Statement of Purpose for MPA at USC SPPD

My desire to serve the public began when I was a child and was instilled in me by my parents and grandparents, who have always believed that anything they do should not only make our family better off, but our neighbors and community, as well. Their values influenced me as a young child, such that I always envisioned doing something that would have a positive impact on the livelihoods of many people. My grandfather was a freedom fighter recognized by the Indian Government for his selfless contributions during the liberation of India and then his work in improving the lives of people in general. My father was the principal of a high school and devoted his life after retirement in starting and running five rural schools in order to provide a good learning environment to children and adults in villages. As I grew up, I was an eager apprentice, working hard to arm myself with fundamental knowledge in public and governance affairs. I participated in boot camps and volunteer programs providing community services to local neighborhoods and governments. Fortunately, in the year 1983 when I graduated from college, I won a National Urban Administration Support scholarship from the Indian Government and had a chance to study Political Science for one academic year at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. I learned more about government and its systematic approach to addressing the needs of the public during this one year than I did in my entire educational history earlier. As a result, I became even more intrigued by public affairs, and my interest in a career in the field of public service grew. While the community services projects I had completed earlier, during my school years, molded my upbringing, the community service projects I completed later and an internship at Swami Vivekanand Jankalyan Sansthan were my first practical experiences in public service. As an illustration, I am proud to have been part of the team that brought in to being the Ranchi Self-help Clean Water Distribution project, which offers an example of what a dedicated community of people can accomplish with a clear focus and a strong desire to improve their lives. I volunteered my time to welfare organizations because of the spiritual fulfillment that accompanies social service, and a concern for the welfare of those most in need throughout the world, peace, children, the environment, etc. These projects inspired me to pursue numerous community-oriented endeavors during my professional career. This drive, and my interests in the environment and sustainable development encouraged me to seek community welfare oriented assignments; I knew that if a municipality with few resources could succeed, there was hope for many other towns and cities to pull together and renew their communities too. I have volunteered or otherwise provided my services to community welfare based industries and communities in Afghanistan, Armenia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Kenya, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, UK and US. I firmly believe now that people often are limited, not by their abilities, but by their vision. I have a vision for the future of many emerging and post-conflict torn communities. This vision is to help guide communities to become a home for world-changing people and ideas, a place where people invest in the future, a land where cultural diversity is valued and reflected in their national identity, a great place to live, learn, work, do business, and raise families. I envision that the economic

wealth that many of these resource-rich communities are blessed with, combined with enlightened governance practices, can make this vision come true: I believe this is the way to turn these communities into one where society is citizen-owned, controlled, and driven, and in which all organizations are accountable for their actions and inactions. I expect one day the world will become a homogenous society where women and men have equal rights and opportunities granted by the governments, and where women are financially and morally confident to follow their personal, academic and career aspirations even if they contradict traditional societal norms. A society where human rights are well-respected and citizens can be part of the decision-making process in support of government institutions for a better future for their neighborhood, town, region, and country. I personally hope to make a contribution toward realizing this vision, ideally by holding a position with a US Government donor agency like US Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, or the United Nations (UN), which will allow me to have an impact upon the development and governance of many such communities. I explain my motivation below. To achieve the foregoing, I believe we should profoundly improve the public administration practices in communities all over the world, both in government and non-government/non-profit sectors, especially in conflict torn communities. Although we are steadily moving towards building the world into a democratic society and an open market economy, we are yet far from this vision. I dont think there is one quick and effective solution in order to transform the vision into reality; rather, it is a long process of properly preparing community managers as well-educated specialists in public service who can bring needed changes in many spheres. Outside of my professional work, I have volunteered my time to promote the above, for example, by working to strengthen the U.S. Educated Indian Alumni Association (IAA) whose goals are, by uniting alumni through cooperation and networking, to increase the economic, political and cultural development of India and to strengthen US-India relations. Through independent projects (like Village by Village, which I managed, and the Social Marketing Campaign to Promote Community Service) and community activities with IAA and the International Research and Exchanges Board (e.g., food and book drives for orphans and refugees, English language courses, trainings on street law and human rights, clothing drives for veterans, generating biomass electricity for small communities etc.) not only did I pursue my desire to serve the public but I also developed leadership and management skills. In my professional career with the US Agency for International Development and the Canadian International Development Agency, I have valued opportunities to work closely with government institutions. In my current position as Deputy Chief of Party on the CIDA funded Anti-Corruption Governance Program in Armenia, I coordinate the implementation of programs for issues associated with anti-corruption/anti-money laundering, forensic accounting, investigations, risk, regulation and compliance in the banking sector in Armenia, aimed at assisting the Government of Armenia in its efforts to develop a business enabling environment. In my earlier position as Team Lead on the USAID funded Economic Governance Program in Afghanistan, I helped create a control environment within the

