E-Learning at Your Fingertips

ASPA staff work tirelessly to keep your skills up to date and the information flowing all year long through our e-learning program. Visit our website to see more details about upcoming KeepingCurrent, BookTalk and Students and New Professionals series programming. Members, visit our webinar archives to catch up on what you have missed!


BookTalk: The Three Ages of Government
June 24 | 1 p.m. EDT
Presenters:
Jozef C. Raadschelders, Associate Dean, The Ohio State University, in affiliation with University of Leiden
Aimee L. Franklin, Moderator, Presidential Professor, University of Oklahoma

The Three Ages of Government, from Jos Raadschelders, traces the emergence of government in societies in the past 10,000 years and helps understand how novel and difficult it is to “run a democratic political-administrative system” because we still do not quite understand the challenges of primal inclinations.



BookTalk: Corruption in the Public Sector: An International Perspective
June 29 | 10 a.m. EDT
Presenters:
Sabith Khan, Moderator, Assistant Professor and Program Director (MPPA), Virginia Tech
Amanda M. Olejarski, Discussant, MPA Director and Department Chair, West Chester University and Editor-in-Chief, Public Integrity
Meghna Sabharwal, Professor and Department Head, Public and Nonprofit Management, University of Texas at Dallas
Krishna K. Tummala, Professor Emeritus, Former Director, Graduate Program in Public Administration, Kansas State University
Pardhasaradhi Yarlagadda, Professor, Former Director, RCUES, Osmania University, India

This event brings together a group of scholars to discuss insights from Corruption in the Public Sector, edited by Krishna Tummala. Providing a broad overview on public sector corruption, including local and national perspectives, this collection examines case studies from across the globe. The contributions also cover themes not studied often including corruption in government procurement, "right to privacy" issues stemming from e-governance and the proclivity of governments to hide behind Official Secrets Acts to withhold information. Presenters will help attendees understand the phenomenon of corruption and how it manifests itself in various ways.



BookTalk: Cooperation and Conflict Between State and Local Government
July 6 | 1 p.m. EDT
Presenters:
Jaclyn Bunch, University of South Alabama
Cali Curley, University of Miami
Jayce Farmer, University of Nevada—Las Vegas
Peter Federman, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Eric Zeemering, University of Georgia

This book introduces students to the complex landscape of state and local intergovernmental relations today. Each chapter illustrates conflict and cooperation for policy problems including the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental regulation, marijuana regulation and government management capacity. The contributors help students enhance their understanding of the importance of state and local relations in the U.S. federal system, argue for better analysis of the consequences of such relations for the quality of policy outcomes and introduce them to public service career opportunities in state and local government.



From the Webinar Archives
A timely topic, ASPA’s Center for Accountability and Performance hosted "Performance Management for EMS—Now More Than Ever" last spring to take a close look at emergency medical services (EMS). EMS provide a valuable public service responding to medical emergencies, including timely assessment, treatment (including critical care interventions) and, in many cases, transport to the hospital. The traditional measure of success has been based solely on response time. However, experts in emergency care and medicine propose there are more meaningful ways to think about what value this service provides to our communities. Listen in on this important discussion.

Crafty Hackers: Is it All About the Money? (Yes!)

Ransomware attacks (also known as hacks and sometimes phishing schemes) are on the rise. If you've heard of the Colonial Pipeline attack or SolarWinds, you know about some of the most public attacks large corporations and government entities have faced in recent months. But that does not mean hackers have given up on the "little guys," so take time now to brush up on your internet safety protocol and make sure you know how to protect yourself from digital schemes of all kinds.

This recent article from the Wall Street Journal shows the level of crafty behavior you can expect from ransomware attackers and cyberhacks—and the limitations law enforcement (sometimes) has to help when you get stuck.

Make sure you are fully aware of the myriad ways you, too, could be tricked into providing hackers with access to information they shouldn't have (it happens to the best of us!) and stay protected on both your home and office networks.

