120 McCone
Email Address
mahabat.baimyrzaeva@miis.edu
Phone Number
831.647.4143
Language(s)
Русский
Кыргыз тили
Mahabat Baimyrzaeva
Assistant Professor
I believe:
How we do things matters as much as what we choose to do. That is why our program emphasizes both policy (decision making) and management (implementation) and I teach courses on both.
What excites me:
Can we design more effective institutions? If yes how? We are surrounded by institutions – rules and organizational structures – which shape our behavior. The quality of institutions shapes how well we use our capabilities and resources to generate well being for individuals, organizations and societies. This question requires multidisciplinary approach and integration of empirical and theoretical knowledge, which I am trying to do in the book I am working on right now. I am privileged for the opportunity to explore these questions together with our committed, curious, and creative students in my classes and beyond.
Expertise
Governance, administrative reforms, and corruption; institutional theory; policy analysis and public administration; organizational and institutional development; international development, organizations, and law; democratic theory and civic engagement.
Video profile of Dr. Baimyrzaeva
Recent Activities
At MIIS in spring 2011 I coordinated the colloquium on Nation Building Colloquium which brought together leading experts specializing in various dimensions of nation building to weekly evening talks and social events with students. Another exciting initiative I am involved in is an informal faculty group focused on student-centered learning methods and models. In collaboration with my colleagues in this group I have been exploring ways of improving cross-cultural communication and culture change. Beyond MIIS I have been involved in designing and delivering training programs on policy analysis for civil servants and think tanks in Kyrgyzstan. I also have been publishing about administrative and governance reforms in Kyrgyzstan. More recently I started working with a couple of training centers here in the US which have been trying to facilitate coordination of the military’s efforts with other stakeholders’ involved in development promotion.
Education
PhD in Public Administration from University of Southern California (USC); Masters in Public Administration from University of Hawaii; Diploma in International law from International University of Kyrgyzstan
Careers
Every semester I mentor students’ culminating capstone projects where they pursue their ambitious ideas to address the issues they are passionate about. Some capstone projects have enabled students to launch their own new initiatives or create new organizations. Some used their projects as stepping stones for the jobs they received with a wide range of local and international organizations in public and nonprofit sectors. Besides capstone, the introductory courses I teach, including policy analysis, applied research methods, managing public and nonprofit organizations, are meant to serve as essential building blocks of training for all career paths.
Publications
"Kyrgyzstan's Public Sector Reforms: 1991-2010", International Journal of Public Administration, volume 34, issue 9, pp. 555-566.
"Analysis of Public Administration Reforms in Kyrgyzstan in Light of Its Recent Governance Crises", International Public Management Review, volume 12, issue 1, pp. 22-46.
"Public Administration in Southeast Asia: Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Macao" (Book Review), Public Organization Review (details forthcoming).
"Shortcomings of Institutional Reform in Public Sector Governance: The case of Kyrgyzstan" (Doctoral Dissertation), University of Southern California.
"Corruption and Legitimacy Problems in Post-Communist States” (Book Review), Public Administration Review, May/June 2007, pp. 592-594.
"Institutional Reforms in Kyrgyzstan”, Central Asian Studies Review, 2005, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 29-35.
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
IPOL 8501 - Policy Analysis
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of policy analysis. Students will be introduced to the stages of the public policy process, including agenda setting, formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Students will also develop basic policy analysis skills, including problem structuring, stakeholder identification, summarization of current policy, development of policy options, elaboration of criteria for selection, and recommendation of course of action. These concepts are illustrated by examples policies that fall within students' range of interests. This course also introduces students to scientific methods that are used as a means for structuring policy inquiry. A series of research approaches and techniques are presented in the context of forecasting, monitoring, and evaluation for the analysis of domestic and international policies.