Afghanistan Central Bank and guided the improvement of risk management, financial supervision, market operations, treasury, cash reserves management, and capital notes auctions, aimed at assisting the Afghanistan Central Bank become Basel II complaint and the Government of Afghanistan accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO). I find these engagements offer the most rewarding experiences of my career, because by technically assisting relevant experts in their work, I am helping to foster emerging economies in their efforts to move towards an open market economy and democratic society. In addition to building management and leadership skills while working on such projects, I have also strengthened my communication and networking skills, while learning to work effectively with foreign nationals as well. I feel strongly that my professional experience is the strongest asset that I can bring to your program since it has helped me in learning how to adapt to new situations and communicate effectively with a wide range of people from all over the world. Personally, the greatest of my lessons came in constantly being pressured to do a dozen things at once, in learning to work with all sorts of people and in learning to keep my composure in uncomfortable situations. Yet and still, if I had to pinpoint one thing that I have gained from these governance and community enrichment experience, it would be the network of professionals that I have been invited into. Even though I earned my spot in the Anderson School network when I graduated from the graduate business program at UCLA, the Chief of Party network was even tighter than I had imagined. This network has opened many doors for me and my peers and I firmly believe that it will continue to do so for the rest of my career. I had realized very early that the world is a stage for ever-continuing changes. Things change, people change, relevancies change, and so do opportunities. People who accept these changes and adapt to them survive. I have survived so far with my current skills and education. However, with most organizations moving to a thin and lean organizational structure, I will be taking on additional roles and responsibilities. In order to survive again, there are a lot of skills that I have to pick up and start using effectively in order to be successful in the post-industrial era. After all, success is viewed synonymously with leadership and people who are successful, in whatever field they are, are considered to be the leaders amongst other people. The desire to comprehend and exploit the essence of leadership has interested me for quite some time now. In my efforts to find a widely accepted approach of some successful leaders, I have read numerous studies in the last several months alone. Most of these works have focused on a single person and his or her personal qualities and skills. The authors have tried to identify what abilities, traits, behaviors, sources of power or aspects of the situation determine how effective a leader will be in influencing others. Although the words lead and leader have a much longer history, they usually referred only to authority figures. The birth and evolution of the idea of leaderSHIP focuses on a much more complex concept that reaches beyond the single leader. In fact, contemporary definitions most often reject the idea that leadership revolves around the leaders ability, behaviors, styles or charisma. Today, scholars discuss the basic nature of leadership in terms of the interaction among the people involved in the process: both leaders and followers. Thus, leadership is not the work of a single person, rather it

can be explained and defined as a collaborative endeavor among group members. Therefore, the essence of leadership is not the leader, but the relationship (Rost, 1993). One result of this transformation in the concept of leadership has been the rethinking of leadership definitions. Joseph Rost of University of San Diego is one of the most popular writers in recognizing the shift from the industrial concept of leadership (leader-centered view) to a paradigm he calls the postindustrial concept of leadership. In his book Leadership for the Twenty-First Century (1991), he articulates a definition of leadership based on this post-industrial perspective. A definition he believes is more consistent with contemporary organizational life. Rosts definition says that leadership is an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes. Rost reminds us that leadership is not what leaders do. Rather, leadership is what leaders and followers do together for the collective good. In todays society, leaders operate in a shared-powered environment with followers. No longer does a single leader have all the answers and the power to make substantial changes. Instead, today we live in world where many people participate in leadership, some as leaders and others as followers. Only when we all work together can we bring about successful changes for our mutual purposes. Many organizational theorists would agree that Rosts definition is more consistent with the type of leadership needed in contemporary society. Slowly scholars and practitioners alike are giving up on the old ways of leadership, the industrial paradigm. This traditional approach to leadership is characterized by a top-down philosophy, where the leader is decisive, efficient, unemotional and in-control. The changes in the way we view leadership can also be found in other disciplines where descriptions of our world are objective, single, mechanical, hierarchical and controllable. Collaboration, power-sharing facilitation and empowerment, on the other hand, characterize the post-industrial leadership paradigm. This new view of the world is more complex and diverse, mutually shaping and spontaneously changing (Rogers, 1992). In order to better understand the new views of the world, I have two options - I can either learn it by myself, by using the trial and error method at work, which involves the probability of failures, or get an upper hand by being taught by leaders who have already been through this explorative phase and have emerged successful. I still might have to do my own bit of exploration, as success stems from an awesome, even frightening, blend of brilliance, competitiveness, ingenuity and intensity, but I will be better prepared to analyze the risks involved, will be better informed to come up with possible solutions that would have desirable outcomes, and will make a much better, educated decision amongst the various alternatives that I might have. The advantages of enarmoring myself through professional education and guidance provided by a business school seems to far outweigh the sense of exhilaration that (some) pioneers feel after taking a journey through the unknowns. Since I have a family to support, I cannot afford to enroll into a regular full time degree program. An online/distance learning based program provides the right mix for my situation.