Public Integrity Call for Papers—Deadline Extended!

Is Hindsight 20/20? Ethical Decision Making and Leadership During Compounding Disasters
Co-Guest Editors:
Claire Connolly Knox, University of Central Florida
Amanda Olejarski, West Chester University

Unethical decisionmaking and leadership plagues disasters. It was brought to the forefront during the response efforts for Hurricane Katrina and scholars spent more than a decade analyzing these failures from multiple disciplines. Since then, the United States has experienced an increase in "natural" disasters with 2020 breaking the record with $22 billion in damages as a result of disasters. In addition to these disasters, 2020 brought with it a global pandemic, police shootings, social unrest and a contested presidential election.

Regardless of the size of the disaster or crisis, they remain dynamic and complex, and thereby challenge leaders at every level of government and in every sector—even the most ethical ones. In the emergency and crisis management profession, the path forward needs to be created with lessons learned. Yet, ethical leadership scholarship tends to focus on one emergency, disaster or crisis—not multiple ones at the same time.

This special symposium invites empirical and theoretical explorations of various aspects of ethical decisionmaking and leadership during a recent human-induced or "natural" disaster or crisis. We welcome broad contributions from myriad angles and disciplines. The deadline has been extended. Please submit your manuscript to Public Integrity’s online portal by July 2, 2021.

How Does Climate Change Affect the Federal Budget?

New from the Peterson Foundation, the following infographic outlines findings from a Congressional Budget Office report describing how the effects of climate change increase federal spending and lower revenues. Click on the graphic to read more.

Ready to Advertise? ASPA's The Bridge Is the Place to Be!

As budgets begin to rebound and you look to expand your brand's reach, think about using this newsletter as an optimal vehicle to do so! More, if you act fast you can take advantage of a June discount on this placement!

Reaching more than 10,000 people per edition, all of which are archived and recirculated via social media, The Bridge is a favorite publication for decisionmakers across public administration. Not only does the range of content included in each newsletter provide an excellent source for important public administration/policy updates, but also our "Around Public Administration" section includes news from across the profession.

The Bridge also covers important issues all public administrators/policymakers care about, including recent topics like:

• Census 2020
• Schedule F
• The Flint, Michigan water crisis
• The national debt
• COVID-19 news and alerts
• Major news headlines

Tips and Resources

Here are a range of resources posted online recently that you should check out!

Six Morning Habits That Seem Healthy But Are Secretly Stressing You Out
When you put contingencies around what your morning should look like, this can make you anxious about doing everything perfectly—then anxious if things don't go as planned. Even healthy habits can stress you out if you feel you must do them for your day to start well.

Biden Administration Will Cancel $500 Million in Student Loan Debt—Key Details
The Biden administration announced it will be cancelling $500 million in student loan debt for thousands of student loan borrowers through the Borrower Defense to Repayment program.

OPM Announces a Special FSA Enrollment
The Office of Personnel Management announced federal employees will be able to enroll in flexible spending accounts for medical expenses and dependent care through June 30, implementing provisions of the fiscal 2021 spending package and COVID-19 relief bill passed this spring.

Sleep Troubles Now Linked to Cognitive Troubles Later
People who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep may have more problems remembering or concentrating more than a decade later, research shows.

Coronavirus in the News
While you can find our usual assortment of news headlines from the past several weeks below, here are stories specific to the coronavirus that are noteworthy.

Infrastructure

• The Federal Government May Need to Play a Role in Vaccine Credentials, Despite Reluctance
• How the Pandemic Impacted Government's Cloud Migration Plans: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• OSHA Releases COVID Safety Standard for Healthcare Employees Only

• Can Federal Managers Adapt to a Hybrid or Remote Workplace?
• Feds Could Be Rewarded for Getting the COVID Vaccine
• New White House Guidance for Feds Returning to the Office and the Future "Hybrid" Federal Workforce
• Federal Government Will Maintain Expansive Work-from-Home Policies after the Pandemic
• Federal Employee Health Program Insurer Offers Cash for Vaccinations
• The U.S. Has Hit 600,000 COVID Deaths, More Than Any Other Country
• Which Groups Are Still Dying of COVID in the U.S.?
• Biden Administration to Lift Capacity Caps at Federal Worksites
• As Pandemic Recedes in U.S., Calls Are Growing for an Investigative Commission
• Embassy on Near Lockdown After Mass COVID-19 Outbreak Among Staff

• Black COVID Patients Are More Likely to Die from the Virus Than White Ones—New Research Suggests Hospitals Are to Blame
• Lowest Rates, Highest Hurdles: Southern States Tackle Vaccine Gap

(Otherwise) in the News

Today's headlines contain plenty of news coverage of some of our nation's most pressing public administration challenges. ASPA has curated some of the most important stories from recent weeks. If you have not seen these yet, make sure you read them now!

Infrastructure

• What Is Pete Buttigieg Doing?
• The Drought in the Western U.S. Is Getting Bad. Climate Change Is Making It Worse
• White House Outlines "Made in America" Executive Order Implementation
• G7 Nations Take Aggressive Climate Action but Hold Back on Coal
• Amtrak Hopes Frederick Douglass Tunnel Will Reduce Delays
• The Digital Infrastructure We Need—and How to Pay for It

• The Budget Process Is 100 Years Old Today and Its Age Is Showing
• Why Investment in Black Entrepreneurs Is on the Rise
• How "Chaos" in the Shipping Industry Is Choking the Economy
• Biden Administration Outlines Plans for Unspent Border Wall Funds
• Government's Contract Spending Reached Record High in Fiscal 2020
• Biden Employs Aggressive Strategy to Sideline Top Career Officials at Consumer Protection Bureau
• Bill Leighty Column: A Path Forward for Funding Relief
• Watchdog: Army Corps of Engineers Should Reevaluate Border Contracting Strategies

• Report Calling for At-Will Federal Employment Suggests Trump Workforce Policy Isn't Going Anywhere
• State Department Seeks Largest Hiring Surge in a Decade under Biden Budget
• OPM: Hiring Push, Labor Relations, Diversity are Top Priorities
• IRS' Use of Special Hiring Authorities Could Be Leading to Skills Gaps, IG Says
• Even Feds with Lifetime Tenure Can Be Fired for Cause, Court Rules
• Analysis: Trump's Department of Justice Was More Dangerous Than We Knew
• Social Security Honors Arbitration Decision, Will Restart Negotiations with Judges Union
• Biden’s Pick to Lead Federal Personnel Agency Squeaks By in Divided Senate as Harris Casts Tiebreaking Vote

• Programmers, Lawmakers Want AI to Eliminate Bias, Not Promote It
• Long Shadows: The Black-White Gap in Multigenerational Poverty
• Garland Pledges Renewed Efforts to Protect Voting Rights
• Poverty Hurts the Boys the Most: Inequality at the Intersection of Class and Gender
• NIH Aims to Boost Diversity and Inclusion Within Its Biomedical Workforce
• The U.S. Averted One Housing Crisis, but Another Is in the Wings
• Exclusive: JPMorgan Is Calling for Reforms to Stop Racial Bias in Housing
• The White House Wants to Fight Climate Change and Help People. Cleveland Led the Way

Members in the News

ASPA members are in the news in a variety of ways. If you have been featured, please send a link to the article to us and we will be happy to include it in a future newsletter.

Catch up on the latest thought leadership from Don Kettl, professor at University of Texas:
The Growing Threat to Trust in Local Government and
The Battle for the Public Service Is Just Beginning

Welcome New ASPA Members!
Click here to view the most recent new ASPA members!

Around Public Administration

Here are the most recent updates from across the profession. Did we miss you? Send us your news and we'll include it in the next round!

