Training and developing programs for middle administrative managers at Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City: An evaluation using the Kirkpatrick model

In the context of university autonomy and increasingly intense competition, middle administrative managers play a pivotal role in advising, supporting leadership, and administering the operations of higher education institutions. Training and developing have therefore become a key strategy to enhance their capacity. This study evaluates the effectiveness of training and developing programs for middle administrative managers at seven member universities of Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, employing Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a survey of 168 middle administrative managers with in-depth interviews with leaders, lecturers, and staff members. The findings indicate that the training and development programs generally yielded positive outcomes across all four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results with mean scores of 4/5 or higher. However, several limitations were identified: the programs remain generic, lacking tailored design to meet the specific tasks of middle administrative managers, while staff in charge of training and developing have limited capacity for advising and designing appropriate programs. Based on these findings, the article proposes solutions to improve the training and developing quality for middle administrative managers, including the development of a competency framework, specialized training modules, a professional unit for career development, and the establishment of periodic evaluation mechanisms. This study contributes empirical evidence to the field of higher education management in Vietnam and provides useful policy recommendations for universities in the current governance reform context.