IPS Journal : Issue 1 : January 2021

Abstract

The Institute for Public Services, IPS, has just launched the first issue of a new journal which will be published bi-annually, and which presents a collection of research by academics and by public officers on subjects analyzing various elements of the operations and strategies of the Public Service.

The academic topics covered in the first issue of this journal include sustainable development, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain technology, equality, and the impact of IPS-funded scholarships.

This publication marks the first five years from the founding of IPS through the agreement made with the University of Malta and the Malta College of Art, Science and Technology (MCAST).

The main objective for which IPS was established was to support the renewal of the Public Service and the 2,000 services it provides - which continue to evolve over time. IPS meets this objective with the training and development of the very people who form part of the Public Service. This strategy complements the analytical, and methodical, research aimed at the roots of various challenges and situations in order to develop ideas which can lead to improvement in the quality and efficiency of the service offered. It is also intended to move beyond outdated practices to ones which meet future challenges.

IPS is focused on a development programme aimed at strengthening the training programmes offered, their content, and modes of delivery. It is also developing its research framework, an area which presents much scope for growth. Research is an important tool through which ideas and aims are developed, set, and reached, all in order to build a better tomorrow.

Commenting on this occasion, Principal Permanent Secretary Mr Mario Cutajar said that with this publication, the Institute for Public Services will continue to be at the forefront of the strategy through which the Public Service is further strengthened through digital technology and the quality of people who form part of it. This strategy is currently being prepared, and will enter into force next year. IPS will be at the centre of all the training that must be provided for public officials to acquire new skills in several emerging areas, such as remote working.