Public Administration (PhDr.)
The Public Administration (PhDr.) program at ACD-SAR is a professional doctorate designed for senior public servants, government executives, NGO leaders, and policy professionals dedicated to enhancing governance, driving ethical reform, and achieving sustainable development goals across Africa. This program is rooted in applied research, using real-world public sector challenges as the focus of the doctoral project.
Program Overview and Objective
This PhDr. pathway prepares scholar-practitioners to transition from managing public programs to leading institutional reform and co-creating evidence-based policy. The core objective is to cultivate ethical leaders capable of:
- Diagnosing complex public sector challenges (e.g., corruption, service delivery failures, climate resilience deficits).
- Designing and implementing scalable, evidence-based interventions.
- Translating research outcomes directly into actionable policy briefs and governance models.
Key Program Features
- Policy-Driven Thesis: The doctoral project is a Policy Intervention Strategy, directly aimed at solving a critical, complex public sector challenge, with a requirement to demonstrate measurable impact on governance or service delivery.
- Co-Supervision Model: Candidates are guided by both an academic expert in public policy/administration and a senior policy practitioner (e.g., former Director-General or Permanent Secretary) to ensure relevance.
- Blended Delivery: Delivery is flexible, combining residential workshops, robust virtual seminars, and continuous field-based research within the public service environment.
Program Curriculum
This outlines the core modular domains and specialized focus areas within the Public Administration PhDr. curriculum:
Module 1: Ethical Leadership and Public Sector Transformation
Focuses on advanced theories of public management, bureaucratic ethics, anti-corruption strategies, and leadership models for driving institutional change in the public sector.
Module 2: Digital Governance and Public Policy Analysis
Examines the role of digital transformation in public service delivery (e-governance), and advanced methodologies for policy analysis, evaluation, and impact assessment.
Module 3: Applied Research Methods for Public Sector Intervention
Mastering research methods (e.g., policy analysis, case studies, evaluation research) necessary to generate reliable evidence for policy recommendations and public management decisions.
Module 4: Financial Management and Resource Mobilization in the Public Sphere
Deep dive into public finance, budgeting, risk management, and strategies for effective resource mobilization and allocation in alignment with national and sustainable development goals.
Module 5: Doctoral Thesis: The Policy Intervention Strategy
Dedicated execution and evaluation of the work-based policy research project. The thesis must document the evidence, the proposed policy reform, and a plan for legislative or institutional implementation.
Knowledge Translation and Policy Advocacy
Focus on translating the thesis into deliverable professional tools, such as Policy Briefs, Consultancy Reports, and engaging in expert testimony or advisory roles to influence policy outcomes.
Student Testimonials
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.
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