The Public Management Institute (in Dutch: Instituut voor de Overheid) is an independent and self-supporting academic institution at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. The Public Management Institute was integrated in the Faculty of Social Sciences (Department of Political Science) in 1973.
The main objective of the Public Management Institute is to improve public management, public organization and public policy. The Institute attempts to function as an interface between the university and the public sector. Its main activities are:
- fundamental and applied research
- training and education for students and civil servants
- consultancy
Applying an interdisciplinary approach, the Public Management Institute is active in a number of fields:
- citizen and policy
- electronic government
- finance, quality and performance
- intergovernmental organization
- personnel and change
One of the major strengths of the Institute is the combination of research, training and education as well as consultancy. The Institute’s interdisciplinary research has always been utilized in its training activities and consultancy. Contacts with public organizations through consultancy and networking link research and education with the practice of public management.