Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration
Encyclopedia
The Institute for Advanced Studies in Public Administration, (French
: Institut des hautes études en administration publique) or IDHEAP is a Swiss graduate school
of public administration
, an independent foundation associated with the University of Lausanne
and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
in Lausanne
. The school teaches graduate and post-graduate courses for public sector
executives and (more recently) students wishing to take up public service. It also provides professional training for members of administrative bodies. It receives support from the Swiss Confederation under the Swiss Federal Law on University Funding. IDHEAP is located near the Lausanne university campus.
Beyond its teaching activities, IDHEAP also carries out research and counselling missions regarding the public sector. IDHEAP has been designated as the leading institution of the Swiss Public Administration Network which aims to foster cooperation between the universities of Bern, Lausanne
and Lugano, to boost research works and doctoral studies in public administration
.
and creator of IMEDE (now the International Institute for Management Development
), who wished to establish a Swiss MBA for the public sector. The other founders were the canton of Vaud
, the University of Lausanne
, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
and the Association of Friends of IDHEAP.
program is a 90 ECTS
executive, flexible length and multidisciplinary program, designed for public sector managers or would-be managers. It is also open to anyone wishing to pursue a career in an organization whose activities involve working with the public sector.
The curriculum includes a foundation course (6 core modules of 6 days –one day a week during the academic year), 3 course options of 12 days, chosen among a list of 18 elective courses and an approximately 100 pages thesis covering an original and in-depth research project carried out from an interdisciplinary perspective and supervised by a professor at IDHEAP and an external expert.
Teaching includes group works (both presential and online), simulations, case studies (which may require students to work on real mandates and counselling missions carried out by the Institute) and research works.
The IDHEAP courses are delivered in French
(although an international Executive MPA will soon be offered in English
). The two other working languages are German
and English. Both a student's trimester’s work and the dissertation can be written in French, German, English or Italian
.
The average age of a graduate is 37, with a 66/34 split of men/women. 80 percent of graduates already have a university degree, most of them in political sciences, arts, economics, and law.
and R&D financed by the Commission for Technology and Innovation or the European Union
four-year Information Society Technologies framework programs. Some research receives support from programs such as the Swiss Virtual Campus, the Interreg
fund (European Cross-border Cooperation) or COST – European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research
. Part of the research work carried out at IDHEAP is financed by consulting or experts’ fees.
33 research projects are currently under way at the school. Recent examples include:
IDHEAP publishes a full list of research projects on its website, at http://www.idheap.ch/idheap.nsf/vwBaseDocuments/IdREx01?OpenDocument&lng=en.
Five new research projects were awarded to IDHEAP in 2007 by the Swiss National Fund for Research. In 2007, three doctorates of Public Administration were awarded by the University of Lausanne on the recommendation of IDHEAP.
Also in 2007, the university's Prof. Giuliano Bonoli was awarded the Latsis prize by the Swiss National Research Fund for his comparative research
works on social policies
.
, Neuchâtel
, Valais
, Vaud
, the cities of Berne
, Geneva
, Lausanne
, and Neuchâtel, The Institute for Research and Debate on Governance, The Lausanne Olympic Capital association and BEDAG SA.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Institut des hautes études en administration publique) or IDHEAP is a Swiss graduate school
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
of public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
, an independent foundation associated with the University of Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
in Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. The school teaches graduate and post-graduate courses for public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
executives and (more recently) students wishing to take up public service. It also provides professional training for members of administrative bodies. It receives support from the Swiss Confederation under the Swiss Federal Law on University Funding. IDHEAP is located near the Lausanne university campus.
Beyond its teaching activities, IDHEAP also carries out research and counselling missions regarding the public sector. IDHEAP has been designated as the leading institution of the Swiss Public Administration Network which aims to foster cooperation between the universities of Bern, Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
and Lugano, to boost research works and doctoral studies in public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
.
Short history and chronology
IDHEAP was created (under the form of a “Foundation for a graduate school in public administration”) by Enrico Bignami, former delegate of the Board of Directors of NestléNestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
and creator of IMEDE (now the International Institute for Management Development
International Institute for Management Development
IMD - International Institute for Management Development is a non profit business school located in Lausanne, Switzerland.- History & Mission :...
), who wished to establish a Swiss MBA for the public sector. The other founders were the canton of Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
, the University of Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne is one of the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology and is located in Lausanne, Switzerland.The school was founded by the Swiss Federal Government with the stated mission to:...
and the Association of Friends of IDHEAP.
- 1982: Convention with the University of LausanneUniversity of LausanneThe University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
. - 1983: Opening of the Research Centre. Signature of a Convention with the Swiss Federal Personnel Office.
