and techniques and morr
time to other subjects, we believe that the balance of advantage is in
favour
of our allocation. In considering this question
it
is necessary to take
a
view
on the stage in the career of administrators
at
which various subjects can
best be studied.
We
believe that for Assistant Principals the mid-twenties,
after two years’ service in government departments, is
a
particularly suitabk-
age for the study of economics and statistics, partly because most
of
the
Assistant Principals are aware of their lack
of
knowledge
of
these subject5
and are enthusiastic to study them.
On
the other hand, close interest in
organization problems seems to develop later in the careers of civil servants.
‘I’his subject seems more suitable for mid-career courses when members can
bring
to
the study experience of working in organizations
01’
various types,
in
a
way which
is
impossible for Assistant Principals with only two years
experience.
I
l’hat
is
the relationship
oj
[lie three-weeli and twen!y-wrrli
Lout.w
lo
the fourteeti-
week
courses,
with a seeen-week extension
for
sonie
:lssi.rtant I’rinci/)als, which wa.\
mentioned in the original announcement
in
I
961
about the Centre
?
In
our
first year the Centre ran
a
fourteen-week course Lvhich
\Z’;LS
taken
l)y
all
Assistant Principals, while those from ‘economic’ departments
alsc
i
attended
a
seven-wwk extension coursc on
c.conomic.
problenis. This
‘93
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
fourteen-week course included the range of subjects such as the preparation
and progress of
a
Bill,
which we call Structure of Government. Experience
during the first year was that the third year of service was too late for
training in these subjects to be of great value. These subjects were, therefore,
extracted from the third year course and, with some revision and the addition
of other subjects, formed into the separate three-week course on Structure
of Government which is now given in the first
six
months of service. The
other lesson which we learned during our first year was that it was
unsatisfactory to divide Assistant Principals between those in ‘economic’
departments who would study economics
in
more depth and those in other
departments who would study only basic economic concepts. We had
appreciated from the start that there was no clear dividing line between
‘economic’ and non-‘economic’ departments, and we accepted Assistant
Principals from any department which wished them to take the economic
extension course.
In
the event, few departments were inclined to exclude
their Assistant Principals from the extension course and even fewer Assistant
Principals welcomed a division at an early stage in their careers between
those who had taken a twenty-week course and those who had taken
a
lourtern-week course. We decided to scrap the distinction and from the
course which started in October
1964,
all Assistant Principals have been
receiving
the
same course.
Can
ztv
/urn
now
to
your
trailling
methods. Are these based
on
lectures
?
As
you
might expect, with a course being run for, and by, British civil
servants, the approach is pragmatic.
A
distinction can be drawn between
the first part
of
the course, which covers the study of the main concepts
01’
economics, statistics and new management techniques, and the later part
of
the course. In the first part, each half-day session devoted
to
a
subject
normally includes one lecture
of
an
hour. Many of these are informal with
questions accepted at any stage. In economics, the lecture is followed by
written work
or
discussion groups on alternate days. The written work in
economics
is
not the weekly essay sometimes used in the teaching
of’
economics in universities but a series of short questions designed to bring
out quickly whether the member concerned has understood the economic
concepts being taught. This enables the tutor to discover quickly whether
members have missed important points and,
if
so,
to
go
over the ground
again. Written exercises are equally important to follow lectures in statistics
and management techniques. Members prepare an elementary programme
for a computer, and carry out network analysis-PERT exercises, one
01’
which is directed by
a
firm
of business management consultants.
In the second half of the course the methods change. In the study
of
economic problems small lecture-classes,
or
seminars for twelve to eighteen
members are used whenever possible with members preparing views on
questions circulated for discussion. The sections
on
government
and
LREASIJR’L
CENTRE
FOR
ADMINIS1
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STUDII’5
industry and on business enterprise, are based mainly
on
reading, on
visits to organizations to interview staff, and on report sessions. Most
of
this part of the course
is
based on either syndicate or group work. Courses
operate in three syndicates
of
ten, or six groups
of
five, depending on the
subjects under study.
