Leadership and Innovation in Public Administration: Cristina Cervino’s Experience with the Executive Master in Public Management and Innovation
22 August 2024Cristina Cervino, a professional with over ten years of experience in Public Administration, decided to enrich her educational journey by enrolling in the Executive Master in Public Management and Innovation at Bologna Business School. In this interview, Cristina shares her experience and tells us how the master contributed to developing essential skills to face the challenges of Public Administration with a focus on innovation and public value. Let’s discover her journey, the significant projects she has accomplished, and the advice she offers to those who wish to pursue the same path.
Can you tell us a bit about your professional background before enrolling at BBS and what motivated you to choose the Executive Master in Public Management and Innovation?
Before enrolling at Bologna Business School, I gained over ten years of experience in Public Administration, specializing in procurement and contracts. My career began at the Municipality of Pianoro, in the first Bolognese Apennines, and I am currently working at the Regional Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection.
The Executive Master in Public Management and Innovation program at Bologna Business School (BBS) was developed to train Public Value Managers capable of leading public administration towards the creation and protection of public value, not just at a territorial level. The Master offers a unique educational path, combining academic rigor with practical skills, aimed at training professionals who can effectively lead innovation in Public Administration, equipped with a broad skill set and an integrated approach, able to create truly tangible public value, improving the quality of life for their users, citizens, and, more generally, for public, private, and non-profit stakeholders, and promoting equitable and sustainable development in all its aspects: social, economic, environmental, and health.
I have always considered it essential to have an interdisciplinary professional profile, constantly acquiring new skills and tools to address the increasingly complex scenarios of the public sector. The decision to enroll in the Executive Master in Public Management and Innovation was therefore a natural evolution in my professional journey. The goal is clear: to become an agent of change, capable of leading innovative projects and contributing to the development of a more efficient and sustainable territory, expanding my professional network and fostering new and stimulating opportunities for dialogue with colleagues and professionals in the field, as well as for exchanging experiences of excellence from the business realities present in other courses at Bologna Business School. I am deeply convinced that this master provides the necessary tools to achieve this goal, allowing me to address future issues with greater awareness and to develop a more complete professional profile, significantly contributing to the achievement of my professional objectives, while at the same time bringing this new knowledge into Public Administration, innovating processes and improving services for citizens.
In particular, this Executive Master is capable of transferring the latest methodological know-how, both through innovative tools and methods and through new applied experiences. This helps in acquiring new soft skills that facilitate the transition from rigid organizational logics to cross-functional process logics inspired by simplification, including a digital approach. The goal is to create a Public Administration that is increasingly modern and aligned with the new challenges posed by the implementation of European, national, and regional policies. This is achieved through a collaborative governance approach among all involved parties, aimed at creating effective public value and representing a fundamental step for the development of our Emilian-Romagnol territory, and beyond.
I am excited to be part of the VI° Executive Master in Public Management and Innovation, which represents a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth for me and has allowed me to acquire new skills, broaden my horizons, and engage with high-level professionals. I am certain that this experience has enriched me in many ways and will allow me to reach new milestones in my career. I am convinced that the knowledge acquired and the relationships built during this journey will enable me to contribute significantly to the development of our territory, putting my skills to good use for the benefit of the community, and for this, I would like to thank the Emilia-Romagna Region for believing in my educational project and for supporting me in this journey.
Which modules, courses, or projects did you find particularly useful or interesting, and how did they enrich your skills? Would you like to share an example of a significant project or group work you completed during the master?
The educational path of the Master is designed to develop in participants the skills needed to become innovative leaders in Public Administration, capable of designing and implementing effective solutions to respond to contemporary challenges and create shared public value, improving service quality and promoting sustainable development. The skills acquired will allow Public Value Managers to develop highly performing teams, improving their decision-making capacity, as well as collaboration and motivation of collaborators, with a positive impact on the entire organization.
Among the various modules offered by the master, I found the module dedicated to change management and leadership People Management, Leadership, Soft Skills particularly enlightening, as it provided me with essential tools and knowledge to face the challenges of team and organizational management. Furthermore, the module Equitable and Sustainable Wellbeing offered me a broader perspective on the social impact of my actions, enriching my understanding of issues related to sustainability and equity.
During this course, in particular, I actively collaborated in the realization of the team project “BES in Local Authorities’ Budget Management: Hypothesis of an Implementation Path” for the definition of an innovative budget model and articulated in terms of sustainability. Thanks to constructive teamwork and aimed at effective collaboration, we developed a concrete implementation path, truly adaptable to Local Authorities, and capable of integrating BES into their budget decisions, with positive impacts on the quality of life of citizens, also in terms of accountability.
How has the master impacted your current role? Would you like to share how and if it has broadened your perspectives and in which direction?
The expertise acquired during the master has had a decidedly significant professional impact and has allowed me to be more effective in my daily work, addressing new scenarios with a broader and updated perspective. All of this has enabled me to improve project management and introduce new operational methodologies, thus contributing to greater efficiency, responsiveness, and innovation within my organization (Regional Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection – Emilia-Romagna Region), which operates in a highly dynamic context like that of civil protection.
The master has also significantly broadened my professional and career prospects, representing a turning point: thanks to the advanced tools and strategic vision acquired during the various modules, I feel more prepared to lead change within the Agency and, in general, to face the challenges of Public Administration with greater proactivity. The network of contacts developed during the educational path, combined with the skills acquired, has prepared me to seize new opportunities.
Additionally, by regularly sharing with my colleagues the experiences learned during the course, I am contributing to the creation of a more collaborative and innovation-oriented work environment, creating a more dynamic organizational culture ready to face future goals.
Three tips for those considering undertaking the same journey.
Undertaking an advanced educational path, such as this executive master, represents a unique opportunity to enrich one’s skills and prepare to face new goals, pursuing one’s professional passions. However, to fully take advantage of this experience, it is essential to adopt a proactive and strategic approach, and I would therefore advise aspiring alumni to:
- Participate actively: Get involved in team work and classroom discussions. Interaction with classmates and professors will enrich your experience: group work is a fundamental component of the program. Collaborating effectively with your classmates will not only improve the results and quality of the projects but will also allow you to learn different perspectives and strategies, contributing to your personal growth, improving your leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. The practical activities, such as Innovation Labs, are designed to apply the skills learned concretely. Actively participating in these experiences will allow you to develop operational agility and work on real projects that, in addition to enhancing your personal and professional abilities, will improve your innovation skills in Public Administration.
- Build a network of contacts: Do not underestimate the importance of networking! The relationships you build during the master will be an invaluable resource for achieving your professional goals and acquiring new opportunities. The master offers numerous formal and informal opportunities for interaction with other students, professors, and professionals, not only in Public Administration, and an important intergenerational exchange that can offer you a unique perspective. These connections can be crucial for your future career and to create useful synergies even after the course ends.
- Plan your time: The master takes place on weekends (Friday and Saturday), which requires good time management to balance study, work, and personal life. Planning ahead and maintaining good organization is essential to getting the most out of the program without feeling overwhelmed.
