CAG and the Malawi School of Government Celebrate the Launch of the Leadership Milestone Programme

April 29, 2024

Mr Wu Wei Neng, Dean of the Chandler Academy of Governance and Professor Asiyati Chiweza, Director General, Malawi School of Government together with Guest-of-Honour, Mr Blessings Chilabade, Secretary for Human Resource Management and Development with the participants at the opening ceremony of the Leadership Milestone Programme held at the Malawi School of Government

LILONGWE (Malawi), 29 April 2024 —The Malawi School of Government (MSG) and Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG), the training arm of the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG), together with UNDP Malawi and Cambridge Governance Labs (CGL), have launched the inaugural Malawi Public Service Leadership Milestone Programme (LMP) on 29 April 2024, following months of planning and preparation.

Leadership milestone programmes are important platforms for capability development in any public service. They are tailored to the key stages of a public service leader’s career, and are integral for improving technical skills, building a shared ethos, and encouraging collaboration and alignment between Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

The Malawi Public Service Leadership Milestone Programme has been specially designed for this purpose following a comprehensive needs analysis exercise. The curriculum was developed by the MSG’s faculty and experts in collaboration with CIG and CGL, thus ensuring a good blend of international perspectives and local expertise. The inaugural cohort was intentionally selected to ensure a good representation across the Malawi Public Service and consists of 15 Directors from central government and 35 District Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers from local government.

During the opening ceremony, Guest-of-honour and Secretary for Human Resource Management and Development, Mr. Blessings Chilabade emphasised the importance of the programme as a key component in the Malawi Government’s capability building strategy:
“I am particularly excited as we have been working on this leadership milestone programme for a while and it has come into fruition. The Malawi Public Service Leadership Milestone Programme is a critical component of the public service’s capability building strategy as it holistically and strategically addresses the skills needs of public servants. It is important for public service managers to have a solid understanding of rules, processes and skills to operate effectively within the public service machinery. The expectations are high and I urge you to approach this programme with the dedication it deserves.”

Mr Blessings Chilabade
Guest-of-Honour and Secretary for Human Resource Management and Development

Professor Asiyati Chiweza, MSG’s Director General agreed and spoke about the important role of the MSG in supporting the government’s capability building strategy:
“This programme goes beyond technical skills to focus on personal development to develop a greater awareness of self in order to work more efficiently and effectively. This is the value we are adding as the Malawi School of Government and we hope that you will find the programme enriching.”

Professor Asiyati Chiweza
Director General, Malawi School of Government

Mr Wu Wei Neng, Dean of CAG expressed gratitude for the partnership and highlighted the consultative approach taken in the design of the programme:
“We all need specific skills development and training support that is tailored to our areas and nature of work to support us in the challenges that we face. CIG is proud to have worked with the MSG, CGL, DHRMD and UNDP Malawi on the design, development and delivery of this leadership milestone programme to ensure it is tailored to your needs as participants.”

Mr Wu Wei Neng
Dean, Chandler Academy of Governance

Ms Sin Xin Ping, Deputy Dean of Programmes at CAG recognised the joint efforts of the key stakeholders in ensuring the success of the programme:
“The Malawi Public Sector Leadership Milestone Programme would not have been possible without the combined efforts and commitment of all the key stakeholders – MSG, DHRMD, Ministry of Local Government, CGL and UNDP Malawi. CIG is honoured to have worked with all the stakeholders on the design and delivery of this programme and look forward to more opportunities for collaboration in the future.”

Ms Sin Xin Ping
Deputy Dean (Programmes), Chandler Academy of Governance

The first segment of the programme will focus on helping participants to understand how Malawi’s national history and story have shaped its governance context and development trajectory, and ensure that participants build a common understanding of processes, ethos, values and norms in the public service.

CAG’s Dean Wu Wei Neng invited participants to discuss the contributing factors to the rise and fall of nations, using international case studies

MSG Director General Asiyati Chiweza (top left), Former Secretary to the President and Cabinet Sam Kakhobwe (top right) and Former Principal Secretary Mary Shawa (bottom middle) engaged the class to share their views during their respective sessions

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About the Malawi School of Government (MSG)

The Malawi School of Government (MSG) is a statutory board established under the Malawi School of Government Act No 33 of 2022 through the merger of the Malawi Institute of Management (MIM) and the Staff Development Institute (SDI). With core values of Professionalism, Excellence, Innovation, Collaboration and Inclusivity, the MSG’s mission is to build capacity of the public service and the private sector through training, research, consultancy, and advisory services for enhanced performance. Its mandate is to develop and deliver human resource development programmes and build public and private sector capacity through training, research, consultancy, and advisory services to improve service delivery.

For more news and information, please contact dg@msg.ac.mw.

About the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG)

The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) is an international non-profit organisation, headquartered in Singapore. We believe in a world where citizens have a deep sense of trust in their governments and public institutions, and where nations are governed by principled, wise leaders supported by an effective civil service. Trust and effective governance serve as a strong foundation for national development and prosperity. CIG supports governments in building government talent, leadership and public service capabilities through training programmes, research initiatives and advisory work. We are not affiliated with any national government or political party, and we do not represent any partisan or commercial interests.

For more news and information, visit https://www.chandlerinstitute.org/ or follow CIG on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn @ChandlerINST

About the Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG)

The Chandler Academy of Governance (CAG) is the training arm of CIG. CAG complements and supports CIG’s work by designing and delivering training programmes that are practitioner-oriented, to equip government leaders with capabilities required to meet the realities and demands of public service work. CAG works with its panel of adjunct trainers and subject matter experts in the design and delivery of these programmes.
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For media clarifications, please contact:

SIN Xin Ping (Ms)
Deputy Dean, Programmes
Chandler Academy of Governance