Doer
this tiitan that case studies are
riot
used
at
all
iti
coutses
at
the
Centre
?
X
few are used where the subject lends itself to this method. For exariiple,
in the financial control section of the present course
a
detailed case study
of
a
research and development project, prepared by thc Ministry of Aviation,
was
used by the syndicate studying this subject. On project evaluation, the
cost-benefit and
U.F.C.
techniques were applied to
a
study of
all
information
at present available about the Morecambe Bay Barrage proposal.
’The
preparation and progress of
a
Bill in the three-week course is
also
based on
a
case study. This is an invented situation which starts from an International
Convention on the Registration of Tourist Guides. Members then prepare
U.K.
legislation to ratify this Convcntion starting with an interdepart-
mental meeting to settle policy and, after meetings with ‘their’ solicitor
and Parliamentary Counsel,
a
draft Bill is printed and taken through
further stages such
as
amendments at committee stage. Senior staff from
the Treasury Solicitor and from Parliamentary Counsel’s departments
work with the Assistant Principals throughout this project.
Could you say Jonzethztig about
tlic
Jtnf
IIJ
tlic
(,itilrv
orid
to
idial
u.rlent
[hey
are
responsible
for
the teaching
?
The
Centre is directed
Iiy
a
small group
01’
three
-
a
Director and
two
Assistant Directors. At first,
one
of the Assistant Directors
was
a
full-time
cconomist, C.
W.
McMahon, who was seconded to the Centre for one
year from Magdalen College, Oxford, and the other Assistant Directer
was
a
Principal seconded to the Centre. But since Mr. hlcMahon left
at the end of his year of secondment to the Centre to join the Bank of
England, the Centre has not had
a
full-time economist. The two Assistant
Directors at present are
a
Principal seconded from the ‘I’reasury and a
First Secretary seconded from the Foreign Office.
At the beginning of
I
965
a business man was attached to the Centre for a
few months to advise on the sections of thr course on government and
industry, and on the operation
of
business enterprise.
Are
the
darecling staj intended
to
carry
oul
niuch
(If
the
teaching
?
No.
The directing
staff
are primarily to organize thc courses and to
arrange for teaching by the most suitable people from universities, govern-
ment departments and business. At
times
university lecturers are appointed
to
take
a
series
of
as
many
as
twenty or twenty-five half-day cessions. Other
‘95
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
visiting speakers are invited to give
a
short group of talks or to take
a
single
session. But although teaching is not the main function of the staff, all
three members of the present directing staff have qualifications in economics
-
one has a degree in mathematics
as
well
-
and may take certain sessions.
For example, on the next course an Assistant Director is taking classes in
mathrmatics, and from time to time the directing staff help visiting teacher.;
with discussion
groups,
marking written work, etc.
You
nfer
to
the
marking
of
written work but
it
has been said that the Centre
hm
no
fbrninl
.lystm
of
examining
or
reporting.
Is
this correct
?
It
is
true that the Centre is not intended to be an ‘examining’ body and has,
therefore, no formal examinations. But members have
a
number of written
papers on economics, which are marked during the first part of the course,
and during the second part have
a
number of opportunities
to
draft reports
or
present cases on various subjects. These enable the progress of members
to be assessed and, in addition, members are set occasional test papers of
questions from university degree examinations in, say, micro-economics or
macro-economics-statistics. The purpose of these test papers is to keep the
directing staff informed
of
the general progress of the teaching rather than
to
form the basis of reports on individual members.
Yoti
referred earlier to the af)pointrnent
of
a business man to the Centre for a period
to aduise
on
tile Government and Industry
and
Operation
of
Business
Enterprise
sections
of
the
course.
Does
this indicate that time hnne been unsuccessful perhaps
dup
to
lack
of
co-operation from business
?
