Enda McEvoy

Leadership and Innovation in the Public Sector

Donegal – Letterkenny

Can you tell us your name, job title and the course you studied at ATU?

Enda McEvoy, Assistant Principal Officer, Department of Education, Leadership and Innovation in the Public Sector

Can you share your career path to date?

I began my civil service career in 2005 as an Executive Officer with the Revenue Commissioners, working across several sections before being promoted to Administrative Officer in the Investigations and Prosecutions Division. I later joined the Irish Prison Service as an Administration and Support Officer in Castlerea Prison, where I managed financial, administrative and compliance tasks. Since 2018, I have served as an Assistant Principal Officer in the Department of Education, focusing on governance and policy.

What does your current role involve?

I support schools to operate within legal and policy frameworks, and to support boards of management function effectively and ethically.

My responsibilities include:

• Overseeing compliance with admissions legislation.
• Development of certain governance and policy matters for schools.
• Managing protected disclosure cases submitted to the Minister, including allegations of fraud in schools.

What motivated you to start studying?

I decided to undertake the masters as I am committed to continuous professional development and am conscious of the evolving demands of my role in school governance. While my previous qualifications provided a strong foundation in compliance and regulatory frameworks, I know that educational policy is ever evolving. While I wasn’t actively seeking a course when I read the prospectus, the course and the subjects excited me to explore further.

Why did you choose this course from ATU?

I felt the learning in the course aligned with a lot of the real world challenges I face in my role. The subjects were ones that i knew would assist me in my day to day role. I also liked the fact that I would be meeting and studying with people of a similar grade but in different departments, with the added incentive of meeting colleagues from the civil service in Northern Ireland which i knew would provide an opportunity to network and to compare work practices.

How did you find the process of studying online? What elements did you find helpful? Were there elements you found challenging?

The course was predominantly in person, both the lecture days and the action learning groups were in person. I felt that they were great ways of learning, and networking meeting new colleagues and discussing similar challenges and problems.

How did you balance work and study?

Balancing work and study required careful planning and discipline. I created a structured schedule that prioritised deadlines for both my role in school governance and my coursework. I made use of early mornings and weekends for study, while using the odd quiet period at work for reading.

Staying organised and managing time somewhat well was essential to maintaining a healthy balance without compromising either responsibility There is the added complexity of managing study and my life. I have 3 young children that were only 3,5 and 8 when I started the course.

Support from family along with good planning meant that i could ensure i was able to be present for key events.

In terms of your employer, were they supportive of your decision to study? Were there elements of the course that were particularly relevant to your current employer?

The Department were extremely supportive. The course is very relevant to managers in the public sector irrespective of your department or role. I found the citizen centric public service delivery very relevant to my own role.  It reinforced my understanding the importance of equal access and removing barriers in school admissions.  I was able to gain a greater understanding of the importance of involving community voices in decision-making, ensuring schools reflect societal values and needs.

What advice would you have for anyone considering studying online?

With particular reference to my thesis, the flexibility of the online format was a major advantage it allowed me to engage my supervisor at times that suited my professional commitments. Much of the course is in person, however the flexibility of being able to study at a time that suited me was invaluable in trying to balance my work, study and home life.

In what way has studying online with ATU benefitted your career?

The course have provided me with a deep understanding of policy implementation, stakeholder engagement, and the integration of emerging technologies in education. In pursuing this additional qualification, I have strengthened my ability to contribute to evidence-based decision-making, ensure compliance with educational standards, and support schools in navigating challenges such as digital transformation and safeguarding student rights. I have added the skill of applying action learning including reflection to decisions that require deliberation and that are not easily solved.

Did this course provide any unexpected benefits to your career?

Theres no doubt that the course has improved my competence. I have a much greater awareness of broader societal goals, and not just educational goals. I have looked at ways that innovation can be harnessed in the section and how to best utilise peoples abilities. I have used many of the teachings in the course, management of resistance to chance, how to lead reforms in admissions effectively.

Did you find that the elements you were studying had practical relevance in your day-to-day role?

What I found extremely helpful was that we were encouraged to undertake a thesis on a work item. I was therefore able to extensively undertake research conduct action learning sets and draft a paper on a real-life problem. The thesis including the action learning enabled me to suggest and develop improvements on a work task.

What were the key skills you took away from your time studying at ATU?

Action learning is a key concept throughout the course. It can be used in any situation where a difficult problem exists.

Through networking and action learning I have gained from observing best practices from other public sectors, which have been inspiration in assisting me to try and identify solutions for my own problems.

I learned the importance of citizen-centric public service delivery rand the interlinkage with other areas such as the module on digital and innovation which  emphasised the adoption of emerging technologies and agile practices to create more efficient and accessible services. Most critically, I now appreciate that successful reforms hinge on effective change and cultural management.