- 1984: Short courses for the State of VaudVaudVaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
launched. - 1987: Recognition by the Swiss Confederation.
- 1990: Co-operation agreement with the European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht.
- 1994: Creation of the Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Public AdministrationThe Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
. Launch of the executive training programs for managers. - 1995: Introduction of the joint IDHEAP–University of Lausanne doctorate.
- 2000: The service contract with the canton of Vaud and the Confederation takes effect.
- 2001: Co-operation agreement with the National School of Public Administration in QuebecÉcole nationale d'administration publiqueThe École nationale d'administration publique , located in Quebec City, Quebec, was established in 1969 by the Quebec government, as a way of obtaining a professional public administration during a period when a number of social and structural changes were taking place within the province...
. - 2003: Co-operation convention with the University of Bern, Center of Competence in Public Management.
- 2007: IDHEAP designated as the leading institution of the Swiss Public Administration Network.
- 2009-2010: Opening of a new building on the Lausanne university campus.
Accreditation
The institute is accredited by the Swiss Confederation (via OAQ), and the MPA is accredited by the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation.Programs
IDHEAP's programs include:- Doctorate in Public Administration
- Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Public AdministrationThe Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
, designed for experienced public sector executives, which may be taken full time (1 year) or part time (2 or 3 years) - Master of ArtsMaster of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Public Management and Policies (the PMP Master) - The DEAP : a multi-disciplinary full-time course for executives, based on projects that the participants bring with them from their respective areas.
- Short executive programs tailored to individual needs, for executives in the public and para-public sectors
- Master of Advanced Studies, a Diploma of Advanced Studies and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Management of Vocational Training Institutions and Education Policy, which was created in partnership with the University of GenevaUniversity of GenevaThe University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
, the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training and the State of Vaud High Pedagogical School.
The MPA program
The MPAMPA
-Academic degrees:* Master of Professional Accountancy* Master of Public Administration* Master of Public Affairs* Master of Physician's Assistant-Chemicals:* Medroxyprogesterone acetate, also known by the brand name Depo-Provera* Morpholide of pelargonic acid...
program is a 90 ECTS
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
This page describes ECTS-credits. For information about the ECTS grading system go to ECTS grading scale.European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a standard for comparing the study attainment and performance of students of higher education across the European Union and other...
executive, flexible length and multidisciplinary program, designed for public sector managers or would-be managers. It is also open to anyone wishing to pursue a career in an organization whose activities involve working with the public sector.
The curriculum includes a foundation course (6 core modules of 6 days –one day a week during the academic year), 3 course options of 12 days, chosen among a list of 18 elective courses and an approximately 100 pages thesis covering an original and in-depth research project carried out from an interdisciplinary perspective and supervised by a professor at IDHEAP and an external expert.
Teaching includes group works (both presential and online), simulations, case studies (which may require students to work on real mandates and counselling missions carried out by the Institute) and research works.
The IDHEAP courses are delivered in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(although an international Executive MPA will soon be offered in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
). The two other working languages are German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and English. Both a student's trimester’s work and the dissertation can be written in French, German, English or Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
The average age of a graduate is 37, with a 66/34 split of men/women. 80 percent of graduates already have a university degree, most of them in political sciences, arts, economics, and law.
Research
The IDHEAP teaching and research units participate in research projects financed by the Swiss National Science FoundationSwiss National Science Foundation
The Swiss National Science Foundation is a science research support organization mandated by the Swiss Federal Government. The SNSF was established in 1952 as a foundation under private law. Its secretariat is based in Bern....
and R&D financed by the Commission for Technology and Innovation or the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
four-year Information Society Technologies framework programs. Some research receives support from programs such as the Swiss Virtual Campus, the Interreg
Interreg
Interreg is an initiative that aims to stimulate cooperation between regions in the European Union. It started in 1989, and is financed under the European Regional Development Fund...
fund (European Cross-border Cooperation) or COST – European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research
COST – European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research
COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in Science and Technology. It was founded in 1971.-Objectives:COST contributes towards the realisation of the European Research Area and is presently used by the scientific communities of 36 European countries to cooperate in common...
. Part of the research work carried out at IDHEAP is financed by consulting or experts’ fees.
33 research projects are currently under way at the school. Recent examples include:
- BADAC (http://www.badac.ch/), a Database of the Swiss States and Cities, funded by the Conference of Cantonal Chancellors
- Conditions for a joint representation of the scope for public action on a local level, funded by the Swiss National Science FoundationSwiss National Science FoundationThe Swiss National Science Foundation is a science research support organization mandated by the Swiss Federal Government. The SNSF was established in 1952 as a foundation under private law. Its secretariat is based in Bern....