Fall 2009 - MIIS
IPOL 8508 - ImproveGovtEffctvnss:XcultPers
How can governments function more effectively? Answering this question requires understanding not only political systems, but also administrative systems and processes in different contexts. This course intends to help students understand what makes government administration more effective through examining public administration systems and reforms in various countries using comparative method. This course is designed for students who wish to develop skills and knowledge necessary for working for and with government organizations across different countries in careers related to administrative/institutional reform policy and management.
Fall 2011 - MIIS
IPOL 8519 - Managing Public Organizations ▲
This course introduces students to different aspects of public organizations and key management concepts, ideas, tools, practices, and functions. Management here is broadly defined as a field of practice concerned with running organizations and implementing policies, programs, and projects.
Spring 2010 - MIIS, Spring 2011 - MIIS, Spring 2012 - MIIS
IPOL 8527 - Public Policy & Social Change ▲
This class will prepare students to do policy analysis and advocacy with strong emphasis on social justice and equity. Students will acquire skills and knowledge essential for engaging in policy development and change. A particular concern of the course will be how leaders within social change organizations make decisions about such engagement. The course uses a case-based approach to explore the complexities of policy systems, processes, and outcomes.
Spring 2012 - MIIS
IPOL 8537 - Applied Rsrch Methods & Tools
This two-credit course will be offered over two weekends in Spring 2011 semester. The course intends to help students learn to designing and implement applied research projects using most popular tools of data collection and analysis. Applied research is used to clarify and confront actual policy, programmatic, and organizational problems, whereas scientific research aims to advance universal knowledge. The first part of the course will focus on research designs, specifically on case studies using mixed (quantitative and qualitative) methods. The second part will focus on data collection tools. The participants will learn to design and conduct different forms of interviews, surveys, and focus groups. For the final deliverable students will design and implement an applied research project using a combination of at least two data collection tools.
Spring 2011 - MIIS
IPOL 8593 - GP&S Colloquium:EmergngMarkets
In the past two decades, emerging economies—including, but not limited to, the celebrated “BRICS” (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). This course will take on, and contribute to, debates surrounding these emerging markets. How have they become the darlings of international capital markets, regional economic and political leaders, and the brightest lights in a gloomy global economic landscape? Along with this rapid economic growth, these same countries are also experiencing dramatic social changes, environmental problems, political transitions and foreign policy frictions. How can these growing pains be effectively managed?
Today’s global challenges often require global solutions and a small number of developed countries ( such as G8) can no longer effectively coordinate policy solution to address global crises, including economic recession, financial crisis, and climate change negotiations. As such, the G20, including a number of the emerging economies in its membership, has risen to prominence as a new forum for global governance. The experiences of these countries also offer an opportunity to think about larger questions of global order and national development. What constitutes power in the global political economy and how is it/should it be/is it beginning to be (re)distributed? How can state and market work together to generate equitable and participatory growth? How should the BRICS and other emerging economies be factored into the 21st century’s policy challenges, such as climate change or reworking international financial institutions after the recent economic crisis? What do the experiences of the emerging markets mean for the many people who still lack access to the fruits of such growth--- including over a billion citizens of these countries themselves?
Spring 2011 - MIIS
IPOL 8605 - Capstone:Rsch&Writing Proj-PA ▲
The capstone experience is a culminating learning opportunity for students in MPA program. The capstone requirement has two main objectives. First, it enables students to demonstrate, integrate, reflect on, apply, and deepen their knowledge and skills (such as those related to policy analysis, management, research methods, data analysis, communication, etc.) acquired in the MPA program to diagnose and solve actual problems in public and nonprofit organizations. In this course students will have opportunity to link theory with practice; deepen their knowledge and advance the skills applicable to their professional career objectives; apply relevant frameworks, skills, and other tools to gain better understanding of problems and needs of public and nonprofit organizations; and generate comprehensive, innovative, well-informed and thought-out solutions.