Upcoming Events:

• 2021 ASPA Annual Conference
  Final month online; content expires June 30
  Theme: "Picking Up the Pieces: Pandemic, Protests and the Future of Public Service"
  Registration remains open
  
  
• ASPA South Florida Chapter Annual Awards Reception
  Online | June 24
  Honoring outstanding contributions in public service and including special scholarship presentations, ASPA’s South Florida Chapter invites all ASPA members to join them for a celebration of public service. Ten awards will be given out to city managers, nonprofit organizations, young scholars, Chapter members and more.
  
  
• ABFM 2021 Annual Conference
  Washington, DC | September 30 - October 2
  Online registration is open
  
  
• SECoPA 2021
  Online | September 23-24
  Registration is open; the Call for Proposals expires July 15, 2021
  
  
• NISPAcee Annual Conference 2021
  Ljubljana, Slovenia | October 21-23
  Theme: "Citizens' Engagement and Empowerment—The Era of Collaborative Innovation in Governance"
  This conference has been moved from May 2021 to the fall to enable in-person attendance. The Call for Papers will be re-opened shortly to accommodate this change of schedule. More details will be printed here as they are announced.
  
  
• NASPAA 2021 Annual Conference with SPAE's Teaching Public Administration Conference
  Online | October 27-29
  Theme: “Reimagining the Civic Square”
  Registration is open
  
  
• COMPA 2022 Annual Conference
  New Orleans | March 2-5, 2022
  More details will be announced in the coming weeks
  
  

• Contribute to MSPB's Strategic Planning Process!
  The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is engaging in a strategic planning process and is inviting its stakeholders to provide input. Find the Qualtrics survey online via this link. Providing input is voluntary and confidential. All survey responses are due by Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
  
  
• Call for Conference Papers: Redefining Public Administration: New Paradigms for the Post Pandemic Era
  As the pandemic moves beyond the one-year mark, we seek to organize a symposium that will focus upon a forward-looking examination of key paradigm shifts in public administration. Consequently, this symposium builds on the unprecedented intellectual explosion arising from the pandemic and, collectively, we hope to explore questions like: What does the past year's events mean for the future of public administration? What do they mean for the future of democratic government? What are the consequences for public policy and in what new directions will these events lead? We welcome proposals regarding these and all other relevant topics. This symposium will take place during a hybrid conference organized by Central Police University and Taiwan Association for Schools of Public Administration and Affairs (TASPAA) in Taiwan. All proposals are due by June 30, 2021. Click here for more information. Contact Elaine Lu and Chun Yuan Wang with any questions.
  
  
• Call for Applications: Inaugural Editor in Chief, Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration (JSEPA)
  ASPA's Section on Democracy and Social Justice (SDSJ) has launched a new journal, Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration (JSEPA) and has issued a search for the inaugural editor in chief. The editor in chief will serve in a highly visible role concerning the editorial and strategic position of JSEPA. We expect that JSEPA's content will reflect a breadth of theory, applied research and professional interests across the field of public administration, public affairs and public policy. The journal's organizing committee is seeking applications from doctorate-holding senior figures in the field who are active ASPA members. If not a member of SDSJ, the selected editor in chief agrees to become a member. Applicants should have publishing experience to ensure the success and sustainability of JSEPA in the journal's formative years and an established network spanning public, private and nonprofit sectors. All applications are due July 1, 2021. Click here for the full call for nominations.
  
  
• Call for Proposals and Attendance: SECoPA 2021
  Join SECoPA online September 23-24 for its 51st annual conference—its 1st virtual edition—with the theme, “Seeking equilibrium: changing public service, changing society”! The two-day online conference will feature a streamlined focus on live presentations of scholarly research and insights from professional public/nonprofit service, as well as SECoPA's awards. Students, faculty and professionals in practice are welcome! Registration is $50 per person ($25 per person for students). This is a great year to join SECoPA without travel expenses and get involved before in-person events begin again in Lexington in 2022 and Atlanta in 2023! Also, there’s still time to propose a talk, full panel or poster. The final proposal submission deadline has been extended to July 15 but SECoPA is offering rolling acceptances beginning as soon as July 1. The program committee’s decisions will be made by July 31. Full papers will not be required to accompany conference presentations, except for students who indicate they wish to be considered for the student paper awards (restricted to ASPA District III graduate students; for more on eligibility rules please visit our website). Click here for more information.
  