- eGOV (integrated platform for an online, one-stop government), 5th IST (Information Society Technologies) framework program, for the European Union
- Modelling transport in Switzerland, for the Swiss Federal Statistical Office
- MOTOWN – Workey (a workflowWorkflowA workflow consists of a sequence of connected steps. It is a depiction of a sequence of operations, declared as work of a person, a group of persons, an organization of staff, or one or more simple or complex mechanisms. Workflow may be seen as any abstraction of real work...
designer and builder), for the Commission for Technology and Innovation - Income and public spending and it's impact on budgetary balance and econometric modelling, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation
- Institutional regimes for urban resources, IRIS project (integration, regulation and social innovations) for the Lake Geneva triangle
- Sports Organisation Management Interactive Teaching (or SOMIT), funded by Swiss virtual campus
- Actors’ strategies regarding ongoing training, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (National Research Project 43)
- The Swiss Decision Making System in the Era of GlobalizationGlobalizationGlobalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
, for the Swiss National Science Foundation (Priority Program “Switzerland Tomorrow”).
IDHEAP publishes a full list of research projects on its website, at http://www.idheap.ch/idheap.nsf/vwBaseDocuments/IdREx01?OpenDocument&lng=en.
Five new research projects were awarded to IDHEAP in 2007 by the Swiss National Fund for Research. In 2007, three doctorates of Public Administration were awarded by the University of Lausanne on the recommendation of IDHEAP.
Also in 2007, the university's Prof. Giuliano Bonoli was awarded the Latsis prize by the Swiss National Research Fund for his comparative research
Comparative research
Comparative research is a research methodology in the social sciences that aims to make comparisons across different countries or cultures. A major problem in comparative research is that the data sets in different countries may not use the same categories, or define categories differently .-...
works on social policies
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
.
Mandates and counselling missions
IDHEAP carried out 40 mandates in 2007: these were benchmarking missions, fusion of small towns and administrations, fiscal optimization, efficiency evaluations, organizational audit, satisfaction surveys, marketing audit, and organizational reengineering. Among the main clients, were the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, the Swiss Parliament, the Swiss Conference of Universities, the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, the Swiss Federal Office of Migration, the Swiss Federal Office of Social Insurance, the Swiss Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology, the Swiss states of Bern, FribourgFribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
, Neuchâtel
Canton of Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel is a canton of French speaking western Switzerland. In 2007, its population was 169,782 of which 39,654 were foreigners. The capital is Neuchâtel.-History:...
, Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
, the cities of Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, and Neuchâtel, The Institute for Research and Debate on Governance, The Lausanne Olympic Capital association and BEDAG SA.
Exchange and partnership agreements
IDHEAP has exchange and partnership agreements with the following:- Foreign universities:
- The Faculty of Economic, social and political sciences of the Université catholique de LouvainUniversité catholique de LouvainThe Université catholique de Louvain, sometimes known, especially in Belgium, as UCL, is Belgium's largest French-speaking university. It is located in Louvain-la-Neuve and in Brussels...
- Georgia State UniversityGeorgia State UniversityGeorgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
, Andrew Young School of Policy StudiesAndrew Young School of Policy StudiesThe Andrew Young School of Policy Studies is located within Georgia State University. The school houses the Criminal Justice, Economics, Social Work and Public Management and Policy divisions of the second largest school in the state of Georgia.In 2008, U.S...
, USA - The German University of Administrative Science
- The National School of Public Administration in Quebec
- The Portuguese National School of Administration
- The Sun Yat-sen UniversitySun Yat-sen UniversitySun Yat-sen University, also unofficially referred to as Zhongshan University , is a prominent university located mainly in Guangzhou, China. The University is named after Dr...
in Canton
- The Faculty of Economic, social and political sciences of the Université catholique de Louvain
- Swiss universities
- The Center of Competence in Public Administration of the University of Bern
- The University of FribourgUniversity of FribourgThe University of Fribourg is a university in the city of Fribourg, Switzerland.The roots of the University can be traced back to 1582, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg. In 1763, an Academy of law was founded by the state of Frobourg...
Institute for the Management of Non Profit Organizations (SOMIT program) - The University of GenevaUniversity of GenevaThe University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
(FORDIF program) - The University of LausanneUniversity of LausanneThe University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
- The Università della Svizzera italianaUniversità della Svizzera italianaUniversità della Svizzera italiana is a public university located in Lugano, Switzerland, founded in 1996...
(the Italian speaking university of Switzerland)
- Other Swiss higher education institutions
- The Graduate Institute of International and Development StudiesGraduate Institute of International and Development StudiesThe Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies is a highly selective postgraduate educational and research institute situated in Geneva, Switzerland...
in Geneva - The State of Vaud High Pedagogical School (FORDIF program)
- The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne
- The Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (FORDIF program)
- The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies