Leadership & Innovation in the Public Sector

This MSc experience, which is what it is, has been a real growth opportunity. The action learning structure of the programme enables participants to focus, reflect and grow to an extent that I have not experienced in previous academic undertakings. The opportunities to collaborate with Public Servants from North and South are fantastic, with knowledge and experiences freely shared. The programme would be of benefit to public sector managers who are leading teams, particularly through any change initiatives and for those who wish to consider taking on a more senior leadership role in the future.

I was determined to do a course which would help me professionally and which would also contribute to my personal development. This Masters programme is constructed in a way that facilitates the seamless application of everything I learned to my workplace. As this course is run as a joint programme with Ulster University it provided wider opportunities for networking and sharing ideas with contemporaries. Being part of a group of like-minded people has given me access to varied knowledge and an extensive range of experience from across the public sector.

This Master’s degree really challenged my thinking about how we approach the problems that we seek to solve when designing and delivering public services. The action learning approach, in particular, brings course participants out of their comfort zone and, consequently, enables self-reflection, growth and learning. Making connections with public service colleagues, North and South, was a genuinely rewarding aspect of the course – the sharing of valuable expertise and different perspectives was enriching. I would recommend this course to anyone who is looking to drive change and transformation in their role, whilst looking to move up to the next level professionally.

The masters programme has really transformed my thinking around public service and has been of enormous benefit to me in my career. I have been promoted twice since I finished the course, firstly to Head of Division in Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and more recently to Director level also within DAFM. Feedback from the last interview particularly highlighted the learning from the Masters Programme. So to all the team in ATU Donegal, I wish to say a sincere thanks for running a really effective programme that has genuine application in the real world. It was tough going at the time but well worth it.