The effort of the Academy is to help create a bureaucracy that commands respect by performance. To ensure that academic curriculum is relevant, it is periodically reviewed and updated. This is done by consultations with state governments, feedback of the participants, internal review and recommendations of the Committees set up by Government.
Conventional classroom teaching methodology is not always effective to make an impact on attitudes and values of trainees. Hence, diverse pedagogy is used. Most courses operate on a modular structure, whereby relevant themes are chosen and dealt with, in a consolidated manner to ensure that all major aspects relating to them are covered.
Other than plenary session, the Trainees are divided into quarter groups and half-groups as well as especially in the case of guest speakers depending upon the requirement of the session. Case Studies are sometimes attempted even in 1/8th group size to allow for better class participation. The predominant teaching method comprises lectures which are supported by seminars, case studies, films, management games and role play exercises. The Academy also uses the “flipped classroom” method in sessions where the Officer Trainees have some prior basic knowledge. This training aims to facilitate in the improvement of the leadership and competencies required for field officers to work with people of diverse social and economic backgrounds.
A module consists of all or some of the following methodologies: -
Promoting ‘Esprit-de-Corps’
Officer trainees of the All India Services, the Foreign Service and Central Services Group-'A' begin their careers with the Foundation Course in the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie & Partner Institutions. This is usually their first experience of government. As a result, the Academy provides a place for bonding between young officers from different services. The Academy thus, furthers creation of camaraderie among the officers who look back to this Institution with nostalgia.
Concept and Practice of Counselling
The Academy, on its part, inculcates among its trainees a common set of values and attitudes, cutting across inputs of different academic disciplines. These include Law, Management, Public Administration, Economics etc. Despite some attempts to achieve this through in-class exercises using Organisational Behaviour experts, the experience thus far has been that it could be best achieved through a closer interaction of the trainee with a specific individual trainer, namely, the counsellor, spread over the entire duration of training course and not just as a "module on values and attitudes". The Administrative Reforms Commission had recommended that adequate stress must be laid on building of proper values and attitudes in training of civil servants. The Study Group (referred to as the "Syllabus Committee"), appointed by the Government of India in 1984 to examine various aspects of training courses conducted by this Academy, recognised this fact. We provide for Counsellor Group Meetings (CGMs) as a part of the Foundational Course and Professional Courses and Counsellors continue to mentor & handhold during the District Training.
