Ethical Leadership and Public Policy (PhDr.)
The Ethical Leadership and Public Policy (PhDr.) program at ACD-SAR is a professional doctorate designed for senior leaders, policymakers, NGO executives, and public sector professionals. This program cultivates the capacity to address the most critical ethical dilemmas in governance, translate ethical insights into robust policy frameworks, and drive transparent institutional reform across Africa. This is an applied research program, using contemporary ethical and policy challenges as the basis for the doctoral project.
Program Overview and Objective
This PhDr. pathway is crucial for creating a new generation of leaders who prioritize integrity and social accountability in public life. The core objective is to equip scholar-practitioners to:
- Diagnose the ethical failures and governance deficits that hinder public trust and service delivery.
- Design and implement policy interventions that embed principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability.
- Leverage doctoral research to influence legislative frameworks and regional policy standards.
Program Curriculum
This outlines the core modular domains and specialized focus areas within the Ethical Leadership and Public Policy PhDr. curriculum, structured to link advanced ethical theory with actionable policy outcomes:
Module 1: Advanced Ethical Theories for Public Leadership
Focuses on the philosophical and practical application of ethical frameworks to public administration, including global standards for integrity, fiduciary duty, and accountability in complex African governance systems.
Module 2: Policy Analysis and Diagnosis of Governance Deficits
Examines methodologies for diagnosing policy failures, evaluating governance structures, and conducting advanced stakeholder mapping and policy impact assessments through an ethical lens.
Module 3: Applied Research Methods for Ethical Intervention and Evaluation
Mastering research methods (e.g., comparative policy analysis, action research, qualitative ethics studies) necessary to generate reliable evidence for ethical policy creation and institutional reform.
Module 4: Regulatory Design, Compliance, and Anti-Corruption Strategy
A deep dive into developing effective regulatory frameworks, implementing compliance regimes, and designing robust, evidence-based anti-corruption and transparency strategies in the public sector.
Doctoral Thesis: The Ethical Policy Intervention
Dedicated execution and evaluation of a work-based project that directly addresses an ethical or policy governance challenge. The thesis must document the evidence, the proposed ethical policy or institutional reform, and the plan for successful implementation.
Knowledge Translation and Policy Advocacy
Focus on translating the thesis into deliverable professional tools, such as Ethics Codes, Transparency Toolkits, and Policy Briefs. Candidates are coached to engage in high-level advisory and advocacy roles to drive policy adoption.
Student Testimonials
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Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old.
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old.
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old.
ACD-SAR Contact Info
CSR Mindset and Thinking
ICESDA Conference 2025
- 23rd Oct. 2025
- GIMPA Executive Conference Center, Accra- Ghana