The Moldova State University (USM) has expressed its disagreement with the initiative to create the National Institute of Public Management by separating the Institute of Public Administration from the university. This position was voiced by the USM Senate, which examined the Government's draft decision proposing this change during a meeting. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and Research has stated that it will support the project, emphasizing that it will allow the State Chancellery to ensure the continuous training of public officials through a directly subordinated institution, IPN reports.
The USM Senate argues that "this initiative contradicts the objectives set out in the 2022 higher education reform, which led to the integration of the Academy of Public Administration into USM’s structure". According to the Senate, the separation of the Institute of Public Administration and the creation of a new public institution will significantly increase administrative costs. “This process will result in the duplication of management structures and other administrative functions, leading to an inefficient use of budgetary resources", USM stated in a press release.
The university's highest governing body emphasized the importance of maintaining the institute within USM. "The Institute of Public Administration has demonstrated remarkable performance in training and professional development of public officials while operating within USM, as confirmed by the high level of appreciation from beneficiaries", the Senate noted.
The USM Senate is calling on the Government and the State Chancellery to reassess the draft decision and engage in genuine consultative discussions with the academic community to identify solutions for strengthening and modernizing the public administration training system.
"The State Chancellery is the institution responsible for managing the civil service and determining the training programs that public officials must benefit from, and it seeks to have the ability to do so through a directly subordinated institution", explained Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun in a response to the press.
Dan Perciun pointed out that, in the past, this was handled by the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Moldova, which was later absorbed by USM. "Now, the proposal is that for the continuous training of public officials, the State Chancellery should essentially take over this function through a subordinated institution - an idea that is more than legitimate", the minister clarified.
"We will support the position of the State Chancellery and the Government as a whole, to allow those who are essentially the main employers of public officials to have control over the quality of training for civil servants. In the end, the goal is to have high-quality training programs and a well-prepared public administration corps", concluded Minister Dan Perciun.
