DUSHANBE, March 29, 2016, Asia-Plus — The University of Central Asia’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (UCA SPCE) awarded certificates to 14 civil servants from sub-districts in Tajikistan upon their successful completion of the Local Economic and Community Development (LECD) Certificate Program on March 7, 2016. This is the first cohort of Tajik civil servants graduating from the program, according to UCA SPCE.
Held at the Institute of Public Administration under the President of Tajikistan (IPA), the ceremony was attended by Sharifjon Hakimzoda, Advisor, Human Resources Department, President of Tajikistan; Lutfiya Abdulkholiqzoda, IPA Rector; Gurez Qosimzoda, Deputy Director, Agency of Civil Service under the President of Tajikistan; Tojiddin Jurazoda, First Deputy, Local Development Committee, President of Tajikistan; Akbar Ali Pesnani, Resident Representative, Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Tajikistan; and Dr Bohdan Krawchenko, UCA Director General and Dean of Graduate Studies.
“The successful development and delivery of the LECD program to 14 civil servants marks a milestone in our cooperation with University of Central Asia to train the civil service,” said Rector Abdulkholiqzoda. “We are ready to further cooperate with UCA and build on this success.”
Hakimzoda encouraged the civil service to apply their training to local self-government in the country”s sub-districts. Civil servants are the first, and in some cases the only representatives of government with whom residents in rural communities interact.
“The Government of Tajikistan expresses its gratitude to UCA and IPA for developing and delivering this certificate program for civil servants in Tajikistan,” said Hakimzoda. “We hope graduates will use their newly gained knowledge to contribute to local governments and their communities at large.”
Over a ten month period, civil servants were trained in 10 key areas, including Public Administration and Management, Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Finance, Infrastructure Development, Land Management, and Community Resource Mobilization, among others. The LECD program’s flexible modular format allows working professionals to complete the certificate course, which offers a 25-credit European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
The LECD program is delivered through a partnership with the Institute of Public Administration under the President of Tajikistan, expressed through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by IPA and UCA in 2014. Under the agreement, UCA developed a 10-module LECD Certificate Program curriculum customized for IPA, trained 10 instructors and delivered the program to 15 civil servants. The agreement is part of a broader commitment to strengthening the capacity of civil and municipal servants in the Tajikistan.
The civil servants completed the program as part of the Research and Public Policy Initiative (RPPI) project, supported by the International Development Research Center, Canada, and the Aga Khan Foundation Canada.
