INVESTIGATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF CIVIL SERVANTS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE HEALTH CRISIS COVID 19 - THE CASE STUDY OF THE SINGLE PAYMENT AUTHORITY TO IMPROVE ITS FUNCTIONING

Authors

  • Angeliki Chantziantoniou Hellenic Open University, Greece
  • Ourania Bousiou Ourania Bousiou (PhD, University of Patras), Director of Public Relations at the University of Patras, Greece. Her fields of interest refer to Organization, Management and Human Resources. She has extensive experience in the management of Public Educational Organizations. For the last two years, she has been working as a part-time professor at the Hellenic Open University in the Postgraduate Program "Adult Education".
  • Maria Pavlis-Korres Hellenic Open University, Greece and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v9i5.4277

Keywords:

public administration, training in Covid-19 period, investigation of educational needs, Continuing Professional Training (CPT), lifelong learning

Abstract

The Single Payment Authority (SPA) is a Public Organization that complies with the most modern management systems, seeking the maximum utilization of human resources and a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency in Greece and Europe. The present study attempts to investigate the training needs, attitudes, and views of the staff of the SPA in the context of reform actions and modernization of the Public Administration. The necessity of the study is considered important so that the personnel managed by SPA are able to face the challenges and respond to crisis conditions. The aim of the study is to highlight the benefits civil servants gain by attending training programs, identify the barriers hindering their participation in the training programs offered and define new subjects for training programs that will cover the modern needs of SPA employees. The sources of investigation for the systematic collection of information and data analysis were based on the method of triangulation with literature review, interviews and questionnaires ensuring validity and activating the meritocratic judgment. From the research results, it becomes clear that the training in the public sector needs to improve in terms of subject areas, methodology, as well as adult educational methods and techniques in order to satisfy the constantly changing needs of the services. Needs analysis must be included as a vital step of any educational program design in order to meet the needs of SPA employees today, thus upgrading the services and facilitating its development.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Angeliki Chantziantoniou, Hellenic Open University, Greece

    Chantziantoniou Angeliki was born and raised in Athens. Graduated from the School of Business Administration of the University of Piraeus and from Higher School of Pedagogical and Technological Education (SELETE) in Athens. She is married and mother of two children. She worked as an accountant in multinational companies for six years. After participating in an open public tender, she has been working at the Ministry of Finance for the last 30 years. For the last eleven years, she needs to train civil servants on a daily basis in her job. Because of that, her interest in adult education stood out and after relevant training in 2021, she received a relevant postgraduate degree in Adult Education from the School of Humanities of the Hellenic Open University.

  • Maria Pavlis-Korres, Hellenic Open University, Greece and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

    Maria Pavlis-Korres obtained a university degree in Political Science in Athens. From 1983 until 2018 she worked in Adult Education at the Greek Ministry of Education. Since 2005 her research interests are focused on e-learning and she became a PhD student at the University of Alcalá, Spain. In 2008 she obtained her Advance Studies Degree from the Computer Science Department of the University of Alcalá and in 2010 she obtained her PhD with honors. Since 2012 she is a member of the scientific staff of Hellenic Open University and teaches in "Adult Education" and "Education Science" postgraduate programs. In June 2017 she has been elected Associate Professor in the Pedagogical Sector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki to teach “Lifelong Learning and non-Formal Education”. She has published several articles, chapters and books on Roma, adult education, and e-learning. Her current interests are focused on the design, development, and evaluation of educational projects for adults, face to face and e-learning, as well as the group dynamics in an online environment and the appropriate use of communication tools in order to promote interaction in an online environment.

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Published

2022-05-07

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 5 (2022)

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