America has leapt headlong into the information age, and our careers have never been the same. Also, with the ongoing long term depression, we are in the midst of a historical transition in the way work is organized and carried out. As technology allows companies to accomplish more with fewer people and as it transforms the way work happens in virtually every discipline millions of people are finding themselves out of work. Those with something more than it takes to just get the job done are more likely to survive. But even those with jobs will increasingly be Lone Rangers within their companies, traveling from one project to the next, working alone or in teams, rarely settling into one long-term position. At no time in modern history have so many workers been so totally reliant on their own wits and resources to thrive. Some formal education and guidance will go a long way in increasing their chances of being successful. There are no stable, full-time jobs anymore. Older workers raised on the expectation of a lifetime job are likely to be struggling emotionally and financially. By choice or circumstance, newcomers have flooded the work force. People today need to invest in their development as if they are a corporation in themselves. That certainly means ongoing education: three in ten people polled by KRC Research & Consulting said they had taken a course in the past year to learn a new skill for their jobs. Workers with management know-how have a reach today unimaginable only a couple of years ago. Although the workplace has clearly unsettled many, workers with vision are already capitalizing on the opportunities that change is creating. Those who lack the technological and managerial skills, resources and psychological fortitude to go it alone will not be able to capitalize on the opportunities presented. Management is a game. All games are played at two different levels the surface or the outer level, which involves the specified task or activities of the game, and the inner side, which involves the mental and intellectual processes of the players. Winning the game depends on how well we play on both levels. Many of those who experience difficulties in management functions do so because they have not developed the intellect that can be achieved through education, which would allow them to feel confident performing such functions. Hence even though they know what they ought to be doing, they lack the formal knowledge that would enable them to see it through. This distinguishes the successes from the failures. The workplace is a desert. The oasis exists in our awareness only, which can be attained through education. My responsibilities, towards my family and career, will continue to increase and it is now, when I have lesser responsibilities, that I can best attend a formal school. Another pressing factor is age. The retention ability of a human brain reduces with age. I would rather take this course now when I still have an advantage. With great respect and appreciation, I would like to further expand my capabilities and knowledge, by gaining a strong educational background in Public Administration. This would include a better understanding of the principles of public administration, organizational process and design, principles of research, evaluation and statistical analysis, and sophisticated data collection methodologies; and also provide me with the requisite tools for being an agent of creative and progressive social change. These are the things needed to successfully take a leadership role in public service engagements.

As a general rule, students are only as good as their teachers and the schools that they attend, because that predominantly decides the quality of education that they imbibe. The academic and cultural environment within the schools builds the character and moral values within a student. While education builds a persons intellect, the educational environment builds the person. Consistently ranked among the best management schools in the world, the University of Southern California (USC) School of Policy, Planning, and Development (SPPD) offers an online Master of Public Administration program that best meets my schedule, location and educational requirements. The entrepreneurial spirit of their students and faculty has earned them a reputation for innovation and cutting edge research. These qualities are reflected in their curriculum, designed to meet evolving management needs. The USC schools have professors who are amongst the best entrepreneurship teachers in the country. The schools feature top departments in finance, marketing, strategy, and policy. SPPD and its world-class faculty engage in solving some of the most critical issues facing our world today: energy and environmental sustainability, healthcare reform, housing, terrorism, immigration, and transportation challenges, to name just a few. They also work on major governance issues of effective public and nonprofit management, innovation and performance, public-private partnerships, and institutional reform. I see your program as a special place that is most compatible with my progressive ideology and my interest in international governmental as well as non-governmental initiatives.