40th Senior Executive Development Program (SEDP) formally commenced on 21 Kartik 2077 (6 November 2020). Executive Director Dr. Rajan Khanal virtually inaugurated the Programme. Secretary at Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) Mr. Ek Narayan Aryal, Deputy Executive Director Mr. Narayan Gopal Malego, Senior Director Mr. Bishnu Prasad Lamsal and other faculties of NASC were present on the occasion. SEDP is a leadership development programme organized for the Joint Secretaries or equivalent of the Government of Nepal. The programme will be delivered through virtual learning platform in the difficult situation caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking during the opening ceremony Senior Director Mr. Bishnu Prasad Lamsal welcomed the participants and shared about the importance of the program in building the capacity of the aspiring Secretaries of Nepal Government. He said that this program is unlike other trainings at NASC and that it would be focused in the capacity development of the participants through active discussions, assignment and projects. He expressed that the facilitators would support the participants to engage in active discussions for experience-based solutions. He highlighted the challenges and opportunities of learning together in online modality and wished for a fruitful outcome of the training with active participation and support of the participants.
Deputy Executive Director Mr. Narayan Gopal Malego pointed the significance of the program for the senior executives by highlighting the opportunities presented by the platform for productive discussions on burning issues in the changed context. He shared that the design of the modular framework has been tailored to dig deeper into the leadership, integrity, strategic management, governance and policy management areas, which would be rewarding for the participants in their workplace. He said that all participants are well equipped with knowledge in their respective areas and thus, encouraged them to participate actively throughout the training. He stated that this forum is a place to enrich the knowledge, skills and attitude through active learning and hoped for contribution from all participants in making the program a success.
Mr. Ek Narayan Aryal, Secretary at MoFAGA, shared his past experience as a participant and said that the training carries two major aspects for senior executives, one being the step towards career progression and next being the most important step, i.e. enhancing the knowledge, skills and attitude required for carrying out the expectations of the job effectively. He said that this is an opportunity to build network of like-minded people in achieving common goal. He shared about the challenges faced by the senior executives and motivated them to gain higher perspectives through the training for better solutions. He presented the pain areas for execution for the senior executives and suggested NASC to incorporate discussions on practical and technical subject matters as well. He concluded by appreciating the efforts of NASC to conduct this training during the pandemic caused by COVID-19 and wished the very best for successful completion of the training program.
Executive Director Dr. Khanal heartily welcomed the participants of the program and shared about the core objective of the training by indicating the expected outcomes of the designed modules. He said that the modules would support in the capacity development of the senior executives from the individual to group as well as national level. He also expressed the need of transformational leadership in the changed context. He highlighted the need for a broader understanding of leadership, integrity, strategic thinking/management, governance and policy management areas for creating sound decisions, which would generate positive impact. He said that the training is a platform for sharing ideas and experiences and further encouraged the participants to explore the different areas through active participation and interaction in the sessions. He concluded by sharing insights on the importance of thinking and asking questions for effective learning and driving change. He formally announced the beginning of a new journey with the participants and wished for a successful training. The formal opening was followed by introduction of the participants and program briefing.
In the second phase of the programme, Mr. Basanta Raj Sigdel, Director of Studies briefed the participants about the program design and delivery approaches including timing of sessions, assignments and action learning projects and learning evaluation framework. He also shared about the rules and regulations to follow during the program for the successful completion of the program.
The program briefing was followed by orientation to the participants on IT and technical aspects of virtual session. IT facilitator Mr. Sushil Thapa conducted the practical session regarding features of and essential skills in participating through Google Meet and Google Classroom tools. The participants were familiarized with the IT tools which would be the used for attending sessions and submission of assignments during the training.
25 Joint Secretaries or equivalent from government organizations are being participated in this fortieth edition of the flagship programme of NASC. It will follow modular approach with the preparation of action learning assignment and policy capstone project. The five modules: Leadership, Integrity, Strategic Management, Governance and Policy Management will spread within six-month duration with inter-modular breaks in between. The modular learning sessions will be conducted from 2078 Kartik 24 to 2078 Baishakh 22. (9 November 2020 to 5 May 2021).