The free syllabus for teaching digital-era public service
All of our eight units are open-access, ready to teach or adapt, and have been built by educators for educators.
What is digital-era government?
Recognise what's different about governing in an era shaped by pervasive digital technology.
+ Real classroom breakdownsComponents of digital systems
How government digital systems are built from components, and why choosing them well matters. Introduces "Government as a Platform."
+ Real classroom breakdownsIteration
Using digital-era practices to rapidly and continually improve government services and policies.
+ Real classroom breakdownsUser-focus and design
Why public servants need to focus on users' needs, and when design methods can help solve problems.
+ Real classroom breakdownsData I: uses and opportunities
Spotting opportunities to use data to solve real government problems, and the practical challenges of doing so.
+ Guest interview: Dr Amen Ra MasharikiData II: harmful uses
How government data, created as a by-product of almost every activity, can also cause harm.
+ Guest lecture: Bruce SchneierWorking in the open
What "openness" means in government, and its many different interpretations in practice.
Overcoming legal, financial and organisational barriers
Anticipating the common bureaucratic barriers to putting these skills into practice.
Built by expert practitioners and educators
About the syllabus
Public servants today need a baseline of digital-era skills. This syllabus exists to help universities teach them. Built by 20 educators and practitioners across 10 countires for MPA and MPP programmes (though flexible enough for other government-facing disciplines too), you can implement all eight units or just the classes that fit your course.
We have developed these materials as open access teaching materials. We welcome and encourage your re-use of them, and we do not ask for payment. The materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
If you are using any of our syllabus materials, please credit us on your course website using the following text:
We are proud to use the Teaching Public Service in the Digital Age syllabus in our curriculum and teaching. Developed by an international community of more than 20 professors and practitioners, the syllabus is available open-source and free at www.teachingpublicservice.digital