Institute for Governmental Research and Training

INSTITUTE DIRECTOR:

Professor and Chair O. Jay Umeh (510) 885-2761 jay.umeh@csueastbay.edu

For more information on how to contact the Institute, see our CONTACT page.


THE MISSION:

The Institute for Governmental Research and Training (formerly the Center for Public Service Education and Research) is housed in the Department of Public Administration. The Institute was established in 1975 to support the teaching and training of public administrators. The Institute provides training workshops for public administrators and consulting and research services to government organizations.

The central purpose of the Institute is to expand knowledge in the field of public administration locally, nationally, and internationally by sponsoring training workshops and conducting research in public policy and administration. The Institute brings together domestic and international government officials to share information and resources, to seek new and innovative ways to help them engage in and solve social problems, and to develop and refine their knowledge and skills in policy development and analysis. Through the Institute, the Department has provided a wide array of training and educational programs to federal, state, and local agencies.

The Institute has received over one million dollars in grants and contracts to administer executive management training, student fellowships, and research projects. These funds have come from federal, state, and local government and private foundations. In addition, the Institute has sponsored a variety of professional workshops for practitioners and conducted several training projects.



PUBLIC MANAGEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM:

Focus of the Program

Public management is only as good as its practitioners, those who are responsible for managing their organizations. To improve public organizations, administrators and managers must develop abilities to learn new knowledge, shape organizations, and help employees develop their potential. In order to learn new ways of improving organizational capability in an era of globalization, today’s administrators must be also aware of changing international conditions.


Sample Topic Areas:

Environmental (domestic and international) influences on contemporary administration
Cultural influences on administration and change
Strategies for administrative reform
Why do reforms fail?
The future workforce and its impact on administration
New organizational design
Improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness
Technology and information management
Improving the quality of working life
Developing learning organizations
Globalization and decentralization
Future leadership qualities

LEGISLATIVE TRAINING PROGRAM:

Focus of the Program

To continue to process of strengthening the democratic political system, legislators must be continuously educated and re-educated. Today it is not enough just to get elected; a legislator, like others in socially responsible positions, must keep up with new knowledge relevant to solving domestic and international problems. The focus of the training program is to aid public administrators and elected politicians learn the problems and dynamics of modern political systems, and to be informed of policy strategies in solving the complex social and environmental problems in today’s world.


Sample Topic Areas:

Introduction to U.S. government - Intergovernmental relations
Contemporary social policy issues - Social welfare, environmental policy, transportation, health care
Role of legislators in policymaking
Politics of economic development - Globalization of economic issues
Local and regional problem-solving - Local politics in social problem solving and the politics of financing
Environmental problem-solving - Solid waste management and hazardous waste management
Managing metropolitan areas - Transportation and the environment
Relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government
Citizen participation and democracy