The Executive Master of Public Governance program in

Copenhagen

Carsten Greve

Professor and Academic Director

cg.dbp@cbs.dk

Introduction to the Copenhagen MPG program

• Background

• Structure and content of the program

• Profile of the public managers taking the MPG modules

• Activities at the MPG program

Background: “The Quality Reform” in 2006-2008

• Government’s “Quality Reform” 2006-2008• Tripartite negotiations 2007 resulted in agreement between central

government, local government and public sector trade unions• “Management reform” within the “Quality Reform”• 75 million DKK (= 15 million USD) earmarked for new flexible master in public

governance• Approved in Parliament March 2008 as part of budget agreement

• = Biggest initiative for executive public management education in

the history of the Danish public sector

Two consortia: CBS is part of the “Copenhagen program”

• Government decision to have different consortia bidding for the program• Two consortia established 2009:• “West consortium”: University of Aarhus and University of Southern Denmark• “East consortium”: University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen

Business School• Aalborg University in the north of Denmark joined the East consortium • Program began in August 2009 – fintake 125 public managers in first

semester• The name “The Executive Master of Public Governance” adopted for the

Copenhagen program (“MPG “ for short”)• = an innovative collaboration between government and universities• Collaboration between Copenhagen Business School, University of

Copenhagen – and Aalborg University

CBS portfolio

• MPG fitted in well with existing executive master program portfolio• Focus on flexibility, not a cohort model.• CBS has the administrative responsibility and the secretariat (• CBS has the post of the academic director (Carsten Greve). University of

Copenhagen has the post of the vice-academic director. (Jacob Vase)• CBS has other executive master programs, including the Master of Public

Administration (MPA), and MBAs• The MPA is the longest running executive master program in Denmark (1994)• CBS is the biggest operator of executive programs in Denmark and

Scandinavia

Funding

• Government funding of subsidies

for tuition fees• Currently 2000 DKK per ECTS

point• Average price per ECTS is 3400

DKK• Subsidies are administered by the

Danish Ministry of Finance• Usually, the remaining amount is

paid by the employer• ECTS: European Transfer Credit and

Accumulation System – EU measure

of workload

Master of Public Governance key features

Combining theory and

practice

Include personal

development for public

managers intro program

Flexibility In a social science context

MPG has had a successful beginning

• Public managers from all sectors and levels of government (central, regional,

local) are applying to get into the MPG program• Public managers have been enthusiastic participants in the first two years• Faculty drawn from departments at CBS and departments at the University o f

Copenhagen plus external lecturers & international guestspeakers• Evaluations have been good• Vision: We aim to make good public managers better, and to help further

develop the welfare society in Denmark

Number of applicants per semester

E09 F10 E10 F11 E110

100

200

300

400

500

600

* F = spring semester E = autumn semester

Where do the public managers come from?

48%

17%

32%

3%

Levels of government

local governmentregionscentral governmentOther

The MPG program – an overview

Introduction to management in the public sector

Personal development module (2 semesters)

Core modules

Elective modules

Master thesis capstone project

Core modules (students choose 4 out of 6)

Coaching

Strategic Human Resource Management

Communication and management

Leading reform and change

Public governance

Strategic management in a governance perspective

MPG elective modules - examples

• Trust-based management• Organizational theory for public mangers• Existens and management• Innovation management• Motivation of knowledge employees• Evaluation and evidence based

management• The Danish public sector model and

globalization• Tracking public sector leadership after the

financial crisis• Methods in social science• Stakeholder relations, lobbyism and public

affairs• Risk communication

Distribution of applicants

Fordeling af ønsker, fall 2011

LFG OLM PUF Valgfrie Master0

50100150200250300350400

127

358

277

342

11

Fall 2011

LFG OLM PUF Valgfag Master 0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

114

242 252289

0

Spring 2011

*LFG +PUF = introductory modules OLM = core modules valgfag = electives

Distribution for government levels

Local government Regions Central government Other0

50

100

150

200

250

300

243

89

169

21

214

72

148

8

182

54

110

10

Autumn 2011Spring 2011Autumn 2010An

tal

Educational background

Master Bachelor Diploma Defence/police Ph.D. Other0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

51%

30%

7%

2% 3%

8%

54%

28%

7%4% 3% 3%

Autumn 2011Spring 2011Autumn 2010

Distribution by sector

Econim

ics an

d law

Educati

onHea

lthSo

cial

Envir

onment

Culture

Defence/

police

Private

Child ca

reOther

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

8%

13%

19%

13%

6%7%

5%

1%

11%

16%

8%

12%

20%

11%

6%7%

4%

0%

13%

19%

8%

12%

21%

11%

8%

6%

3% 3%

15%14%

Autumn 2011Spring 2011Autumn 2010

MPG student in the media

International perspective

• MPG has an active cooperation with the

Hertie School of Governance in Berlin• Students from Berlin has attended elective

modules in Copenhagen (“Strategic

Change Management”)• Danish public managers have gone to

Berlin for modules on f.ex. “Performance

Management” and “Cutback Management”• Cooperation with Warwick University

(UK)• International summer school arranged by

the MPA program• Internationale guest speakers, f.ex. Beryl

Radin (USA ), Janet Newman (UK), and

Erik-Hans Klijn (Netherlands), Brad

Jackson (New Zealand)

Other activities

• Advisory board with top

executives from local

government, regions and

central government• Annual faculty seminar in

November• Intro event each semester with

100+ participants• Information meetings each

semester including briefing

from current students

Applicant profile

• Education: Candidate 51%, Bachelor 30%, Diploma 7%, Defence and Police

2%, Ph.d. 3%, Other 8 %

• Distribution of sector: Health 19%, Child care 11%, Education 13%, Social

13%, Economics and law 8%, Culture 7%, Environment 6%, Defence/police

5%, Private 1%, Other 16%

• Distribution for government levels: Local government 47%, Regions 17%,

Central government 32%, Private 2%, Other 1%

Contact information

• The Executive Master of Public Governance program – Copenhagen Business

School – Dalgas Have 15, DK-2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark mpg@cbs.dk• A cooperation between University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Business

School – www.ku.dk and www.cbs.dk• Aalborg University provides the program in Northern Jutland• Website: www.mpg-flex.dk• Contact for academic director: cg.dbp@cbs.dk, www.cbs.dk/staff/cg