Revisiting the Information Technology Skills Gap in Master of Public Administration Programs

Abstract

This study investigates how employees in government entities develop information technology (IT) competence and the extent to which training in Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs contributes to such competence. To facilitate this evaluation, we surveyed government employers and MPA program alumni and carried out a content analysis of MPA program offerings. We use results from the employer survey to gauge employer perceptions of IT-related knowledge levels of employees with MPA degrees, and we use the survey of MPA program alumni to ascertain alumni perceptions of their own competence. Our content analysis of MPA program technology offerings provides insight into what IT training is available to help students meet the identified functional IT needs of the organizations surveyed. Our findings indicate a gap between MPA curricula and such critical skills, and we provide recommendations for curricular changes to address this gap.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Berce

Lanfranco

Vehovar

(2008). Egovernance: Information and communication technology, knowledge management and learning organisation culture. Informatica, 32(2), 189–205.

Cleary

R. E.

(1990). What do public administration masters programs look like? Do they do what is needed? Public Administration Review, 50(6), 663.

Dawes

S. S.

(2004). Training the IT-savvy public manager: Priorities and strategies for public management education. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 10(1), 5–17.

Denhardt

(2001). The big questions of public administration education. Public Administration Review, 61(5), 526–534.

Dhar

Sundararajan

(2007). Issues and opinions—information technologies in business: A blueprint for education and research. Information Systems Research, 18(2), 125–141. Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1287/isre.1070.0126.

Fichman

R. G.

Dos Santos

B. L.

Zheng

(2014). Digital innovation as a fundamental and powerful concept in the information systems curriculum. MIS Quarterly, 38(2), 329–353.

Gabris

G. T.

Davis

T. J.

Nelson

K. L.

(2010). Demand versus supply: Can MPA programs satisfy the need for professional management in local government? Journal of Public Affairs Education, 16(3), 379–399.

Kernaghan

Gunraj

(2004). Integrating information technology into public administration: Conceptual and practical considerations. Canadian Public Administration, 47(4), 525–546.

Kiel

L. D.

(1986). Information systems education in masters programs in public affairs and administration. Public Administration Review, 46 (Special issue), 590–594.

10.

Kraemer

K. L.

Northrop

(1989). Curriculum recommendations for public management education in computing: An update. Public Administration Review, 49(5), 447–453.

11.

Kraemer

K. L.

Bergin

Bretschneider

Duncan

Foss

Gorr

et al. (1986). Curriculum recommendations for public management education in computing: Final report of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, Ad Hoc Committee on Computers in Public Management Education. Public Administration Review, 46 (Special issue), 595–602.

12.

Matei

Savulescu

(2014). Enhancing the capacity for innovation of public administration: An exploratory study on e-governance, ICT, knowledge management in Romania. Theoretical and Applied Economics, 21(11), 7–26.

13.

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (2008). General information and standards for professional master’s degree programs. Retrieved from https://naspaaaccreditation.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/old-accreditationstandards.pdf.

14.

Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation. (2014). NASPAA standards: Accreditation standards for master’s degree programs. Retrieved from https://naspaaaccreditation.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/naspaa-accreditation-standards.pdf.