  
• ABFM Awards Call for Nominations
  The Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM) will be honoring awardees at this year's fall conference. The following awards are open for nominations; committees will determine all honorees.
  
  Michael Curro Student Paper Award (Deadline: June 30, 2021)
  Graduate students who have written outstanding papers in the field as part of a course, independent study or other faculty supervised projects are eligible. The paper must be nominated by a faculty supervisor and have been written between June 2020 and June 2021. The paper may not have been previously presented at a professional conference. Papers written by more than one student are not eligible. A financial award and commemorative plaque will be presented to the winner. Conference registration also will be waived for the winner. Nomination letters and copies of student papers should be sent as e-mail (.doc file or PDF) attachments by June 30 to Carla Flink.
  
  Aaron B. Wildavsky Award (Deadline: July 1, 2021)
  This award is presented to honor the lifetime scholarly accomplishments of Aaron B. Wildavsky. The award is presented annually to a distinguished scholar in the field of public budgeting and financial management for lifetime achievement. The award recipient should be an outstanding scholar as judged by his or her record of publication and service to the field over a sustained period of time. Nominations should be sent by July 1 to Jonathan Justice.
  
  Paul Posner Pracademic Award (Deadline: July 1, 2021)
  The Paul Posner Pracademic Award honors lifetime achievement for significant contributions to the field of budgeting and financial management made as both a practitioner and an academic. The award recipient should be an outstanding pracademic (practitioner and scholar) as judged by his or her record of service to and publication in the field over a sustained period of time. Nominations should be sent by July 1 to Jonathan Justice. Please include “ABFM Posner Award Nomination” in the subject line.
  
  S. Kenneth Howard Award (Deadline: July 15, 2021)
  This award is presented to honor the lifetime accomplishments of S. Kenneth Howard. The award is presented annually to a distinguished practitioner in the field of public budgeting and financial management for lifetime achievement. The award recipient should be an outstanding practitioner as judged by his or her record of service over a sustained period of time. Nominations should be emailed by July 15 to Thad Calabrese.
  
  
• Cascade Chapter Holds Student Symposium
  ASPA's Cascade Chapter invites paper proposals for its fall symposium titled, "Innovation, Creativity, and Resilience: Responding to Contemporary Challenges in Public Administration," to be held this October. Students from all majors and backgrounds are welcome to submit a paper presentation related to this theme. All proposals are due July 5. Click here for more information.
  
  
• Call for Papers: PPMR—Beyond COVID-19: Public Management and Governance for a New Era
  Public Performance & Management Review (PPMR) is a leading peer-reviewed academic journal that addresses a broad array of factors influencing the performance of public and nonprofit organizations. In recognition of the critical need to reexamine public management challenges and emergency management practices in the context of COVID-19, PPMR is organizing a special issue inviting submission of theoretical and empirical manuscripts that address the public management and governance implications of COVID-19. Manuscripts are due by July 15. Contact Qian Hu and Yihong Liu with any questions. Click here for more information.
  
  

PA TIMES Online

Here's a selection of current pieces on PA TIMES Online, covering a range of issues within the profession. We accept individual articles on a rolling basis; if you have a piece you think would fit our publication, submit it to [email protected] for consideration. (Please review our submission guidelines in advance!)

• Pushing Back Against Democratic Decline
  By Michael Ford
  
  
• A National American Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank—An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
  By Stephen Rolandi
  
  
• The Language Wall
  By Parisa Vinzant