The government and industry section was not one of
the
more successful
parts of the first two courses mainly because we allocated too little time to
it
and thus the study became superficial. We have since allocated more
time and replanned the whole section. On the course which started in
October
1964,
this subject
was
much more successful although there is
still room for improvement. The section on the operation of businrss
enterprise, which covers the main functioiis of business and the way irr
which business firms operate, has from the start been regarded by members
as
one of the most useful and interesting parts of the course. An Assistant
Principal will visit five different firms
to
study different aspects of business
in
this section of the course. We have had great co-operation from business
firms who have agreed to receive visits
by
groups of our members.
Morr
important, most companies organize these visits in the best possible way
by making available their senior staff to discuss freely with our members
the organization of the firm and problem of business, rather than by
providing
a
‘public relations’ tour of the works which
would
be un-
rewarding for our members. But although this section had seemed most
successful this did not prove that
it
could not be done still better and
for
TREASURY CENTRE FOR
ADMINISTKA'I'IVE
STUDIES
this reason we welcomed
a
chance to have
a
business man look critically
at
this section from within the Centre.
In
the event, he recommended only
some quite minor changes in the arrangements.
The courses at the Centre are non-residential
and
the Centre olerates independently
in
isolation from universities.
Might
it not be better
if
tfie courses were residential
and the Centre formed part of a university
?
The Assistant Principals made it clear through their representatives, when
the formation
of
a
Centre was under consideration, that long residential
courses would be most unpopular. By their mid-twenties most of the
Assistant Principals have become married and are either in course of
setting up house or have started families. Some of the others are about to
get married.
A
course seldom passes without the marriage
of
a member or
the birth
of
a
first child to one of the students. At this stage in the life of
Assistant Principals
a
long absence would be disruptive and the advantages
to
be gained from
a
residential course would not compensate for this.
There is no problem at the Centre
of
trying to bring together members of
widely different backgrounds,
of
different ages, and possibly of different
levels of education. We are fortunate in having from the start
a
relatively
homogeneous group, of whom some already know each other and who can
work
together as an effective team much more quickly than
is
possible
with other courses, particularly at mid-career level.
The reply to the other part of the question
is
that it can hardly be said
that the Centre operates in isolation from universities,
as
university staff
provide the core of the teaching at the Centre and the Centre has received
co-operation from many universities since
it
opened. But there is an
advantage in having the course planned and directed by staff who can
ensure that the training is closely related
to
the needs of those making their
careers
in
government administration. There is also a gain by being able
to call on the best teachers in any subject from any university: the Centre
has used lecturers from ten universities and this number increases with
cvery course.
Ire any furlher dezlelol,mentsllatined for the Centre and can
you
indicate the directions
in
which
you
see the work developing in the long-term
?
One immediate development is that
a
demand has arisen from Principals,
particularly in
'
economic
'
departments, for some training in economics
now that the Assistant Principals are receiving such training.
To
meet
this demand
we
are starting in
1965
the first of a series of six-week courses
in economics for Principals. This will be given in two stages with a three-
week section around Easter on the concepts of micro- and macro-economics
and
a second three-week stage
in
the autumn which will be problem-
orientated. This series of courses should have a limited life, as the first
of
*
97
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the Assistant Principals who have passed through the Centre’s courscs
have already been promoted Principal and eventually all the Priricipal.;
will have studied economics when they were Assistant Principals.
It is perhaps premature to speculate on longer term development
5.
The work
of
the Centre and the courses must still be regarded as experi-
mental. We believe that we can, within the present pattern
of
three
and
twenty-week courses, achieve the objectives which
I
have described
above
in answer to earlier questions. We doubt whether we can introduce with
success more subjects than at present without excluding
some
subjects
at
present included in the syllabus. One question which will need
to
be
considered eventually,
as
Assistant Principals who have attended
C.A.S.
courses are promoted to more senior grades, is the relationship between thy
content
of
these early courses and other courses attended
at
mid-carecr
level by administrators.
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