The National College of Public Administration & Governance (NCPAG) is the country’s leading academic institution in providing instruction, research and extension services in public management and public policy. It was established on 15 June 1952, as the Institute of Public Administration, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Over the years, the College has actively and consistently pursued a threefold mission: a) instruction, b) research, and c) public service. The NCPAG has expanded the field from an exclusive focus on governmental management to the broader concern of governance for the public interest. It thus studies not only the role of the bureaucracy but also that of the state and civil society in enhancing public service.
NCPAG’s core functions are carried out through four dedicated Centers. The Center for Public Administration and Governance Education implements NCPAG’s mission to become the center of excellence in education through its academic degree programs, while the other three Centers spearhead research, training and extension programs on specific fields.
The Center for Policy and Executive DEvelopment is a policy think tank and a research and consulting office of UP NCPAG. It has been extensively involved in capacity development initiatives and institution-building programs in the Philippines and other developing countries in the region. It provides public institutions, non-government organizations, public corporations, and other local institutions and international organizations with the necessary professional expertise to deal with public policy issues, executive and administrative development, and the challenges of governance.
Established by the University of the Philippines (UP) and Congress as the Local Government Center in 1965, the Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG) is the College’s research, training and consulting center for local governments. Backed by 50 years of a solid track record in assisting and empowering local governments from learning to policy solutions, CLRG has pioneered initiatives and continues to evolve with the trends in the local government sector. Pursuing NCPAG’s role as the nation’s social critic, CLRG helps inform and define the public discourse on decentralization and local governance issues.
The CLCD undertakes research, training and extension, and consultancy on leadership, citizenship, civil society, and democracy and its institutions. It provides fellowship grants to experts and leaders in the academe, government, business and industry, and civil society. The Center disseminates its studies and other outputs through publications.
The Publications Office (PO) of the National College of Public Administration and Governance at the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP-NCPAG) is the publishing arm of the College. It functions as an avenue for the dissemination of knowledge in Public Administration (PA) theory and practice. Its main output is the Philippine Journal of Public Administration (PJPA), now published twice a year. The PO also publishes books, monographs, working papers, occasional papers and other scholarly publications that contribute to the study and praxis of PA in the Philippines and abroad.