March 2011 Public Service Leadership Report Focus of NUI Galway Conference

The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) and Management Discipline, NUI Galway, recently led a leadership capability study, funded by the IRCHSS, at senior management level in the Irish Civil Service. The study, led by Dr Alma McCarthy, was carried out between May and August 2010. Over 140 senior managers participated in the study from 12 Government Departments and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners with over 1,200 leadership surveys completed in total. The research report from this study will be launched and the findings showcased at a Public Service Leadership Conference, hosted by NUI Galway on Friday, 8 April 2011. This report will represent the most extensive study of its kind to-date in Ireland. Keynote speakers will include Dr Maria Maguire, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Independent Consultant, who will provide insights from international best practice in the area having worked on leadership, human resource management, and human resource development projects in a range of public sector organisations across the world over the past ten years; Philip Kelly, Assistant Secretary General, Department of An Taoiseach with responsibility for Transforming Public Services will give a presentation on Strengthening Leadership in the Irish Public Service; and Brian Cawley, Director General of the Institute of Public Administration will review leadership development policy to date and present a framework for effective public sector human resource development. At the conference, Dr Alma McCarthy, CISC and J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics, NUI Galway will present the findings of the 2010 NUI Galway senior management leadership capability study. Speaking about the upcoming conference, Dr Alma McCarthy, said: "This conference will focus specifically on the area of senior management leadership capability in the Irish public service. The conference will debate the important areas of human resource management, talent management, and leadership development that merit attention in the drive for public service modernisation and reform. The conference is extremely timely given the new Government's express focus on reform and the establishment of the new Public Expenditure and Reform Department under Minister Brendan Howlin." The conference is open to the public and will be of particular interest to senior management in the public and civil service, practitioners, consultants and professionals working in the human resource management, human resource development, and leadership development fields as well as those with an interest in public service modernisation and new public management. For further information, or to register, visit www.conference.ie. Please note that registration closes on Friday, 1 April. -Ends-