2018 Teaching Public Administration Conference


UK Public Administration Committee of the Joint University Council Annual Conference in Collaboration with Teaching Public Administration Conference (TPAC)
Theme:  Innovative and Enterprising Public Services
Date: September 10-12, 2018
Featuring a pre-conference doctoral workshop on Sept. 10
Location: Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne

Call for abstracts/papers
As national governments’ around the world continue their efforts to ameliorate the impacts of global shifts in migration; inequalities between rich and poor countries; collapse of global financial markets, an on-going lack of trust in politicians, they are also making decisions on exactly how to organize and structure representative democratic institutions fit for the 21st Century. The complexity of ‘wicked issues’ such as ageing demographic profiles and pensions shortfall; high youth unemployment, rising crime rates, terrorist threats; escalation in social media; and others policy priorities are not only demanding greater levels of public spending in an era of financial constraints, but forcing public servants and politicians to situate innovation and enterprise as core governmental activities. Seeking out innovation at all levels of government will, it is argued, enhance performance, increase public value, respond to citizen/user expectations, but also minimize costs and eradicate in efficiencies.

‘One size fits all’ universal solutions to complex social problems no longer suffice, as no one public, private or civic organization in isolation is capable of satisfying increasing citizen demands to tailor services to personal needs. Citizens are no longer passive consumers but empowered individuals who expect state agencies to provide more personalized services and choice, either those more akin to private provision, or increasingly through a wider range of civic providers. An iPod generation that expects personalized service delivery and rapid responses to problems needs to be set against a backdrop of ‘finite resources and infinite demands’ meaning that innovation and enterprise become crucial and core activities. Pluralities of inter-relationships between state, market and civic institutions are now the focal point for co-production and co-responsibility of public service delivery and production of public value.  New relational forms of governance are not only a challenge to the role of government in advanced democracies in the 21st Century but they raise questions on what type of institutions, organizational and leadership capacities are needed in future to synergize the state’s own resources, capacities and knowledge with those of the market and civic institutions. Clearly this brings challenges for public service organization and delivery.

In this conference, we invite abstracts and papers across a range of policy fields, and welcome you all to join us at Northumbria University, Sept. 10-12, 2018 (the main conference will commence on 11th September, following on from the Doctoral Workshop on Sept. 10).

This conference will be joined by a delegation of scholars from the Teaching Public Administration Conference, part of ASPA's Section on Public Administration of ASPA in the U.S.

Specific Themes
Teaching Public Administration
  • Teaching Public Administration
  • Media and Public Services
  • Co-production, opportunity and capacity
  • Elected Mayors and Local Leadership
  • Strategic Leadership in Public Service Contexts
  • Brexit and Public Services
  • Northern Powerhouse and Combined Authorities
  • New vehicles for Public Service Delivery
  • Tourism, Creative Industries and Public Services
  • Sport and Public Services 
  • Public Entrepreneurship
  • Critical Local Government
  • Social Economy and Public Services
  • The impact of policy divergence of UK Public Administration
  • Role changes of local representatives in relation to Devolution

Each of these themes has a theme leader, but if you wish to discuss your ideas for a paper within any of these themes, in the first instance, please direct any enquiries to the overall Conference organizers.

Conference Organisers
Associate Professor Pamela Dunning, Troy University, USA email [email protected]
Professor Joyce Liddle email [email protected]
Dr Lorraine Johnston [email protected]

Further Information
In addition, the conference will also include a range of policy/practitioner keynotes/roundtables/panel discussions as follows:
  • Lord John Shipley of the House of Lords has agreed to present the Frank Stacey Address
  • Professor Keith Shaw will present recent research on ‘Who Runs the NE now?’
  • The National and Local Policy advisor on Social Value will lead a practitioner session.
  • An Emergency Services Panel led by Professor Paresh Wankhade will draw together academics and policy/practitioners from Police, Fire, and Rescue and Ambulance Services.
  • One of the organizers of the 2018 Great North Exhibition will reflect on potential future impacts of the event.
  • Representatives from Innovate UK-will invite discussions on University engagement and impacts of research.
  • Professor John Mawson of University of Durham will showcase the work of the Institute of Local Governance, and facilitate a session creating the mechanics and processes to bring together academic/policy/practice. John and colleagues will examine recent, successful cases.
  • There will be a chaired session discussion between academics/policy/practice to identify some of the barriers/challenges of university engagement-to include an Impact Panel involving ESRC/CABS/HEFCE representatives to talk about engagement with practice.
  • The main public administration publishers will mount an exhibition of latest books/journals and other publications.
  • A social programme will be included.
  • TPAC's US Keynote address will be provided by Tom Bryer, University of Central Florida

Time Frame
Abstracts/ideas for themes/open panel; papers to be submitted by June 30, 2018 to the organizers:
Associate Professor Pamela Dunning, Troy University, email [email protected]
Professor Joyce Liddle email [email protected]
Dr Lorraine Johnston email [email protected]

Swift decisions will be made on early submissions, particularly for any colleagues with travel and other funding application deadlines and always within four weeks.

Further details and news will be available from: www.northumbria.ac.uk/pac2018