Abstract:
This study aims to identify issues related to developing
communicative competencies among public servants by examining
the educational programs, catalogs of academic disciplines, and
competency models of graduate programs in Public and Local
Administration at universities in Kazakhstan. We analyzed publicly
available information from higher education institutions' web pages
on training programs, course descriptions, and key competencies in
relevant fields. It was revealed that universities in Kazakhstan
provide limited information about their programs, thus we referred
to comprehensive data from unified higher ed platform from
Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of
Kazakhstan. The analysis indicates that program administrators
often neglect communicative competencies while building curricula.
In most cases, they are subject to specific courses such as
Governance Psychology and Human Resources, with the content
varying considerably from one university to another. The Academy
of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan is the
only institution offering robust courses dedicated to this area. The
expected outcomes include skills in public speaking, interaction with
the public and media, business correspondence, conflict resolution,
and knowledge of organizational culture and ethical behavior.
Considering the importance and growing attention to the effect of
the communication skills of civil servants for public satisfaction, this
study concludes that Kazakh universities should ensure the inclusion
of communication competencies into Public Administration
programs. Such additions could enhance the preparation of
prospective public servants, aiding them in their professional roles
and during employment selection processes.
