Our Syllabus: Here to help you teach Digital Era Government

What is it?

Our syllabus is a set of free, open access ‘teach the teacher’ materials designed to help educators teach master’s level students the skills they need to thrive as public servants in the Digital Era.

The whole thing is free and online and ready for your use.

This syllabus has been designed to fit amongst the core required modules of both MPA and MPP programmes. It is flexible enough however, to be taught to a range of master’s students in different disciplines.

More than 20 people across 10 countries came together to make this syllabus international in its perspective and flexible to different teaching contexts. As our community and the number of contributors grows, we are committed to ensuring and expanding the diversity of views, pedagogies and geographies reflected in the syllabus.

Can I ask you questions about using the syllabus?

Yes, we’d be delighted to talk. Please either email us, or book in a totally free 30 minute Zoom call with us - we’ll be delighted to answer your questions.

Why has this syllabus been developed?

We believe that all but the most junior of public servants need to possess a baseline set of minimum skills that we call Digital Era Competencies. Defining these competencies took place in 2020 as the first stage of an international collaborative of scholars and practitioners, preparing the foundations upon which to develop the syllabus. Critically, the competencies are not a description of skills needed for the future: they’re a description of skills that many governments, students and practitioners are asking for today.

A set of competencies is only valuable if there are mechanisms to help current and future public servants to acquire them. This syllabus is a way to enable universities, and especially MPA and MPP programmes, to teach the Digital Era Competencies.

Who can teach this syllabus?

Given the multidisciplinary nature of this material, faculty from a range of backgrounds, such as economics, public administration, innovation, technology, service design and other fields will find a strong footing from which to teach this material.

As a result, we believe many faculty members who currently teach within the core of an MPA/MPP program can - with some support - learn how to include our syllabus materials into their own subject areas. There is no need to be a deep digital specialist (such as a computer scientist), but the deeper the level of technical knowledge you have the easier you will find it.

What kinds of students is it for?

The syllabus is designed to help you teach anyone taking a masters-level degree because they plan to be a public servant, or existing public servants looking to upskill.

The syllabus is designed to be a suitable addition to any 1-2 year Masters Program, especially those in Public Policy and Public Administration. However it would be accessible and engaging for public interest oriented STEM master’s students, as well as other government-centric disciplines like law and economics.

How is the syllabus being developed?

The syllabus is developed by members of 'Teaching Public Service in the Digital Age' who are teachers and practitioners based in ten countries.

We work collaboratively to produce materials that embrace experiences and research from around the world. We also value and celebrate iteration, and this syllabus will be updated regularly.

Where is the syllabus currently being taught?

The syllabus is being used (in parts or in whole) by educators including:

• Dr. Amanda Clarke - Carleton University, Canada

• Prof. Dr. Dr. Robert Krimmer - Talinn University of Technology (Estonia)

• Prof. Dr. Ines Mergel, MA "Digital Governance", winter semester 2020-2021, The University of Konstanz (Germany)

• David Eaves, Lecturer of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School (USA)

• Srinivas Yerramsetti Ph.D, Postdoctoral researcher, KPM Center for Public Management, University of Bern, Switzerland

• Fernando Nogueira, lecturer at FGV EAESP, Brazil.

• Dr Sharon L Hill, Clinical Associate Professor, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University

• Nicolae Urs, Associate Dean, University of Babes-Bolyai, FSPAC, Romania

• Vass Bednar, Executive Director MPP in Digital Society at McMaster University and Sessional Lecturer.

• Prof. Carolyn Johns, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada.

Please note, whilst some of these educators are teaching the whole syllabus, others are deploying parts within their own courses.

If you would be interested in teaching a version of the syllabus yourself, please feel free to talk to us about your plans - we’ll be happy to help.

What is in the syllabus?

Take a look at the overview page for the units to see what the full syllabus covers.

Can I cherry-pick pieces, or do you have to teach the whole thing?

The syllabus is composed of eight units. Whilst these units are designed to complement each other, there is plenty of material within each section that would be suitable for borrowing and integrating into other classes. Please let us know if you do this, and which parts are valuable to you.

What kind of support will you give to people who want to teach using materials from the syllabus?

We offer a variety of support including:

• Free 20 minute Zoom calls to answer any questions you might have.

• Friendly email support - just ask us anything.

• A WhatsApp community of peers (we invite teachers to join this after we’ve spoken to them).

• Online seminars and workshops giving guidance and answering questions - sign up to our newsletter to get details of these.