Support to the Civil Service Academy under the President of Turkmenistan

What is the project about

The Civil Service Academy under the President of Turkmenistan was established by the Presidential Decree in September 2008 and aims at enhancing professional skills, knowledge and practical skills of the public servants, state apparatus, and civil servants employed in the key ministries and departments, as well as of the local authorities and local self-government bodies, which are responsible for the implementation of national social and economic programs.

On the basis of requests from key ministries and departments seeking to enhance professional skills of their relevant civil servants, and in consultation with the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, the Academy annually offers the following academic courses according to a September to July academic period:

1. Course for public servants focusing on law and management (2-year course);

2. Professional development course for civil servants, focusing on economics and social work, among others (5-month course offered twice a year);

3. Course for professional development of civil servants on legal and commercial arbitration (4-months course offered once a year);

4. Training of officials from local government and self–government bodies, including on-the-job training (2-month course offered four times a year).

Around 20-30 students are accepted for each course annually on the basis of the following requirements: diploma of higher education, at least 5 years of working experience in the public service (for students enrolling in the 2-year course), and at least 2 years of working experience for students applying for medium-term courses (2, 4 and 5 months). Students are accepted based on results of entrance exams and individual interviews.

The Academy is the leading institute providing education to the public service in Turkmenistan. Its role in improvement and strengthening the system of governance in the country is crucial. At the same time the Academy is a young and dynamic organization proactively seeking capacity strengthening and development opportunities. Providing assistance to the Academy could serve as a strategic entry point for UNDP and other partners who seek producing impact on the development of Turkmenistan’s governance system and strengthening its capacity.

The development priorities that the Academy pointed out on multiple occasions included, among others, include developing and updating of its curricula in accordance with the best international practices, establishing/developing relations with the peer foreign institutions that provide educational opportunities in the area of public administration, developing of the electronic management system for academic staff and students of the academy, and strengthening of the capacity of the academic staff of CSA.

In the past, UNDP Turkmenistan has supported the Academy in the introduction and institutionalization of new training courses on “Human Development” and “e-Governance”, in establishing cooperation with similar academic and training institutions in Europe and CIS, and in organizing ICT skills certification for civil servants.

Under the current project, UNDP plans to provide assistance to the Civil Service Academy (CSA) in the following areas:

-          Development of the strategic visioning and development plans of the Academy

-          Updating existing/developing new curricula for the Academy

-          Establishing links with similar public management schools and other public service resources

-          Strengthening of the educational and informational system of the Academy

Expected result and Project component

Component 1: Academy’s strategic plan is developed and includes updated Academy’s vision, mission, and a 3-year plan.

Component 2: Academy’s curricula are updated/expanded based on international practices and national priorities.

Component 3: Links with leading peer institutes/public management schools, leading scholars, and other public service resources are established.

Component 4: Electronic educational and informational system of the CSA is strengthened.