Starting this year, the Royal Institute of Management has reviewed and changed the course to one year from eleven months for the Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (PGDPA) and the Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management (PGDFM). The course structure has been changed to meet the changing competency requirements of the civil service.
Under the enhanced course structure, 75 trainees for the 2020 batch will report in January instead of February to accommodate the increased activities under the new course structure. The institute started reviewing the course from 2016 with support from the Royal Civil Service Commission. It was completed last year.
“Now the students will be here for about 50 weeks from 52 weeks in a year, which means they have more time to do more things. And for the courses, we made changes differently. There are a few common changes which apply to both PGDPA and PGDFM. The common changes that we have now are something called the workshop for public sector innovation which is a design thinking. In this, we are teaching them as a unit. The students will be going to the rural settings for two weeks during their term break which means they get to interact with the citizens. This will encourage them to empathize and understand the citizen’s needs in a much better way when they become policymakers,” said Namgay Dem, a lecturer at RIM.
The revamped course structure has also included immersion programme and on-the-job training before trainees actually become full-fledged civil servants. The change is based on feedback from previous trainees and relevant stakeholders.
“So what happens is at the end of the programme, they will be going for a month-long training with agencies. So for that, we are collaborating with various ministries and RCSC. The students will be on the job training for a month where they will learn how to make policies and use the systems in the offices. The officers don’t have to spend time teaching these people, so that way there is time-saving and also is cost-effective.”
For PGDFM, the revision of subject contents will waive off five foundational exams to become a Certified Practicing Accountant, Australia (CPA).
Meanwhile, for PGDPA trainees, the institute introduced Data Analysis and Governance and Ethics as new subjects. This is to provide knowledge on data analysis to make informed decisions and to produce ethical civil servants and to uphold policies of good governance.
The orientation concluded today. The formal classes for the trainees will begin from tomorrow.
Pema Tshewang