Second, this experience is designed to help students prepare for specific career paths they wish to pursue upon graduation. Ideally, capstone should serve as a stepping stone for the job a student wants to get upon graduation. Therefore for their capstone projects students are encouraged to select and explore the pressing themes, issues and problems concerning the organization/field they want to work with in the future. For example, students can do a thorough analysis of an emerging policy problem, do an organizational assessment, or evaluate programs or projects of the entities they are interested in working with. Students are encouraged to select capstone projects that build on their comparative advantage and/or their previous professional experiences and incorporate comparative approach.
Ultimately this seminar aims to help students produce a deliverable which they will be proud to submit to employers and/or journals. Be innovative, creative, critical, daring, and passionate in your research and writing. Make this capstone opportunity work for you.
The capstone deliverables – the final report and its presentation to the MIIS community – must demonstrate the student’s mastery of the MPA core competencies.
Content: Every capstone project must have a specific client who will benefit from student’s capstone work. Students will choose applied projects – the questions and tasks which will help existing organization and/or field – which can be pursued individually or in teams of students' choice. The capstone projects must focus on creating positive impact on actual practice of public administration, and should respond to public and/or nonprofit organizations’ needs and/or potential. Specific examples of capstone projects undertaken by MPA students are provided in the appendix.
Format: Capstone deliverables can take any form – a research paper, a website, a video etc. Select the format that which meets and facilitates the purposes of the capstone project best.
Fall 2009 - MIIS, Spring 2010 - MIIS, Fall 2010 - MIIS, Spring 2011 - MIIS, Fall 2011 - MIIS, Spring 2012 - MIIS
IPOL 8633 - Sem:Comprativ Publ Administrn
This seminar intends to help students (1) to gain a better understanding of the complexities of public administration systems and processes in different countries and (2) explore the factors facilitating and hindering effective public administration and administrative reforms (3) by using comparative method. Specifically, the seminar intends to help students: to explore public administration systems by examining their different types, relevant processes, and their environments; to review and critically analyze administrative systems and reforms of various countries; to identify factors accounting for effectiveness of public administration systems and reforms; through comparative method and generate policy implications on specific cases; to gain proficiency in comparative method to be able to use it beyond this seminar; and to develop a more informed, contextualized, and responsible approach to analyzing development policies concerning administrative systems and reforms.
Spring 2010 - MIIS
IPOL 8699 - Sem:WMD,Terrorism& Intl Ethics
This seminar explores the ethical issues and dilemmas inherent in international efforts to combat terrorism and limit weapons of mass destruction. The seminar begins with a critical introduction to ethical systems viewed from a variety of philosophical, cultural, and religious perspectives. The focus then shifts to specific topics in the fields of nonproliferation and antiterrorism, including but by no means limited to nuclear deterrence, the nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament regime, preventive and preemptive military action, antiterrorism intelligence and civil liberties, and counterterrorist operations with uninhabited military systems. Students will be expected to take part in class discussions, prepare and present case studies, and research and write an in-depth exploration of an international ethical issue related to nonproliferation and/or terrorism.
Fall 2009 - MIIS
WKSH 8587 - Participatory Policy Process
How can policy processes be improved by involving greater public participation? This workshop explores the idea and possibilities of how more public involvement can contribute to improved policy processes and, ultimately, to more effective and legitimate governance and development. This question becomes relevant as the conventional representative and top down policy making processes and systems are questioned in the face of the increasing diversity, growing political polarization, and increasing disillusionment with governance.
The workshop is designed for students who wish to explore participatory processes and relevant tools in various policy areas such as health, education, environment, budgeting etc; in various levels and contexts, including local, national, international and global; as well as in various stages of policy process including agenda setting, formulation, program/project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Examples of various innovations in policy processes from different countries and settings will help us explore the subject in greater depth.
The questions to be explored in this workshop include the following: What is participatory policy? Why is it important? How does participatory approach to policy process work in practice and in different contexts? What are the conditions, obstacles, and possibilities for this approach to contribute to improved goverance and social outcomes? What are the strengths and limitations of conventional and participatory approaches to policy processes and how can we optimize the strengths of both and limit their drawbacks?
Fall 2010 - MIIS
